In order for President Biden’s campaign to agree to debate Donald Trump, the latter had to agree to a number of conditions, one of which is that there will be no actual back-and-forth debating happening at this particular debate.
To make sure there isn’t any cross-talk, CNN moderators will be using a microphone cutoff system and have even provided a demonstration of how it will work. How the mods use this to Biden’s advantage remains to be seen:
If we go behind the podiums, you can see two green lights. When they’re on, they signal to the candidate his microphone is on; when the green lights are off, they signal to the candidate his microphone is off.
Of course, they will likely only use this feature to mute Trump.
Joe Biden is currently hiding at Camp David and doing “debate prep.”
Here are some more of the rules CNN put in place:
The candidates’ microphones will be muted unless it’s their turn to speak. There will be no live studio audience to react to zingers or other “moments” during the 90-minutes, a first since the 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
There will be two commercial breaks, though Trump and Biden won’t be able to consult with their teams during them. The candidates are not allowed any props or prewritten notes, and will only be given a pen, paper and water.
A CNN coin flip won by Biden means he will stand at a lectern on the the right-side of the stage while Trump will be on the left, though Trump will get the last word by delivering his closing statement second.
