(COLORADO) — President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are set to square off in their first televised debate of the 2024 campaign in Atlanta, which will be hosted by CNN. FOX21 News will begin airing coverage of the debate on Thursday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. and the debate will kick off at 7 p.m. local time.
The stakes are high for both men. Trump currently holds a narrow lead over Biden nationally at 45% to 44%, according to a Decision Desk HQ/The Hill aggregate of polls. Biden has been dogged by concerns over his age, as well as the high cost of living and his Administration’s handling of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Trump, meanwhile, is grappling with the fallout from his conviction in a New York hush money trial, multiple federal indictments, and scrutiny over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Abortion, the economy, and the Israel-Hamas war are just a few of the issues likely to be discussed at Thursday night’s debate.
The 90-minute debate will be the earliest such event in U.S. history. Televised presidential debates between general election candidates have always started in September or early October, going back to the first one between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.
Southern Colorado voters are invited to attend a bipartisan Presidential Debate Watch Party on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at RoadHouse Cinemas in Colorado Springs.
FOX21News will be in attendance at the watch party and will update this article throughout the evening.
