To accept the invitation, saying he would debase, has rival any time any day bite and has deviated from the conventional timing style and organizes the dates for the spine match a so early. But neither candidates would have so many accepted the policies nomination, and they will be no life audience. The 2 men are already exchanging insults on social media, building off an appetite for poll watches. So one of the key issues to look out for if and when they face off, and how important that these debates will put those and other questions to august to the moment that 1st this report by image and come back in the blue corner. The sound shop, the last 2 debates mean 2020 in the sense that he had showed up for debates. Now hes acting like he wants to debate me again or make my day pass all even do a twice plus pick the day style. I hear you free on wednesdays, and then the read kona trumps responses. It is my great honor to accept the cnn debate against cricket, joe biden, the worst president in the history of the United States, and a true threat to democracy on june 27th. Likewise, i accept the a b. C. News debate against crooked joe. On september 10th. A debate being agreed this sunday is unusual. Since voting for the next president of the United States traditionally begins in mid September Boyd and is expected to attack trump scrambling and rhetoric. Well, trump is likely to um, provide concerns about the only things age the rules of engagement. Yet to be confirmed, teresa was a man bored and want strict rules over interruptions and no live audience. It was a very well trump once a very large venue for excitement purposes. President and i talked brought the debate like you put in millions of viewers in the United States 32nd, despite reports of some vote of dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates. Im pretty nervous. Honestly i feel like the outcome is pretty chaotic. Like its very like a Pressure Cooker kind of feeling. Its very polarizing. And honestly, i feel like our options are sparse to have our 2 main candidates who they are. I guess its kind of a box of scenarios. Trump is facing a criminal charges. Some are related to so cool, harsh money paid to signtechs and other boom still ahead of the 2016 election who claimed she had an affair with him. Others because of his attempt to overturn the 2020 president ial election result of bartons presidency, has been defined by high inflation, big spending bills for industrial policies, bank rolling ukraine, and its well with russia and most recently, his support for israel over its world goza. Despite objections from traditional and potential democratic voters, polls but the candidates, roughly neck and neck. Many voters considering who is most likely to improve the economy, which is the cost of living and bring it back, change up to say it may not be a case of who is better or more popular, but who is the least worst option . Imaging can buy out a 0 for inside story the net spring and i guess in washington dc is elaine k, mock senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the also of primary politics in new york journalist. Brians delta is specializes in cover in the us media. Im is the author of several books including network of lives and also in dc, steve, him and is worst of americas chief National Correspondent and has his own books coming out behind the white house cushion is an account of his time as b. O a White House Bureau chief, a very warm welcome to all of you, mister stells. Ill start with you in new york. And what is the importance or relevance of a president ial debate in an error of increasing pauses on divides how many mines are they left to be made up . Very few, but it is important to have debates for the following reasons. There is nothing normal about this election, its a rematch, its a grudge match, its donald trump, promising retribution and binding promising to embarrass trump on the world stage. Theres nothing normal about the circumstances, but the debate actually is pretty normal by american standards. Americans expect to see president ial debates every 4 years. So this is going to bring a sense of normality. Some standards, some political laws of gravity reapplied to this unusual election season and is going to be a transfer americans who have not tuned in who are not paying attention to actually size up the candidates. It is very easy and this fragment of media world to ignore the political debate altogether, to tune out altogether. And this debate will be an opportunity, at least for voters to, to an end for the 1st time. As you said, there are many things that are not normal, especially unusual about this president ial election and also about this president ial debate. Mr. Hammond, why is the debate being held even before either by the no trump of formerly nominated as beth potties candidates for the election . A yes, this will probably be the early as debate ever in a president ial election cycle. Well, donald trump is never hesitant, or at least acts like hes never hesitant to uh, to get in front of a, a Television Camera or a crowd all. But we wont have a crowd in the studio for these 2 debates, from what weve learned and for the bite and campaign theyre looking at to recent polls and of anything they can do to sort of show jo bidens Success Story and him acting president ial. These will be Donald Trumps antics that he usually displays on the debate stage. Theyre hoping to get an early boost of a for the campaign is brian said, you know, theres a whole lot of people who are undecided about joe biden or donald trump. What this election is really going to be about in the winter is presumably going to be determined by who can really rally the base. So this is an early opportunity to try to rally the basis for the respective campaigns. Yeah, and i do want to talk about, you know, what kind of issues they going to focus on to rally their base to change the minds of thing was, is that miss k mock, if i can come to you with the same point about, you know, donald trump and president bite, and this re match, i was reading, you know, a recent poll shows that the majority of americans dont want either donald trump, for President Biden to run again in this election. So what is the fact that, you know, they are the republicans and democrats nominee in a holding this debate even before the nomination . What does that say about the 2 major parties . Concern for folks just sentiment as well. It says that both major parties have deep wells of support for their nominees, otherwise somebody else would have come along and challenge them successfully. It didnt happen in either party. I think the way to look at this is that there is, there are very many undecided voters, but there are a lot of people that the pollsters are calling double haters. Double haters are people who really dislike bite and, and really dislike drop. And part of what they are going to be looking at, i think, is how vigorous each of these candidates is. We started this Election Year with a lot of worry about how buys and was too old for the job. Increasingly given trumps sort of a radical behavior on the stump and in his court room, people are now beginning to wonder if he too, is too old and too discombobulated to be president. So i think the, the debates will show the capacity of each of these men. Both of them are older than anybody weve had running ever. Yeah. Yeah. Um, sell to it if i can come, she lives, you know, some of the possible reasons why this debase is being held so early. You know, mr. Him and touched on this, but i want to ask, you know, why do you think the by the end and ministration wants to hold this debate so early in june . Doesnt have anything to do with, you know, early version has really increased over the past few decades. Democrats think they do better in early voicing. It is one of the aspects of american politics that i feel is broke in that Many Americans, those broken or the length of the share length. The volume of these elections, primaries go on for so many months. The general election goes on for the better part of a year. It feels like we live in a country where the election never ends. And you know, think about that as soon as Joe Joe Biden was inaugurated. Donald trump was back out there running for president again. So with that in mind earlier debates make sense. If were going to have this environment where primary is the one for months in general, actually is gone for months that it makes sense to have debates early or not wait until the very last in, in, when people have already started to cast their ballots. So im, this is actually an improvement and i think the binding campaign you know, is in some ways boxed in by trump, who for months has been out there saying ill debate by them anywhere anytime anyhow, by an essentially called is bloss and said ok, ill do it twice, once in june. Once is a temper, ill see you there. And that were to me these, there were the some behind the scenes negotiations that all lit up to this. And now its a huge number one. Its a huge cooper, cnn, my former employer. And abc to when these debates. Number 2, its a huge responsibility for cnn and for a b c. What questions are asked, how the debates are framed . Public candidates are managed because lets be honest, donald trump is going to get up there. Hes gonna scream, hes gonna call, im a lawyer constantly. Hes gonna interrupt. Its gonna be a very chaotic debate and its going to be hard for these networks to manage a steam. Do you think that given some of the conditions that divided administration has set on these debates that they can be as k austic, as ive seen previous debates involved in donald trump because one of the conditions that the Bottom Administration has off full. And presumably, donald trump has agreed to if the debates are going to go ahead, is that mikes that will automatically turn off once to speak is a lot of time is up. These ground rules certainly seem to favor bite and rather than trump, and were also making the assumption that these debates are actually going to happen here in washington. There is some skepticism about that that perhaps donald trump, by and by hours before the debate may say, may allege that the bidens been fed the questions or the format is rigged or Something Else and actually back out of this. But it, but why, but why would he back, how all that off to. Why would he back out of it off the asking for it for so long to claim uh that, uh its rick, just like he claimed falsely that the last election was rick did. Whatever it takes to bring attention on him is what donald trump uh, desires. Uh, you know, we, i saw that during the 4 years of covering him in, in the white house. And that will also say no matter what the ground rules are, are that donald trump, well, well try to violate him for him. For him. He must be center stage theres, theres no doubt about that. And i expect thats what well see. And that is something that will rally his base and well have both campaigns if these debates happen after it saying, hey, look, this shows you exactly why you should not vote for that other crazy old man. And i want to talk about another very interesting ground rules that donald trump, again, has agreed to. The joe biden said that he doesnt want an audience. And we will know that donald trump feeds off an audience. I was watching one late night whos saying that is getting trumps who agree to a debate without an audience is like getting a vampire to agree to a fight on a beach at noon during a garlic festivals. Why would trump . Why would trump agree to this . I think trump was sort of boxed in by his own rhetoric. Hed been running around the country for so many months, saying joe biden is afraid to debate me. I could beat joe biden in debate. I mean, his rhetoric is really his usual outland ish stuff. And he got boxed in, he said, you know, okay, all the base you any time, anywhere. And then when buying put this condition on him. I think he sort of had to say yes, but i, i agree with like steve who just spoke that im not sure this will happen. Okay, im not sure this will happen because theres an analogy here between donald trump in his court room and donald trump and debate in the court room. What weve seen time and time again is donald trump is unable to control himself. Hes, hes racking up science every day by it, by threatening people, the judges, the jury, the, the people related to them. And he cant, he doesnt have any self control. And sometimes that hurts sometimes the, his people love it, its cetera. Sometimes. Yeah, funny. So its, it works, but a lot of times he has no self control. And you know, i can see him at the last minute and looking up some excuse to back out of this. Have been find many things with donald trump. I mean, just off the top of my head, im thinking of, you know, the talks that we use to take place, but the take end up taking place at the north Korean Leader that was so on. Again off again. Brian, why do you think the job im dividing administration is bypassing the president ial debate commission, which has organized these debates since 1918, but there was, there was criticism of the bite and administration that it has sidelined a number of institutions that it doesnt integrate with. Yes, it is your right. And in some ways there was actually strangely, some bipartisan agreement about sideline in the commission because some prominent republicans, including those tied to trump, had been criticizing the commission, suggesting they wanted to do it a different way. And then the binding campaign was much more firm insane. We reject the commissions plan. Were going to go a different direction. Why i think there, theres a couple of reasons. One, the commission has disappointed campaigns. A couple really dramatic times. Recently, a, i think about 2020 donald trump gets on stage with biden, from secretly, has cobit is very sick. The debate was a total mass. There was a total train wreck. The moderator was not able to control trump. Uh the commission was embarrassed and rightly so. So i think in some ways the commission was losing control losing steam opposite before this moment. And heres how the Bottom Campaign said there was notable. They said, we dont think there should be an audience. We dont think this would be a spectacle, and we dont want to wait until the fall. And i think those are all legitimate reasons to break from the commission. But it is a yet another example of the us breaking from the norms that have, you know, kind of govern to these election cycles for decades. Okay. Steve, assuming that these debates will go ahead, what do you think the issues that either candidate will try to focus on as well . Most certainly donald trump is going to go after joe biden on the issue of the middle east. And joe biden is the sitting president , so there is a valid criticism depending on what side of the political spectrum or that issue that youre on. That that will be a very easy one to throw at donald trump because he can say, you know, if i were president , this war would have been, you know, over and 5 minutes. The same thing he said about if he gets to be president again about the ukraine and russia also, i think that well see of the moderators trying to pin donald trump down on the issue of abortion because hes trying to have it both ways on that issue. And thats a, that will be a strength of for joe biden, but there is some risk to President Biden because he is the sitting president. And he has to take responsibility for all the things that are perceived as going wrong. Not only in the United States, a, but in the entire world of elaine, you verse at the end of last year, about how bidens unpopularity doesnt necessarily mean that voters wont vote for democrats, you know, especially in mid term elections. But do you think thats true in a federal election and, you know, steve was talking about how donald trump is expected to will be expected to press the button on the middle east on israels war on gaza. Do you think that, you know, thats changed at least with some groups that you know what were seeing for by the, in the, even though rather working for the democrats, even if they dont agree with bite and do think thats changed as the month since, as well. As one, gaza has begun. I dont think its changed substantially. I think there are piece of the Democratic Party thats very worried about whats going on in gaza. But it wants to buy and campaign on earth and begins to put ads out about what trunk trumps attitude towards the middle east is comes close this with the netanyahu. Many people in the United States are very angry at dont think has been a good leader and a good ally and all of this, um, once, once the buying campaign puts trunk and his positions to many of which are even more extreme, then bidens, i think thats going to go away as an issue. I also think that weve had a phenomenon ever since 2000 when shes at 2020 rather, where biden has had very low popularity. Lots of people worried about them. They got lot of complaints about them. And then when push comes to shove, the democrats, when so i think thats going to happen this stuff this time as well. I think i think its a visa. Yeah. Yeah. Be so you can have you think that can happen on the National Level because of the contrast, steve, let me talk to you about brian. Rather, let me come to you now about reproductive rights and elaine. I know youve written about this as well and just how much it can push versus towards democrats. As voice has perceived a womans rights to choose as being on the ballot, then democrats have done well in those elections. How do you see that playing out and these a possible debates assessing the, the Election Campaign i, i, i sometimes hesitate to boil something down. So simply as im about to do, okay, so with that, cause we are, i think what im about to say is the reality of the campaign. I think its as simple as the following. Any day that america is talking about reproductive rights, about Abortion Access binding, dis, went in, and any day america is talking about the border or crime, trumpets winning. So at the end of this election, we can tally up the number of days where most of the News Coverage is about reproductive rights versus the number of days. The most of the News Coverage is about a border. And we will probably know the winter of the election as a result. Now, heres the thing. Binding, the democrats have so much money to spend on ads on tv ads, on marketing, on messaging, on the ground game. So theyre going to be able to deploy a tremendous array of resources to raise the salience of the reproductive rights question. To make it a top, the front and center issue this summer and fall. Thats what at least what i expect to happen. And one of the reasons why i tend to agree with the land that by then despite his on popularity is the make a more america boring, keep america boring candidate. And thats not what trauma says, right . Trump promises a pretty radical change to the United States. I think most americans are burnt out by politics. Theyre exhausted, they dont want to hear about it. And that, and somebody is actually a banner just by and papers by and stave, do you see those issues, you know, reproductive rights and whats happening at the border as 2 of the most important issues in this Election Campaign. You know, what about the economy and the fact that regardless of the fact that the American Economy is doing well is growing, americans dont credit that to the bite and administration. And Many Americans dont feel that they have benefiting from that growth or, or exactly the Macro Economic indicators. All a very good. But when you talk to people about what theyre paying at the Grocery Store for eggs and brad, and at the federal ponds for gasoline. Its a different story and that is most certainly something that trump is going to attack biden. And if we have all of these debates, because that will resonate with the voters, not only republicans for democrats as well. And of course, you know, we can talk with economists about, well, how much can you really blame a president for, for whats happening with the, with the price of bags of a lot of these Economic Indicators lag. And so you can actually sometimes blame the previous president more than the current president , but that sort of nuance is going to be lost on the voters. And you know, we usually say it is pocket book issues that motivate people to do, to go to the polls and choose who they chose. And so come november or when we have early voting, start of the price that people are paying for gasoline is going to be a significant factor and maybe israel hamas less. So abortion is a brian pointed out, a very emotional issue and the bite administration and democrats seem to have the upper hand on that because independence, even a lot of republicans dont like the restrictions that are on place now. And a number of states. And again, as i said before, donald trump is going to have to provide some answers. I think also what significant to point out these debates are going to be moderated and hosted by uh, 2 of networks, a cable net uh cnn, and Cable Network and abc which is more main stream fox news or any other right wing channel uh does not have the opportunity yet to uh, hosted debate and jo bidens campaign is saying that its going to be these 2 and thats going to be at elaine the 1st the base has taken place, but yeah, was brian go ahead. I just like its notable that in an era of independent media, new media models, youtube and sub stack and tick tock and all the rest. All these really valuable this was in the media landscape and yet who wins the debates for the us presence election . Its these Old School Old buying brands again cnn. I used to be there 40 years old abc, its been around since the birth of television. Its these Old School Media brands that are still trusted by a large number of people. The one of these debates and i think its important because the set about fox news be cut out of this process. Because right now pro trump media has no will at all in the database. And of course, donald trump has said that he wants a debate on fox news. The vitamin ministration hasnt been great to that. Were coming to the end of our discussion. So i want to just touch once again on why this debate, why these debates are important. And the 1st to base has taken place in georgia, which is a crucial background state. Donald trump is up in 5 of those bathroom ground states. Do these debates do think, have the power, how much power do they have to put to persuade people to shape peoples minds . It thats hard to say. But put it this way in any election where it is so close, close in the battleground, states, close national, age, etc, in any election like that, everything matters. And so were talking about the state of georgia, where by one at, by 11000 boat. So obviously this debate taking place in georgia could be increase incredibly important to either buy nor trump, arizona, where it was one by 10000 votes. So these are very, very narrow margins were seen. And i think that the debate could, in fact be instrumental in one of these places and perhaps in the whole election. And brian, what do you think that is of the most important things that we need to look out for . And these debates i looked the country, the United States more fragmented than ever. Its easier than ever to mess and tune out and not watch this stuff. So these debates will not reach as high and audience as, lets say, bush v gore in 2000. That said, they are some of the most important opportunities because there a chance for people to Pay Attention to what should we watch for. Number one does from try to back out. Number 2 is by unable to perform the ways 8 say a not show is age as dramatic. Fashion number 3 is trump able to remain somewhat tethered to the truth, or is it going to be a total stream of nonsense and lies a number for . Well, the moderators fact check and debunk some of the craziness that we hear on stage. Thats a very tall order for the responsibility for the audience deserves and just save. Lastly, what do you think of the most important things to watch out for . And these debates as well, i think how these candidates look physically, these will be the largest audience, is a Television Audiences that these candidates so will be seen by and a lot of the Republican Base believes that joe biden is seen iowa in coherent. So if hes coherent and vertical, as he was during his state of the Union Address exceeding expectations, vibes of victory for joe biden. And for donald trump, if hes able to get his barbs in and try to intimidate a joe biden, ah, that will be seen by his base as a victory and a reason to go out and vote for donald trump. Those seem like very low vas, but there we have it the content as for the us president ial election, assigned to, to all of our guests. Elaine came out in washington dc, brians delta in new york and steve, him and also in washington dc. And thank you to for watching, you can see the program again any time by visiting our website onto 0 dot com. I prefer the discussion to go to a Facebook Page thats facebook dot com, forward slash a inside story. You can also join the conversation on x. I handle this at a inside story from me, elizabeth put on him and the whole team here, bye for now. The unique perspective. Why is it the doctors didnt get to have a say in any of the medical workforce . Has been so and divided by the British Government for such a long time on hub voices. Tick tock had been a place for organizing politically for getting people to vote for getting people to protest, connect with our community and tap into conversations you werent find elsewhere. Why is our government taking us to work on the basis of live we the public have to get out there and do something about it. The stream on al jazeera of the. Ringback the a meeting of minds, the tragedy from me is a democratic solve effort. There. Its how quickly we sort of did the story told re global, know the intertwining of money and politics campaigner andrew fine state and photographer shock you do on, on active is on the crisis and gone. So what is happening today is top thing on our watch. The news from now they will be people asking, how did you left it . Half the studio will be on script part one on, on disease. We know whats happening in our region. We know have to get from places that others tend on fear god. By that on purpose, the way that you tell the story is what can make a difference. The hello, im sammys a them. This has been use our life from dell coming up in the next 60 minutes. South africa appeals to the worlds top cold to hold as well as offensive on rough. I immediately say it proves genocidal intent. This attack is the final blow that is intended to destroy the palace to noon group. Gosh, on the day of the hearing. Is there any bombing kills 5