Welcome to this evenings here in nashville. I am janet brown, executive director of the commission on president ial debates. Over the next few minutes, you will hear ground rules for the and many expressions of gratitude to the people and organizations who got us here tonight. I would like to start with three of them, who are genuine champions of debate and true cpd, dr. To the robert fisher, the president of beaumont university. It served as a backup site in 2016. To make thised evening happen in spite of a lot of challenges 2020 has brought to this campus and all the others across the country. They dont come any better than bob and his colleagues. The second is nashvilles on martin slutsky. [applause] marty has been the cpds executive producer since 2000. 23rd debate. S we could never do this without marty. He is a treasure. Cochair, is our third scott writings, who is not here with us this evening. She has been in louisville, she isy at home, but here in spirit. She is an asset to the board and staff at cpd. Theuld like to introduce other cochairs, our founding ken. Air, frank and evening. I joined janet in welcoming you all to beaumont and to nashville. We a great debt of gratitude to the city and this university. They have been so courteous and working hard for us. What a beautiful place this is. I hope you all have a chance to walk around and see the marvelous campus. Around,ome people people who produced this great background. We have over 60 of them. We have had for debates in four different parts of this country. Thinks to united airlines, which stepped up to the plate and is providing free of charge air service for our entire crew back and forth from one city to another, we owe united airlines. Anheuserbusch a great thank you not only for their beer, but for what they have done for this commission for many years. It is a little less of a lift now. Normally if we were here with normal times, there would be 900 of you probably in this audience. With coronavirus, it was necessary for us to do that. Have always provided a giant tent with food to feed the 5000 reporters that come from all over the world, our crew, the news people. They are here with us this year again, and we thank them. Tonight, at the National Press club, they are putting on the fourth immediate filing center. Those of you who walk around the campus will see a giant tent out here where media from all over the world are setting up tables watching this on television and filing their stories. Many, because of the coronavirus, were not able to come here for this. The National Press club has set up a National Filing center for immediate filing for them. Theres been a lot of controversy around this debate. I want to spend a few minutes telling you what the rules are. Because i think theres been some misconception and misstatement about what the rules are. We published in july, the rules for this debate and the first debate. They were the same. Inminutes would be divided 615 minute segments, with the moderator of each being able to name the subject matter of each of those six segments. The parties agreed that for the first four minutes of those 15 minutes segments, each of them would come off or minutes, have the ability to speak without interruption. Each of them would, for two minutes, have the ability to speak without interruption. Unfortunately, those rules were not necessarily followed. So the commission felt we could not put in the new rule, and what we thought we would do was to put a way to enforce what they had agreed to, the original role, no interruption. Iu are going to say tonight, believe the first question will be directed to the president. He will speak for two minutes. They are looking into the cameras. At the end of two minutes, the president will stop speaking, and then mr. Bidens microphone, which has been off for the two minutes the president has been speaking, will come on. This will happen at the start of each of the six sections. There is no other censure or buttons that will be pushed to stop them. The rest of the time in each of the segments are for open debate. We hope they do it civilly and discuss the issues of the American People will learn something about where they are on the issues. Ow, this is a very important debate for each of these candidates. The first debate weeks ago watch it. Lion people that does not count people who watched it on cspan or people who had it on their computer or their iphones or ipads. We think this debate tonight could reach 100 million people. You are sitting on states that make you part of history. You are very fortunate. Those at home are trying to learn something about these candidates to make an important decision as to who they are going to support when they go to the polls, if they have not already done so. It is not for you to participate standing up, by doing anything that would bring you into this. So please, do not yell, because you are interfering with what those people are seeing. There also is a rule on masks. You must wear a mask to come in, and you must keep it on. You will be asked to put it back on if you take it off, and if you do not, you will be asked to leave. If you do not leave, you will be escorted to leave. It will be an embarrassment and take time away from the important things going on today. At exactly 8 00, you are going to hear a lot of noise. If you turn around and look behind you, those are the major networks. At exactly 8 00, they are all going to go on at the major time, you will hear a lot of voices you will record is from different networks. You will recognize from different networks. They will settle down. With that, let me introduce my cochairman, ken. Good evening. I join frank, janet, and fellow ivankaembers, including and john griffin, who were with us tonight, in welcoming you to the 24th president ial debate, sponsored and organized by the commission, the second hosted by beaumont university. I am proud to work alongside dedicated bodmer dedicated Board Members who have built a nonpartisan institution since the commission was established in 1987. Our sole Mission Continues to be thatolding of debates serve and inform the American People. Spare me a moment to explain the commissions efforts. Debates have evolved over the past three decades more transparent criteria for qualifications of participants, the trend toward a single moderator, in order to focus greater attention on the candidates, and the allocation of time for different subject areas are but a few of the many changes that have been made. Many of the details for organizing the debate are left to agreement by the candidates themselves. The commission has selected the times and places for debate. The moderators and the debate formats. Based on experience, these are issues that reflect the negotiations between the campaigns, nearly impossible to resolve in a timely manner. Was protected and otiable she negotiations that led to the commission itself. While there is always drama every four years, and this year is no exception, the process has worked. Postdebate Research Shows the American People have considered these debates an important part political process. Debates have also created Civic Education opportunities for the schools and communities that have hosted the. Hosted them. Beaumont university has launched the debate programming theory that explores issues ranging from democracy to social media. The commission has augmented these efforts by launching debate watch, which allows participants in all 50 states and puerto rico to exchange raised inssues debates and listen respectfully to each othersopinions. Debate watch 2020 will include more than one million participants. Commission, in partnership with the National Democratic institute, has helped organize more than 400 candidate debates in 45 countries. Most importantly, in new and emerging democracies. This initiative has led to the formation of debates international, support network of debate organizers for nearly 40 countries. I wanted to recognize the commissions longest standing for the past 32 years, the judy and Peter Blum Judy and peter blum colbert foundation. We are deeply grateful for their generous contribution to this years debate. Distinct my honor to introduce the president of beaumont university, bob fisher. Thank you. [applause] you. Ank good evening, everyone. Tonight is the night to celebrate america. But if you are beaumont, it is in it to express gratitude and thankfulness for all thats been done and the opportunities we have been given. I want to thank the commission for their support, janet brown, the cochairs, thank you so much. It is one thing to be a partner when times are easy. Its amazing, when times get tough, that is one real partnerships are born and stick. This has been a bonding experience. Thank you so much that the health care,o hca they are the ones who have given you all these tests and made sure everybody here tonight is safe. Their goal was to make this the safest place in america tonight, along with the secret service, who i also want to thank, and metro police. This ther, it made safest place in america tonight. Im so grateful for the. For that. Mayor, governor, for your support. Thank you to the national convention. To the National Chamber of commerce, all of you. Most of all, i just want to say a heartfelt thank you to the students of beaumont university. For sharing their campus with you, all of you this week. This has been a complicated and unusual semester, to say the least. I want to think the roman Hospitality Corporation for taking several hundred of our rehomingand them. They dont want to come back. They have a water park out there. We are going to get them back. Thestudents have embraced challenge of living safely together. We simply could not have done without them. You are probably wondering who these two people are that are standing here beside me. This is molly and turner. They cochaired the Student Group for 250 students who made this thing happen here at beaumont university. Im so grateful to them. Thank you and thank all the beaumont volunteers for what you have done here. Finally, i have prayed enough about this happening, that it be totally disingenuous if i didnt say thank you, god, that this is about to happen. God bless america. Thank you. [applause] [indistinct chatter] [cameras shuttering] [indistinct chatter] [cameras shuttering] the moderator for tax debate is Kristen Welker of nbc news. [applause] good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for being here. Its been such an honor for me to moderate this debate tonight, the final debate. I want to welcome the first family and first lady. We are thankful you are feeling better. I want to welcome the biden family, thank you all for being here tonight. We are so excited. We are looking to a really robust discussion looking forward to a really robust discussion. When the candidates are talking, please hold any applause or other reaction, except of course, when they walk out. Mac sure you cheer loud and applaud so everyone can hear you. Having me. Ou for this is the honor of a lifetime. Im going to organize and settled, and the show will start very soon. Thank you for being here. Organized and settled, and the show will start very soon. Thank you for being here. [indistinct chatter] [cameras shuttering] ms. Welker good evening from Belmont University in nashville, tennessee. I am Kristen Welker, and i welcome you to the