Simulcast: CNN Presidential Debate

Watch live as President Biden and former president Donald Trump face off in the CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast on The Washington Post. The first presidential debate of the 2024 general election will make history as the first between a sitting U.S. president and a former president. In a race that polls show is neck and neck, any major moment — or flub — could move the needle for either candidate. Biden and Trump are breaking decades-old tradition by opting to participate in the CNN debate and an ABC News debate in September, instead of three fall debates organized by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. The CNN presidential debate will feature a new format and some new rules, including no studio audience and muted microphones in between candidates’ responses. No non-major-party candidate qualified to participate, CNN said. Candidates were required to meet constitutional, ballot access and polling qualifications. Live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern, and the debate begi