A coin toss decided that former President Donald Trump will get the last chance to say why he should be America’s next commander in chief at the end of the first presidential debate next week.
CNN held a coin toss for the Biden and Trump campaigns, allowing them to choose between a standing position on the stage or a speaking slot for closing arguments. While the Biden campaign won CNN’s coin toss and decided to pick President Joe Biden‘s standing position, the Trump campaign called dibs on the closing arguments.
Biden will stand to the audience’s right and deliver the first closing argument. Trump will stand to the left and deliver the last argument of the night to voters.
Biden and Trump have chosen different strategies to prepare for the debate. Biden’s preparations “will largely be confined to immediately prior” to the debate, a Biden campaign spokesperson said, with debate sessions to start at Camp David exactly seven days before the big day.
Trump has done the opposite, gearing up for months with intensive and creative policy debates. Instead of holding mock debates with someone role-playing his opponent, typical in traditional debate preparation, Trump is talking through matters he’ll encounter during the debate with a wide range of experts, strategists, and politicians. Individuals Trump has conferred with include Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO), as well as former Trump White House official Stephen Miller; Ric Grenell, Trump’s former director of national intelligence; Kellyanne Conway, former White House counselor; and Thomas Homan, former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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As host of the first presidential debate, CNN announced that Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not participate on June 27. According to the network, Kennedy must reach a 15% polling threshold in four qualifying polls and gain ballot access in enough states to reach 270 electoral votes. Kennedy has reached 15% in six polls, but only 3 meet CNN’s criteria. The Independent candidate has gained enough signatures to reach 310 electoral votes, but 14 states have yet to certify Kennedy’s ballot access, making it impossible for him to qualify for the debate.
CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper will moderate the June 27 debate.
