The first presidential debate of the 2020 election takes place tonight, Tuesday, September 29.
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will meet on the debate stage for the first time as they bid to win over American voters ahead of Election Day. This debate will be the first of three in the 2020 election cycle.
Biden and Trump are the oldest presidential candidates to ever face off in a televised debate, at 77 and 74, respectively.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s first presidential debate, including how to watch it live.
When is the presidential debate?
The debate will air without commercials from 6 to 7:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
How to watch the presidential debate online
The debate will be available to watch on all major networks and their websites, such as ABC, CBS, Fox News, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. The debate will also stream live on C-SPAN’s YouTube page.
We will embed a stream at the top of this page once it goes live.
Who is moderating the debate?
There were multiple debate moderators in previous years, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, debate organizers are opting for one moderator per debate.
Chris Wallace from Fox News Sunday will moderate tonight’s debate.
Where is the debate?
The debate will take place at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. While the candidates and moderator will appear in person, there will not be an audience like in past years because of the pandemic.
What topics will be discussed at the debate?
Debate topics were chosen by Wallace and include the Supreme Court (and most likely Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement), the coronavirus pandemic, the economy, race and violence in American cities, and the integrity of the election.
When are the next debates?
The second presidential debate takes place starting at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, Oct. 15. The debate will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, and will be moderated by C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully.
The third and final presidential debate will be held at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, Oct. 22. The debate is scheduled to be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and will be moderated by NBC News White House correspondent and co-anchor of Today Weekend Kristen Welker.
A single vice presidential debate between Republican candidate Mike Pence and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris will be held at 6 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Oct. 10. The debate will take place at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and will be moderated by USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page.
