6/24/24 - Presidential Debate Scheduled For Thursday

Donald Trump and Joe Biden will square off in Thursday's debate, 9 p.m. on CNN in Atlanta.

- President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off on June 27th for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election season. 

CNN will host the debate in Atlanta and begin at 9 p.m. EST. 

To qualify for participation, candidates must meet the following criteria, according to CNN:

• "Fulfill the requirements outlined in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution
• "File a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission
• "A candidate's name must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency prior to the eligibility deadline
• "Agree to accept the rules and format of the debate
• "Receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN's standards for reporting."

independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr did not meet the requirements to participate in the debate.

Recently released additional rules: Both candidates' microphones will be muted until it is their turn to speak, and they won't be allowed to interact with campaign staff during the two commercial breaks.

The debate will air live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN Max.

For those without a cable subscription, the debate will be streaming on CNN.com, the network said in a news release.

The second debate is scheduled for Sept. 10, hosted by ABC.