How to Watch the First Presidential Debate Between Joe Biden and Donald Trump — and What to Expect

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off in their first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle on Thursday, June 27.

Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, are slated to participate in two general election debates before November. Neither is formally their party's nominee just yet — they will officially be nominated at the party conventions this summer — but both have secured enough delegates to become the major party candidates.

The debate, hosted by CNN, comes as recent polls show the candidates neck and neck, and as voters express concern about the age and mental competency of both men.

When Does the First 2024 Presidential Debate Begin?

The first 2024 presidential debate is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 27. It will be held in CNN's Atlanta studios, and moderated without a live audience by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

Where to Watch the First Presidential Debate

Those with cable can watch the presidential debate live beginning at 9 p.m. EDT on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN Max. It will be streaming for free on CNN.com.

Most news networks and cable channels have also agreed to air CNN's debate, meaning you can find it on the live TV platforms where you're subscribed. PBS.org, C-SPAN.org and the C-SPAN Now app will stream it for free, too.

What to Expect from the Presidential Debate

The economy, immigration and abortion are all issues that the candidates will be asked about on debate night — though more personal matters will likely also take center stage.

Since leaving office, Trump has been hit with four indictments and 88 felony charges. Just last month, the former president was found guilty of 34 felonies in Manhattan for falsifying business records to conceal a conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 presidential election.

Trump is now awaiting three more criminal trials — two of which focus on his and his allies' efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.

Meanwhile, Biden's son Hunter was found guilty of three felony charges in his federal firearm case earlier this month.

While Hunter himself is not involved in his father's campaign, Trump repeatedly brought him up during a 2020 debate with Biden, prompting the now-president to address the cameras directly and say, "This is not about my family or his family. It's about your family, the American people."

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Viewers at home may also get an idea of who Trump's running mate will be. The former president told NBC News at a campaign stop in Philadelphia over the weekend that his future running mate — who remains unconfirmed — will "most likely" attend the upcoming presidential debate.

“They’ll be there,” he told the outlet. “I think we have a lot of people coming.” It's unclear, however, whether Trump plans to publicly name his pick during the debate. He will reveal that decision sometime before the Republican National Convention in mid-July.