2024 Presidential Debates
May 24, 2024
The 2024 presidential election cycle is gearing up for full swing. In a May Emerson College poll, Trump held 44% to Biden’s 39%, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 6%. As Americans get ready for this election’s debates, shifts in the details of those debates are underway. The Biden campaign, in an apparent attempt to obtain a calmer conversation than in 2020, demanded the adherence to certain conditions from the Trump campaign, “... including microphone controls to reduce interruptions and a venue featuring candidates and moderators alone.”
CNN will host the first of the two debates on June 27, which will serve as the reignition of this year’s rematch between the two men. While it is unclear exactly what the debates will entail, simply by occurring, they will make history. This election will include two of the oldest men to ever seek the office of the presidency.
However, the 2020 presidential debates were certainly unforgettable in their own right. Four years ago, Biden and Trump engaged in shouting matches and each one had their share of moments. Perhaps one of the most memorable being when Biden, frustrated by continued interruption by Trump, asked “will you shut up man?” With microphone controls, it is likely the 2024 debates will be calmer in terms of interruptions but that does not mean the rhetoric will be any less pointed.
Filip Timotija of The Hill reports that RFK Jr, who has faced difficulty in qualifying for the presidential debates, is now calling for a debate on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. While the aforementioned Emerson College only had Kennedy at 6%, a far cry from the 15% he needs in four national polls to get closer to qualifying, it also noted 10% of voters as undecided.
With unpopular candidates from both major political parties and 10% of American voters still undecided, the debates could prove incredibly significant in impacting the outcome of the election. Ultimately, the Trump campaign may have a lead in national polls at the moment, but it certainly has reason for concern.
It is possible that some focus of the debates will include the litany of criminal charges Trump faces. Politico’s Jonathon Lemire reports that while Biden has been quiet regarding Trump’s trials, individuals familiar with his thinking on the matter have indicated that Biden intends to “... publicly address the criminal trials Donald Trump is facing when a verdict is reached…” With Trump’s New York criminal case coming to a close, it looks like a verdict well before the debates is quite likely.
2024’s presidential election is full of uncertainty. What kind of role will RFK play in siphoning votes? How will Trump’s criminal cases affect his performance? The coming months will provide answers; however, until then, a lot remains up in the air.