Jake Tapper and Dana Bash of CNN are slated to moderate the upcoming first presidential debate of the 2024 general election between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden on June 27. This historic event marks the first debate in U.S. history between an incumbent and a former president. It also features the oldest president in U.S. history and the first former president with a felony conviction.
The 90-minute debate, including two commercial breaks, will be the first time Biden and Trump share a debate stage since 2020. Expectations are set for intense exchanges, with Trump likely targeting Biden’s age and policies, while Biden is anticipated to address Trump’s recent legal issues and the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
According to CNN’s guidelines, Tapper and Bash are prepared to rigorously enforce timing and maintain decorum throughout the debate. Tapper, CNN’s lead anchor in Washington, D.C., hosts The Lead and State of the Union, known for his incisive questioning of politicians and global leaders across the political spectrum. He previously moderated a Republican primary debate in 2015, drawing over 23 million viewers. He has previously called Trump’s administration a “nightmare” and become one of the former president’s most staunch critics.
Dana Bash, host of CNN’s Inside Politics and co-anchor of State of the Union with Tapper, has a prominent role in CNN’s political coverage. She gained attention for moderating the 2019 Democratic debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and then-candidate Biden. Bash has been critical of Trump, particularly in coverage of his legal challenges and conviction.
Similar to Tapper, Bash has also stayed very critical of Trump in her coverage of his recent criminal cases and conviction at the end of May. She has fact-checked several of the former president’s Truth Social posts and courthouse complaints.
She gained attention in March when she called Trump’s rhetoric “antisemitic and incredibly dangerous” related to comments about Jewish people voting for Democrats, arguing “it was used in Nazi Germany.”
The upcoming debate is highly anticipated as a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the 2024 election, showcasing contrasting visions and policy agendas between Biden and Trump on a national stage.
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