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President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed yesterday to participate in two presidential debates. The announcement came hours after Biden said he would not participate in traditional debates organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, calling instead for an expedited debate schedule and stricter rules on interruptions, among other conditions.
CNN will host the first debate June 27 with an ABC rematch slated for Sept. 10—networks fitting the Biden camp's criteria for having broadcast primary debates for both parties in recent cycles. Biden's team had also called for no live audience at the events and no surprise moderators. Any candidate polling above 15% nationally who is on enough state ballots to win 270 electoral votes can participate—effectively excluding third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Kennedy is currently on four state ballots and polling at 10%. See the latest polls here.
The June debate will occur prior to the official nominating conventions for both candidates. Trump's New York hush-money trial is expected to conclude by then.