Thursday night’s presidential debate between incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump has garnered historic amounts of attention, with a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealing the majority of U.S. adults are interested in tuning in.
The survey indicates that approximately 60% of American adults intend to engage with the debate in some capacity, whether through live viewing, watching subsequent clips, or consuming related commentary via news outlets or social media platforms — a historic level of interest. The debate will reach tens of millions of voters, underscoring its importance in shaping public opinion.
Interestingly, the poll reveals a nuanced perspective on the debate’s significance for each campaign. Roughly 47% of respondents consider the debate “extremely” or “very” important for Biden’s campaign, while about 40% attribute similar importance to Trump’s campaign.
The partisan divide is evident in these perceptions, with 55% of Democrats emphasizing the debate’s crucial nature for Biden, compared to 51% of Republicans who view it as highly important for Trump. Independents, however, seem less convinced about the debate’s potential impact, with only about a third considering it highly important for either campaign.
Approximately 40% intend to watch or listen to the debate live, while a similar proportion expect to view clips or summaries afterward. Additionally, about 40% anticipate engaging with commentary about the candidates’ performances through various media channels.
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This debate, set to take place at a CNN studio in Atlanta, represents the first face-to-face confrontation between Biden and Trump since their 2020 electoral contest.
The candidates won’t be the only ones trying to forge the future Thursday night. CNN is hoping for a brighter future, too.
CNN hosts Dana Bash and Jake Tapper will be on camera, and there’s a lot on the line for their network as it fights for relevance amid cratering ratings.
Can an unprecedented event in American political history help CNN recover? It is the first general election presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, occurring far earlier than customary. This milestone presents both a significant opportunity for the liberal news network, which has been grappling with declining viewership for years.
The network has experienced a 17% decline in viewership since last June, averaging only 525,000 viewers in prime time this month, significantly trailing competitors Fox News Channel and MSNBC.
In an unprecedented move, CNN has offered to share its debate feed with other networks, including major broadcast networks and cable news competitors. But participating networks must adhere to CNN’s guidelines, maintaining the network’s on-screen branding and refraining from interrupting commentary.
The debate’s format has some strange rules, too. It will be conducted without a live audience, a decision made by both the Biden campaign’s preferences and CNN’s desire to avoid the kind of backlash incurred after its 2023 town hall with Trump. Additionally, CNN will control a mute button to silence candidates until they’re called upon.
Some Trump supporters remain skeptical of CNN’s power to mute Trump.
On CNN Monday, the network’s Kasie Hunt quickly cut off an interview with Trump press aide Karoline Leavitt after she attacked the moderators liberal bias.
“Our side has zero expectations that this is going to be a fair debate,” said Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative Media Research Center. “When you watch Tapper and Bash anchor, you get the distinct impression that you’re not going to get a fair debate.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.