On Tuesday, the six topics for the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden were revealed. The Supreme Court, COVID-19, race and the nation’s unrest concerning racial issues, the economy, each candidate’s records and the election’s integrity are the pre-determined topics, which will be subject to change if any significant news event happens before the debate.
The debate will be held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 29, at 9 p.m. ET. It will be moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, who also selected the topics. Wallace will ask each candidate about each topic in 15-minute segments.
The Supreme Court, COVID-19, and unrest about race relations in the United States are the most heavily-anticipated topics. Following the death on Friday of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the country has been divided over who would replace her, and whether or not Trump should nominate someone now, or if the winner of the 2020 election should be in charge of the pick. Trump is determined to nominate a justice and have them sworn in before the election. Democrats disagree, arguing that the voters of the 2020 election deserve a say in who gets the seat and will do so by electing whatever candidate they believe is fit for the job.
On Tuesday, the United States passed 200,000 deaths caused by COVID-19, cementing the country’s place as the one with the highest death toll in the world. Polls show most voters believe Trump has handled the situation poorly and that Biden would do a better job managing the pandemic.
Since May, some of the nation’s largest cities have been consumed by violent protest against systemic racism, following the death of George Floyd and several other African-Americans at the hands of police officers. This has caused a great divide in the nation, as many Americans either stand with law enforcement officers, or with those protesting. The candidates are expected to discuss their opinions on how to resolve the racial divide.
These debates are extremely important for each candidate with Trump and Biden running neck-and-neck in the swing states.
The vice presidential debate will follow, between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris, on October 7, at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. There will be two more presidential debates, one on October 15 in Miami and one on October 22 in Nashville.
