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Candidates make preparations for first presidential debate of 2024

President Biden and former President Trump are ramping up to the first debate of the election, which is scheduled for Thursday.
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Posted at 3:22 PM, Jun 23, 2024

Just 4 days remain until Donald Trump and President Joe Biden will go head-to-head in the first debate of the 2024 election.

Trump made a stop in Philadelphia for a weekend rally, making his fourth appearance in the battleground state of Pennsylvania this year. Trump spoke for close to an hour and a half during Saturday's event about the economy, foreign policy and the environment. Earlier Saturday, he courted Christian voters at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Washington, D.C.

President Biden spent the weekend at Camp David in Maryland, where he's preparing for Thursday's debate. The presidential retreat has historically been a place of preparation for presidents before debates and major speeches. Biden advisers say they're prepping the president to face a better-prepared Trump this time around.

Thursday's debate will feature rules, agreed to by the candidates, with the goal of avoiding insults and interruptions. Microphones will be muted when it's not a candidate's turn to speak, and there will be no live audience in the room.

Scripps News hears from presidential historian Talmage Boston about how debates have changed in recent years and what we can expect from the candidates' first meeting this year.

Related story: Campaigns ready for debates one week out