Former President Donald Trump has agreed to participate in an upcoming debate with current President Joe Biden, but under new conditions requested by the Biden campaign. Trump, who usually stands during debates, will be sitting at a table with Biden, as per the 81-year-old commander-in-chief’s campaign team’s request. The two presidential candidates are expected to participate in two debates, one hosted by CNN on June 27 and another with ABC News on September 10. Although it is unclear if both debates will utilize the seated format, there will be no live audience at either event.
In addition to these changes, recent polls have shown that Trump holds a lead in most critical swing states leading up to his likely GOP nomination during the Republican Party’s convention in Milwaukee on July 27th. A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll of registered voters conducted from May 7th to 13th found that Trump holds a four-point lead over Biden across all swing states, with Trump leading by five points in Arizona, seven points in North Carolina, three points in Georgia, two points in Pennsylvania, and one point in Wisconsin. However, the race has tightened since last month when Trump had stronger advantages, particularly in Wisconsin and Georgia.
The poll findings come as Trump and the Republican National Committee outpaced Biden and the Democratic National Committee in fundraising last month, marking a reversal of the trend seen in March when Biden and the Democrats raised more than Trump and the Republicans. Additionally, recent surveys have indicated that voters trust Trump more than Biden to handle key issues such as the economy, immigration, and crime, which are expected to be crucial in the presidential election. Furthermore, a Harvard Harris poll revealed that a larger share of voters approve of Trump’s performance in office compared to Biden’s.
Voters also seem to support Trump’s key promises on immigration, with 61 percent of Independents believing that illegal immigrants should be deported – a central element of Trump’s 2024 immigration agenda.
