The first Biden vs Trump presidential debate of 2024: Where to ...

US President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will meet on a debate stage for the first of two televised face-offs as they embark on a tight rematch race to win the White House in November.

It is the first-ever debate between a sitting president and a former one.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the debate taking place on Friday morning in Australia.

When and where is the debate?

The first debate will air in the US at 9pm Eastern Time on Thursday, which is 11am AEST on Friday.

It will be broadcast live on CNN, from a studio in Atlanta, Georgia, but there will be no audience present.

More than four months ahead of the November 5 vote, the CNN debate will be the earliest presidential debate in modern US history.

The two candidates last faced off in a presidential debate in 2020.(AP Photo: Jim Bourg/Pool)

How can I watch it in Australia?

CNN's debate will be broadcast live on the ABC News Channel from 11am AEST.

Jeremey Fernandez will be joined by US and political experts for special analysis after the debate.

NewsRadio will be streaming the debate live from 11am AEST. Listen via the ABC Listen app.

The debate will also be live blogged on the ABC website, including the lead-up and the aftermath, from Friday morning.

Why are only Trump and Biden debating?

CNN said only Biden and Trump met its conditions for participating in the debate.

The candidates had to appear on enough state ballots to potentially win the presidency, and receive at least 15 per cent in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr did not make the cut.

Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the debate with "all tools at their disposal", CNN said.(Reuters: Mike Segar)

What are the rules?

CNN has shared some rules that the 90-minute debate, moderated by veteran CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, is set to follow.

The moderators "will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilised discussion", CNN said. The first debate between Trump and Biden in 2020 was rife with interruptions and attacks.

Candidates will be given a pen, paper and bottle of water.They cannot use props or bring in notes.Microphones will be muted except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak.Biden will be on the podium on the right side of viewers' screens and Trump on the left, decided with a coin toss.The coin toss also decided that Trump will get the last word.Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during the two ad breaks.What is expected to come up?

Strategists say there are risks for both candidates, who are locked in a tight race and share low enthusiasm from voters.

Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, are the oldest candidates ever to seek the presidency and viewers will likely question their cognitive abilities and emotional steadiness.

Trump aides see Biden as prone to verbal slip-ups that could amplify voter concerns about the president's age.

Biden aides think debates could hurt Trump by exposing his volatility and sometimes changing positions on issues, such as abortion.

Biden's campaign is hoping to talk about abortion and Trump's about immigration, but CNN's moderators will decide the questions.

Some topics that are likely to feature in questions include:

How the candidates would handle challenges posed by persistently high grocery pricesMigrants on the US-Mexico borderThe ongoing Israel-Gaza and Russia-Ukraine wars

Both candidates have had their share of unfavourable news coverage that could come up during the debate.

For Trump, that includes his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his conviction on 34 felony counts for involvement in a hush money scheme.

The same goes for the legal woes facing Biden's son, Hunter, who was convicted of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.

What happened last time?

Then-president Trump and Biden debated twice during the 2020 race.

More than 73 million people tuned in for the first exchange, which devolved into a chaotic shouting match.

For the second debate, moderators said they would mute each candidate's microphone to allow the other to speak without interruption for the first two minutes of each debate segment. The candidates behaved more civilly and the mute button was not a major factor.

A third debate was cancelled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and spent three days in a hospital. He declined to participate in a virtual event.

Ahead of the upcoming CNN debate, Trump asked the crowd at an election rally in Philadelphia if he should be "tough and nasty" or "nice and calm" — so what the tone of conversation will be this time around remains to be seen.

"How should I handle him? Should I be tough and nasty and just say, 'You're the worst president in history?' Or should I be nice and calm and let him speak?"

He has thrown some early blows at Biden and CNN, and accused the moderators of being biased against him.

What's next?

The US Broadcaster ABC will host a second debate on September 10, but the network has not yet shared details on where the event will be held.

Traditionally, there are three presidential debates, however no third Trump-Biden match-up has been announced yet.

Vice-President Kamala Harris accepted a CBS News invitation for a vice-presidential debate on either July 23 or August 13, according to a campaign spokesperson.

Trump hasn't named his running mate yet.

ABC/wires