Trump To Have The Last Word In CNN Debate, Biden Gets To Choose Podium Placement After Coin Flip Win

In a historic first, Donald Trump will have the final say in the upcoming CNN debate with President Joe Biden. The debate is scheduled for June 27 and will be the first presidential debate between an incumbent and a former president.

What Happened: The podium placement and the order of closing statements for the CNN debate were determined by a coin flip, reported CNN on Monday. The coin landed on the Biden campaign’s choice, tails, giving them the option to select the president’s podium position or the order of closing statements.

The Biden campaign chose the right podium position, placing the Democratic president on the right side of viewers’ screens. Trump’s campaign then chose for the former president to deliver the last closing statement, meaning Biden will speak first at the debate’s conclusion.

The debate will be hosted by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Atlanta. Both candidates have agreed to the network’s rules and format for the 90-minute showdown.

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Why It Matters: The upcoming debate is significant, as it will be the first presidential debate between an incumbent and a former president. The debate will also be the first featuring either Biden, who did not face a serious challenge for the Democratic nomination, or Trump, who skipped those held during the Republican primary race.

Despite the high stakes, independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not be participating in the debate. Kennedy failed to meet CNN’s criteria, which included appearing on enough state ballots to potentially win the presidency and securing at least 15% voter support in four separate national polls, Benzinga reported.

Earlier in May, the Biden campaign rejected two additional debates proposed by the Trump campaign, stating that “the debate about debates is over, no more games.”

As the election draws closer, the race between Biden and Trump has been heating up. A recent poll showed that Biden is leading for the first time in 8 months, thanks to support from women and independent voters.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal