CNN will reportedly use a one or two-minute delay instead of the usual seven-second delay for tonight’s presidential debate.
Leading Report journalist Patrick Webb claims that this will likely allow time to edit parts of the broadcast.
The debate is scheduled to last 90 minutes, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. Pacific), and will include two commercial breaks.
As reported by The Seattle Times:
That is a normal length for a presidential debate, but the commercial breaks are noteworthy: General-election debates in past cycles, sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates rather than an individual news organization, did not have them.
The candidates will not be allowed to talk to their aides during the commercial breaks, but they will have time to take a breather and collect themselves in a way they would not have in past years.
Unlike past debates, there will be no live audience. The Biden campaign requested this, likely out of concern that former President Donald Trump would draw energy from the audience’s excitement.
The Seattle Times also revealed “CNN will allow two minutes for each answer and one minute for rebuttals. The moderators, CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will be able to grant extra time at their discretion.”
“The candidates’ microphones will be muted when it isn’t their turn to speak. That was another Biden request, intended to guard against Trump’s penchant for interrupting and speaking over debate opponents.”
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