One week prior to the first 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, former CNN political commentator Chris Cillizza posted the rules for the debate which will be televised by CNN on Thursday, June 27.
Cillizza added commentary on what he perceived as specific advantages in the rules (below) and wrote “Surprised Trump team agreed to these rules honestly.”
1. Mics cut off when not your turn to speak: Advantage Biden
2. No live audience: Advantage Biden
3. Two commercial breaks: Advantage Biden
4. No pre-written notes: Advantage Trump
5. No breaks for intravenously administered sedation: Advantage Biden
6. No breaks for conferences with criminal defense counsel or probation officers: Advantage Biden https://t.co/q8vHw92KvT
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) June 18, 2024
Conservative attorney George Conway, ex-husband of former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, also added commentary on the rules. Conway, who is currently campaigning and fundraising for Biden and often criticizes Trump on CNN, responded to Cillizza’s list by adding two more rules and what he perceived as advantages.
Conway added: 5. No breaks for intravenously administered sedation: Advantage Biden; and 6. No breaks for conferences with criminal defense counsel or probation officers: Advantage Biden.
Note on Conway’s reference: After a jury in Manhattan found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business documents to influence the 2016 presidential election, the former president met (virtually) with his assigned probation officer with his criminal defense attorney Todd Blanche present. Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11.