ATLANTA — Voters are gearing up to watch a showdown between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for the first presidential debate in Atlanta at CNN Studios on Thursday night.
During the 90-minute event, the candidates are expected to engage in a war of words; however, specific topics have not been released.
Some people, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, spoke ahead of Thursday's debate.
Kemp spoke with 11Alive Anchor Faith Jessie ahead of the election, sharing what he believes should be Trump's strategy to sway undecided voters.
"I think he can make a really big contrast to make it a "pocket-book election," the governor said, citing the economy as one of voters' biggest concerns, "but he [Trump] cannot get distracted on other issues that I'm sure President Biden will try to take him down."
Watch Kemp's full remarks below.
NBC's Sr. Washington Correspondent Hallie Jackson spoke with 11Alive's Faith Jessie before the presidential debate.
Watch Jackson's full remarks below.
11Alive's Zach Merchant spoke with Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey, a political scientist and professor of Africana Studies at Georgia State University, who believes the big test for the debate will be whether the two candidates can stay on message.
She added that Thursday night's winner will likely be whoever can stay focused on significant issues that appeal to a broad range of voters.
More about the debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off in a debate hosted by CNN on Thursday in Atlanta.
The debate will be the city's first-ever debate with both the Republican and Democratic nominees for president.
The first general election debate is being held at CNN's studios in Atlanta. Unlike the Republican primary debates, no audience will be present.
Once a Republican stronghold, Georgia was a pivotal battleground in 2020. Both parties are preparing for another closely contested race in the state this year. Trump also faces an indictment in Georgia for his push to “find 11,780 votes” and overturn Biden’s victory based on false or unproven theories of voter fraud.
The debate will begin on Thursday at 9 p.m. 11Alive will stream it on our website and YouTube channel, and it can also be viewed on CNN.
CNN is carrying the debate live on its broadcast network, as well as on CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN Max. Viewers can also stream it without a log in on CNN's website. Several networks have also agreed to carry the event live.