♪♪■j ♪♪x[■u■ for summer watch c-span's live campaign 2024 coverage of republican national convention in july 15 to the 18th and democratic national convention august 19 through the 22nd. ♪♪ >> c-span is you unfiltered view of government funded by these

television companies and more including comcast. >> comcast is partnering with 1000 community centers that creates wi-fi enabled this so students from low income families the tools they need to be ready for anything. comcast supports c-span as a publicvice providers giving you a front row seat to democracy. you. debate, this frm the fro risk, they write to chae the narrative regarding his age and donald trump will be playing offense and defense. from "usaoday" to "the wall street journal," daniel henan injure has the byline on it, and he writes, itt on barstools at

your local watering hole. debate on policy issues is what most voters would like toviewery be disappointed if they don't get a cage match, no matter how much microphone cnn moderators impose, referencing the debate rules tonight. here they are, released by cnn rlr. it is a 90-minute debate with two commercial breaks throho. there are norompts or prewritten notes aloud. paofaper, and a bottle of water. positions will be determined by a in flip and microphones will be muted unless it is the candidates turn to speak. there is no live studio audience and moderators will "use all the

tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion and cnn is it begins this:00 p.m. eastern time andspan2 and n mobile app. a reminder, we will have a preview of the debate on c-span two, 8:00 p.m. eastern, and also reaction and your phone calls to tonight's presidential debate, 10:40 p.m. eastern, that is happening tonight and this morning on "washington journaldl matter? you 64 years after the first presidential debate took place, backn 1960. it was richardix"ñy. here is one minutes of that debate.

[video clip] we naive and at timesas immature. on this issue, why do you think people should vote for you rather than the vice president? the vice president and i came together, 1946, i have been there now for 14 , so that our experienc is comp. secondly, i thinkadvocate? i come out of the democratic party, which in this century, has produced woodrow wilson and harry truman, programs, which i have discussed tonight. mr. nixon comes out of the republican party, nominated, and it is a fact that most of the 25 years, republile opposed federal aid for education, medical care for the

agents, development of the tennessee valley, natural resources. k mr. nixon is an effective leader of this party and i hope you would grant me the same. the question is, which point of want to lead the united states? >> i have no comment. [end video clip] ■ihz in that era and aris looking back on that debate said mado presidential debates still matter today in 2024? (202)-748-80012)-748-8000. independents, (202)-748-8002■. having this conversation in the first 90 minutes, a reminde at the house comes in at 9:00 a.m. eastern, it is a two hour show. a shorter program becausee

gavel to gavel at 9:00 a.m. eastern. we pennsylvania, do debas matter? caller: in my opinion, absolutely, presidential debate. i'm excited to watch tonight's debate. that being said, i do have anyone paying attention to politics the past niners, regardless of their political stance, have to admit the mainstream especially cnn, but not o criticism over the years hasn't been deserved, but a lot of it was. problem withedia and their perspective, but i wish they would not insult viewer not to be objective when they clearly are. c-span hosting the debate tonight. you are by far the onlys moderag a trulythese two.

host: what do you think about the changes audience? is that a good thing? caller: i have mixed feelings, the microphone muting, ihi benet president trump, not to say that some of those times in past debates were cut off of the nent were not merited, but i feel like a lot of people, especially if they are not decided that they will vote for president trump, i feel indepens off, the constant bickering and back and forth. host:ll help president trump. what do you think it means for president b i think the thing that would help president trump would be negative for president biden, buwiaudience because i love heag real-time reaction. overall, as locker -- as long as they do their best to be ebate all around. host: the debate is on cnnt

9:00 p.m. eastern, simulcasting it on c-span2. you can stay on c-span2 for 8138 ri, independent. caller: as far as the debate goes, [indiscernible] people have already made up their mis.trump is a felon. i think he ought to be disqualified just for that. parties, we need a good independent party in this country, and i just think it will be a waste of a waste ofimy will spend time watching or no?

i think we lost sve this is jack, virginia. good morning. ller: good morning. i would say i' more to the republican side. [indiscernible] host: i think we lost laura, brooklyn, go ahead. caller: yes. i think the debates are cessi hope that joe biden taboue criminal charges against donald trump, and, republicans, remember, the charges are not against you, they are trump, fi, insurance -- insurance fraud, and taxin new d withholding of documents that re illegal.

host: laura, when you talk about the conspiracyou would like them to be talked about in the debate? -- caller: i think the democrats d joe biden have allowed too many conspiracy theories to be out they have not doneno to, you know, let the troops be out there. the maga repuanthey don't even believe in academic research, but those conspiracy theories cannot even bethe college essay or any kind of academic research report lies and not true. i just wish t biden, the

democrats had done to direct people to the truth and where tothe uth. laura in brook. asking you this morning of presidential debates still matter, it is a good bet that tens of millions of americans will be watching tonight's exactly how many is up in the air, but here's a list of the most-watched presidential debate in history. at 84 million viewers, it was the first debate between hillary clinton and donald trump back in 2016, the most-watched presidential debate, following up in 1980, president jimmy carter and ronald 2020, the last time joe biden and donald trump■p debate, they received 70 million eyeballs and it fell off steeply after that, with 63 million, the fourth

most-watched of all time, president bush, will clinton, and ross p debate back in 1992, 70 million viewers in 1976, president gerald fd and jimmy carter in their first residential debate, the history. we will see how many eyes tonio the debate still matter? alice, chicago, independent. good morning. caer i'm wondering, it seems unfair that both t debates by liberal media shouldn't there be one liberal and one co host: it is cnn and fox. liberal? caller: i thought it was cnnnd abc -- yeah, cnnndwho would youe

debate? ne liberal and one fox or have the people doine and one conservative.ates, host: do the hosts matter to you? caller: oh, yes. i read not long ago■z when somebody was interviewing joe biden had been given the questions prior to the interview, and t interviewer could notywhere away from those questions, they had to be the exact same questions. host: where dou? caller: actually, i read tondo't

it sounds like it would be given that he seems to have a little bit of, and this is the kind of thing that he would like. i'm wondering if that is going to happen with the debates. it definitely one liberal and one conservative. abn september 10 is the second presidential debate. ■a■lthe national conventions for republicans and coming before the candidates are officially named as the nominees at those conventions. it is the earliest presidential televised debate in hywhgood mo.

caller: yportant, i think. before you came on this morning, i turned it cnn, and i can tell, it is going to be a joke tonight because they are alreadythey crd been■w in the video, had trump on january 6 that he told the people to go to the capital and fight likecapitol a. surprised that they play that video.

host: january 6 will factor in tonit'caller: i'm sure that thel bring it i don't think it is going to matter to the . if they had followed january 6 and how all of the happened and there is more yet to come on that. so i'm just waiting. i'm excited about watching it tonight and i even that it will be the real joe biden. i think the technologyso great now that they could make a

son. host: susan, former president trump would be on stage with joe biden tonight. saying if they used ai, ller: would he notice? yeah, i belve everybody is i mean, look at the state of the union address. you could clearly tell that because i have watched joe bidef person. no. host: that is carolina. on the issues that will be

talked about tonight, the questions and subject matter, it is former speaker of the house newt gingrich washing in today'r the american people presidential debate. portion will clearly be the most contentious issue -- "abortion clearly be the most contentious issue in■ tonight's debate, only 16.7 ranked abortion as their top issue. that top choice was i costs, an2 security and 21% were worried about jobs and economic growth. "abortion," he writes media. economic issues on the border crisis matter more to most americans. it will be interesting tothe mos talk aboutstablishment washington political topics or discuss what matters most to americans." that is new to gringo wrginto -h

writing in court ruling on that ida -- "washington post." the supreme court ruling on that idaho case, and they had a brief post yesterday butt wa abortion case. "the new york times" that the supreme court seems poised to temporarily allow emergency abtionin idaho when a woman's health is at risk, according to a copy of what appeared to be the opinion that showed up recently on their website on wednesday. unsigned opinion isu@proceduralt the court would now not address thuding theit is a decn in idaho case, that evenally be ree

courts. today is another decision day, 10:00 a.m. eastern is when we will see those opinions handed . we will find out very quickly what. this is mike in huntington, indiana, good morning. independent. er good morning. tell you, i don't think it will make any difference cout its way. there is no way that we can make betterse there's no common sensei mean, the border,r instance, how many people can they vent in a month. they should not let anybody over until th up. host: thou smite in indiana.

harold andhiood morning. you are next. caller: yes. i got two questions for donald trump. e is,pl two, things he would do in his health care plan. host: do you think you will get answers to those questions no, i don't because he doesn't have reduce inflation, you have got to reduce nee so whene is less than demand, you will have inflation. donald trump does not know how inflation. he does not know how reduce it because he is all

man. statement. host: florida, phil is next. caller: good morning. n you hear me ok? host: yes sir. caller: thank you. i was hoping that you could give us a little history on the changewhen the league of union voters, who used to hook the debate giving way to the republican pnd party, jhl of the presidential debates. i believe that happened after the debates in 1992, when an independent was joining the perot, and he was getting 20% of the vote were truly

which helps the democrat and democrat -- host: the presidentia is what you are referring to? that started in 1988 was the first one. caller: oh, because i thought the league of womentraditionalld this has been brought up by a number of callers orngthat as he debates -- host: they are not doing it this time. they're working directly with cnn and abc in the september 10 debate on■o, to coordinate these and come up with the rules. caller: i misspoke then, but i think the issue would like to gett there was a time when

the league of women voters were doing these debates, and there was a time when going outside of traditional mccright republican party actually had an independent on the stage, and we are on d coke, as they say, and you hear the term unity -- uni tweedledui thin, and i was hoping that we could talk more about what it used to be. remember, they used to be exit es questions,ow, before all counting and all of that, they stopped doing exit more realistc measureo is actually

getting the most votes. i in 2000, when they hadquestioning , you had private corporations, dominion and all of them, that was introduced, like a problem and reaction solution almost. it would nice to have somebody spend some time on when things áhost: pew research service has the history of presidal originally asked about. the first debates in 1960 through 1988, that matchup between george w. bush and michael dukakis, the candidates answered que■ystions from a panl of journalists during the moderators job was mostly to explain and enforce ground rules

and keep proceedings moving. the 1980's, the panel format was in trouble, saying thatreses conference more than a debate and that the journalist panel to too much attention away from the candidates. the league of women which organized several debates through in the to the newly cred commission on presidential debates and in 1992, they tried a variety of approaches, along with introducing the town hall format, and the commission decided to use only the single moderator and town hall formats forward, and, the first preside since the late980'at not organized by the commission on presidential cnn and abc wite catherine, tennessee, good morning, you are next. caller: hi, can you hear me? host: yes ma'am. caller: i apologize, sir, i'm

flipping through channels this morning, killing time in the hospital,u remind me of your name? host: i'm john. caller: yes, thank you for having me. yes and no, so, no, short story, no from my point of view, i just wanted to chime could as a 38-year-old white female living in tennesseey whole family, five of us, mom,the fi'h eep --sorry, black sheep. democrats.re cng caller: right, yes, i don't vote. i't vote, i don't vote. calmly independent iyolike, i'mi

guess like a lotyoung ople that my vote does not matter. does that make sense? host: therere lot of young people who feel that way and people of all ages who feel that way. caller: yeah, so i saw■o this, d i'm killing time, waiting for people to wake up, so i thought, well, i'm going to call that babble, so thank you. you can call in once a monthn is and make your opinion known. caller: no kidding. hope you art the hospital and give us a call back. caller:that is all i wanted to t i will lea all four of my people are hard-core trumps passionate liberal. i just do not vote. the debate does not matter. host:at i connecticut, independent, good morning.

caller: good morning. speak? i hear people calling in and saying trump is known as a felon, w i murder biden these young girls being raped, murdered by illegalsto this cou, this is what he stands for. is murderer, and another thing, if you have ever watched cnn, especiall york, i mean, hed not get enough. when he hates someone, there is no stopping him. he is like a savage. i think mistake with him and what is her name? you think it is a mistake : they have no choice. host: w' who runs this country?

host: why don't you think donald trump had a choice on participating in this debate? caller:p because they would not give him the debate if you got a choice, this was the only way he would get it, so he went along with■ it, and i could understand that. if you watch msnbc, they are obsessed. it is almost sickening. i just cannot believe that we are living in today, but about these murders with these young girls, it is making me sick. i have a daughter feel for thesd this man is going to be our president again? an it was the same thing when they had the documents. they a not going to do nothing about him having all these documents, b, because he's not in his right mind. host: do you thiou pardon me? host: do you■w(x think joe biden

will be president again? donald trump is ahead -- caller: i hope that is all i will say. host: this is frank, florida, good morning, you are next. good morning. yes, i do thinkhost: why is tha? caller: because if you are educated, you are listening to what the promises are, what the policies are, their platfos.unfe trump did not show u'm shocked about thatat yt when you don't even show up to debates fwe would like to listel

the promises the candidates see if they follow through when they become president. that is my opinion. host: that is floda a few of your comments, lawrence rose writing in on febk that the candidates, matter, but they are either far left or far right. you already know where they are cover tonight. michael watson same, "not really, everyone either loves or hates tru. make much of a difference, both sides feel like their candidate won." and jonathan saying, "they matter more than anything." cody saying, "mostns are so stat it seems like aerry that was aie lifetime channel." some of the debate rules have been changed in 2024 from the debate in 2020, including dr. we will see how that works out,

ong with the lack of an audience. i uld like to take you respect to 2020 and so you a moment from that 2020 youtube romans imoments that cat debate. [video clip] american people tonight whether or not you will support ending the filibuster -- >>÷@> why won't you answer the >> will you shut up, man? n your list, joe? >> gentlemen -- [overlapping talking]

>> we have ended this segment. we will move onto to the next. >> that was really a productive segment, right? >>yaing, the people understand, joe, 47 years, you've done nhing. >> the second subject, covid-19. [end video clip] host: that was from the first debate of 2020. we will see how the debate goes tonight when those two meet again on stage, the debate hoy cnn starts at 9:00 p.m. eastern, you can watch c-s. it is beingst here, and if you do that, you can watch our preshow and post-show. ■6@carrie, illinois, republican. what do you debates? caller: i think presidentny chor you accept -- he is a coward. he is not going to show up. well, he accepted.

speak, cnn, msnbc, and all those localels all reported about [indiscernible] eyitasfox news,, they did not report it like they did. they knew it was phony, so they told the truth. and we see how fake news is, so ink trump gets to pick, one person asked the question, biden hatever place they would like. welshman, or whatever you would like to call her -- and probably pronouncing her name wrong, and the other black woman, and even c-span has been caught givingo

other people about the debates. now, you are looking funny at me, and younow your guy did that with michael code i hope tp gets back in there, and biden is a squatter in the white hou.hos, peter, florida, democrat, good caller: yes sir. good morning. i am with progressive alliance, and we had speakers from the county, and also the woman's equal rights, and the one thing that we got out of this is that what they would say is that it was us. host: what and how

does this relate to the no, it was important for us out and encourage people to just like the lady spoke earlier as she was complaining about things, but if you don't exercise your vote, then you are not exercising your voice, and you have got to have aoi all i can say. host: do you think presidential debates are going to help get more people to vote this■ year?. know, ■sometimes it is an accident. erent people see it and they take away different things from what happened. host: in florida, this is keith, north carolina, morning. you are next. good morning john, america.

rybody doing today? of course they do because this is an opportunity for the say.ican people but a very differente it but before he talk about that, i té kudos for not jumping out the window behind you for some ofs like biden is wearing a mask? customer i think what should happen is t■=his g you e two candidates in the same room together, head-to-head,o i elims in the sense that it is not going to be biased. what ild do is have each candidate come up with a list of 10 questions, one for 10 for trump, and they go back and forth. trump answers, trump asks bidenn

go back and forth. it just turns into a rally, and i like thethat there are no questions coming from the press so there is. host: do you think they would actually answer each other's questi so, that is to be seen. and if they don't, that says something, also. would you put time limits on that? the idea of a moder■or debate m, whatever format it has been in er years, the moderator is do you think it reverts toebat is just a two on stage talking to each other for 90 minutes? caller: no, well, there has to be some kind of control. i don't know, five minutes each, ever the case, bhe moderator

would be there. that is the question on behalf of the candidate, but there have to bsoin time limit, like five minutes for each, and thesakike o seconds to ask, and give the other candidate five minutes to answer, and then that's it, just straightnswer, question, answer, question, like the "snl" having the counterpoints -- if anybody remembers those from19h. lloyd, west virginia, republican line. do presidential debate still go. of crap. we all know what biden has done in what he hasn't done, we all know what trump tried to ke them from accomplishing

much of anything, and i'm not sure the democrats did not have something to do with bringing in covid. look what cuomo did in new york to the old people when he put themiñ with covid and killed th. biden will get trump to run his mouth so much that he looks and sounds bad, an that is what these debates are about. host: do you think donald trumpg much tonight? caller: well, he lleshe usuallyh that. other than that, he is a good man. host: lloyd in west virginia. dan, nasa 26, good morning. caller: -- host: dan, massachusetts, good morng. thank you for having me on. a shout out to phil from florida earlier, who talked about the league of womenems like -- thern

charge of the guess -- or it gets crazy, and he made a ■r■,ofd■■$■ant host: do cnn and abcps in your ? caller: no, obviouslythere is tn voters, they were responsible fo presidential debates for a while, and what we have seen overs the independence of debates elections are handledthe independence of media, the ■ica. we have watched everything take a realadinst the american people, and what brought up was so important, john. what he said about the elections

in the past -- host: what was the last presidential debate that you me that you think really matter? caller: know, increasingly, overshow, you know? the substance is and it has turned into a production in e going to see with cnn:a is the most production type of that is ever, and just the other part was filled with the voting, so we have completely lostf our entire voting system, and i think a lot of people al this. our big government america, big

corporate america, big media america, they are using a stroae will of ther it every single dad our elections have become so corrupt and not independent, and unverifiable. most of the people rze thi host: danssachusetts. coming up on 7:45. another 45 minutes of the of "washington journal," asking youfull lines as usual. here's thekight's debate from "the new york televd debate, one quick kind of find race, and the first clip that thoted in many over the years is ronald reagan it came s

age and that race. here that is 1984. [video clip] >>resint, i would like to raise an issue that has been lurking for two or three weeks. you already are the oldest president in history, and some of your staff said you were tired after most recent encounter with mr.ys mondale. i recalled that president kennedy had to go for days on end with little sleep during the bae cris is there any doubt in your mind that you would be able not at ae you to know that, also, i will not make age an issue in the campaign. i will exploit for political puos my opponent's youth and inexperience. [laughter] [applause]

if i still have time, i might add that it was seneca cicero,', said, if it was not for the elders, coti t mistakes of the young, there would be no state." state. [end video clip] host: that president reagan, he was 73 years old. in this debate, president biden is 81 and president trump is 78. to virginia, good morning. caller:i'm on-air, right? host: yes sir, do presidential debates still matter? ll: of course they matter. mq mean, the thing is, the two

candidates are so opposite, you know? i cannot understand howcould v', bloodbath. it is just unbelievable what trump people think. even with the supreme bans on tm it is almost incoherent to do something that -- host: philip, independent, good

morning, you are next. caller good morning. i don't think this debate will , as we heard from the last caller and others before, republicans are set in their ways and democrats are pretty much set in their ways. th have their frame of reference, they see things the way they do. i'm an voter. i votedor but i can see that these debates are just framed by ineffective a unity partyem, both candidates of both parties frame the issues around the fringes that do not matter and o not affect the quality of outhet ca excluded, and he is a legat intelligent ce

who threat to both parties and i true populist in the sense that he takes some of the best ideas and positions, i think, from the republican side and democratic side of the aisle, and he synthesizes -- atrational, reall positions, and i think it isfk n excl cnn, and, in effect, by boh parties.q+ they do not want his ideas presented. theyo want the real issues presented to the american people because those thoughtful, thinking realize there is a lot of control going on here, -- and this is why soa,

the abc? caller:inope notbecause he reale listened to him, and i have about him, and it is just a sham. it is outrageous how he is ou listen to his words. he is thoughtful, intelligent, and, you know, i believe a truly sincere and honest person, so you can see w idid vote for donn him in 2016 because i thought it was embarrassing the way he behaved on the republican debate stage.

i do believe the man has his demeanor has changed. i think he has been through a lot. look at what they have put him ug don't trust him. he locketer all. look. this is the president whoallowes to run roughshod over all president and -- pde recent leading public mines in the healthmu who rewrote the declaration and stood up to for saatchi and those policies pretty allowed your clients t russia unlocked on the country. host: to the cornhusker state, jerry, republican. caller: good morning.

i'm lningand i think the best debate i ever heard was kennedy versus nixon. vote for whoever i think is the better candidate. i'm a litt upset we did not have more candidates come out because we had a repeat going on here. i think biden has done a better job ever than trump d, and i'm a republican. i don't think trump is tre upstairs. host: theennedy debate, did you listen on the radio or watch it on tv? caller: tv. host: who do you think won that debate? caller: kennedy. [laughter] host: caller: he was very well spoken, seemed like

obama, he had about. host: is there another debate that you recall between 1960 and today that you think sticks out in your mind? caller: i like the reagan debate, what he said about not putting it against other men being too young. host: about ross perot? anders, too.s perot and host: what did you like about perot? caller:n and intelligent. i liked ralph nader, too. host: going back to perot againt

president george w. bush at the time, and arkansas governor bill clinton. that debate. [video clip] >> an incredible number of young people are active in supporting my effor be deeply concerned that we had taken the american dream from them. i think it is fitting that we are on the campusese young peopy get out of this wonderful university will have difficulty finding a job. we have to clean the mess up, leave the countgohape i and pass on the american dream to them. we have to collect the taxif t'l ears. [end video clip] host: ross perot back in 12. "usahe opted pages today, imploring the candidates today to not ignore the gen z

voters. they write that biden is 81, trump is 78, and the oldest of generation, the gen z's, arethat generation to out l tune in, the majority of us prefer streaming services. candidates should be thinking ;2truncated, she said, as of ,a, where one third of 18 to nex■[et their news, according to the pew research center. to get will perform best on tiktok or instagram, candidates wiee to stay on topic. they need to aim for soundbites to use onan and other social media webn"thad

george w. bush were not worried aboutioky. you are next. caller: morning, john. yes, i do think presidential debatewo reasons, it is the last chance for candidates to make their sales the other reason is the economic imcti can asse u,he aor and more watch parties, and a lot of them are hapni be at oney and i, my wife. i assure you, there will be many chicken wings, adult beverages, and food being sold tonight, and this is helpful -- it is not the super bowl -- but it will be r restaurants around town. the thing that is really missing frre debates, watching the clips with reagay f

presidential debates. it has gotten so meanthen, cande around with each other and it seemed like there was more joy in politics. host: why do you say a last chance to make t pitch to voters? i ask because this is the debate, 130 days or so until tion day, and the candidates have not even officially been nominated at their party■ions, and there is that september debate on abc. o

host: what restaurantgowho has s in louisville? caller: i don't know about chicken wings but i know about burgers, that would be the tavern. see you there. arg to have a post, dog one of your post game -- host: yes, i tavern to tune into c-span2, you can w t eastern and then we will'[ simulcast the cnn debate, so you can watch that on c-span2stick around a 10:40 p.m., eastern time, for the reaction show for the debate. and i know who i will be listening to on my phone. host appreciate the call. have fun at the tavern tonight.

caller: i do think these debates are very important to t in froe people. so they can ear the candidates, but i find it very ri -- m7 this is luke in columbia, la luke. caller: the debates are really important. hope hope that the whereors

will not be questioning the by what the other said by what they said and they have done. constructive and less volatile. idebates. i am for more so we could see how they reacti'm juse audience is not going to be there. that is the original one. am i correct?re was no audience host: i don't know if the audience was there in 1960. i was not arou regardless, i dok

-- host: my producer tellscaller: i think i especially they have control of their microphoneslly it will be. host: let me come back to that. usa today preview story for the ■m

to say who is playing donaldtrp. it is likely to be biden attorney bob bauer. is receiving policy briefings and keeping up with the news. he has not done specific practice rounds against a stand-in. his campaign says he will deliver a discipline debate performance rooted in policy. is thomas in florida on the democratic line. caller: good morning. host: what do you think about these debates? rado they matter? caller: they matter greatly. ears ago -- the president is an entertainer. is why ronald reagan worked out so well.

people. for2024 host: you are running? caller:host:want to bring up if you are on that the bait stage? caller: taking care of the homeless people and the old ople that brought us here. host: floridayotalk about the et factor. !&they created presidential debe bingo cards you could play along with when issues or phrases are brought up■ño card. phrases like make america great again, backbone, soul of the nation. january 6, one of the topics

immigration is one of the topics. the crime issue, and veterans are some of the topics. two different cards you could choose from. i.÷ david in georgia, republican, good morning. caller: i wondering,ason you art identifying the lines people are calling in? not at all, david is on the republic line. abc or cnn. are talking about they have been very negative two president trump in the past. i would wonder why that was not a point of interest for the media.

shouldn't someone be on the other side, maybe? who would you want to be the moderator? caller: i could think of quita . they will be on the right uswhen you have an

everybody could say i am biased, sure. say i don't see any right-wingers on that. when was last time you we had fairness in the debate process? caller: i don't know about fairness, i have enjoyed them. ronald reagan, his debate i thought were very good. he is entertaining, the gu like was alhe was sitting back and kt value that is all. ■nhost: david in georgia.

the 2000 election■, one of the elections that the smallest number of peopleatchdebate. y numbers on it, they have the estimated numbf people over the years fromñ?the first al gore and geoe bush drew just 46 million viewers and fell off afterthe oe fewer le watch the debates was 1996. the highest nu comingj> in

the clinton-trumpet first of eight, 84 million this is rob in new york, good morning. caller: i hope thisnts, two of the finest debates ever was the vice presidential debate between larry benson and dan when dan quayle attempted to pass himself off as the next jfk. the last vice presidential debate when kamala harris had to keep interrupting mike when she kept saying excuse me mr. viceresident but it's my turn to speak. i hope that counts. host: do you remember what lloyd benson said to dan quayle? do, he said senator, john kennedy was a good friend of mine.

you are no john kennedy. i remember it verbatim. host:e responded that was really uncalled for. caller: he responded senator, that was really unfair. i do remember kamala harris having to say to vice president pence, it is my turn toak. i do believe the presidential batesount because it shows the ability of a■= candidate to maintain cif you can't control t domestically on stage in the un states, how do we expect him to contort himself when he'? i'm ordering up my favorite ch tonight.

thank you for taking my call. host: will the two candidates be able to control it? caller: i believe joe biden will be i do believe joe biden will be able to comport himself. i thought d job for theted states on the d-day celebrations throughout states and within a week was back in italy at what trump is going to do i really don't >> the republican line preston in brandon, florida. good morning. hey i just wanted■@ to say i thk tonight's presidential debate will matter. the one thing, the one thing that makese be true is thats what, preston?

>> that they are: going to have, they are going t microphone after two minutes. so for you know, i think that the last debate biden because trump was always interrupting andul■dn allow biden to mess up. h opportunity to speak so i think muting the microphone is going to into biden's hands. >> preston you say that as a republican? >> caller: yeah because i th is going toecially at this microphone getsed lose composur. he's not going to have the opportunity to speak and he's going to get frustrated and i th we'llus much.

hosted you■>hi idea of donald trump to accepted these debates? >> caller:eb i think donald trump wants to debate because he's got so much pride i've tonight because trump wants to prove so much that he outpace biden but he's just, he just doesn't have, he doesn't have composure to win a debate against biden. >> host: preston and brandon florida. dolores aoc morning. >> caller: good morning. how are you all doing? >> host: doing well, do you think presidentdetill matter?

>> caller: illk do. why did he covid's and so many e died? he didn't want us to know about you were going to tell the° people to be -- drink bleach and people did that in died. republicans haven't said anything about that and then they want to cut out socialyt secu. they don't want to pay the rks money for the work for doing those jobs. they are the ones making rich. they are the that have enough money already. they don't want to payayir workers and another thing about crime they are serious them. thhi aut sling those guns and making money. so many children nowadays i've nese life being killed by those guns. they

and the student loans for people who want to go to school to be something and to help our country. the republicans don't care. they want to take away the women's. many women have died because of the republicans. my mother is one them who back when i was a little girl and 59 she bled to death. emergency-room they havein the n stretchers. i never will forget this.ç6 my mother bled to death because the doctor gave her the wrong i lived, exce me i've had surgery. i lived through the jim crow era. i know they treated us back america to see. we have some good people to get us where we are today.

everybody of all races please get out and vote for joe biden. trump doesn't care about anybod. >> host: andrews in new jersey in part -- port monmouth oninde. good morning. >> thank you for taking my call. it debates matter because at least people get a chanceer to e if somebody's going t ba ten nixonut i want to take debated kennedy. kennedy pushed the missile gap and said this was the big threat to americaorhas played out t acn entertainment issue i think we really haveod0ol more candidates accountable for what they do. the biggestey say

socialecur to social security is what they have done in washington to make plunder from that account. and this is a slap in america's face for what they have done. thank you. >> 15 minutes left in the segment. do presidential debate still matter and having thi conversation ahead of the first of two presidential to cnn's hosting the vice president of debate starting at 9:00 p.m. eastern simulcastingt on c-span2 and reminder of tir preprogram on c-span2 post program at 8:00 p.m. eastern in 10:40 after the debate ends reti stick with this approach -- hope you watch the morrow here on the "washington journal." we have a preview of debate in today's newspapers bu"

with two pieces on how each candidate couldesidential debats crisp with both the author of biden's white house who wrote the column addressing joe biden's saying he could win by being■wic and engaged in contrast with donald trump outlining a second t agenda stressing the threat to reproductive rights and democracy.■g and then picking the right spott certain to try to rate the present with nonstop attacks and mr. biden should i cannot respond to every single job but should be prepared if mr. trump comes after his son hunter but in case mr. whipple writesbidenr tour. quote the last time i checked you are guilty of 34 felonies o. that is his suggestion wti writing for donald trump and how he could win tonight's debate if

kristin soltis adams and the polster the author of the book selfie program. she encourages donald trump to talk about the economy whenever possible focus on what mattoterf offering simple answers when asked ab health issues to make the case he represents strength at home abroad and most importantly stay energetic and on-topic. with 29% of americans think the president biden is mentally sharp in his decline steadily er the 3.5 years of his presidency. both mr. biden mru the questions raised about their fitness for office and mr. trump could do himself by avoiding further questions about his own he must display the qualities he claims mr. biden does not possess. lucidity energy a coherent. a dw york.

good morning. >> caller: good >> host: dit matter? >> caller: yes it does not looking forward t tonight. i've been hearing a lot of callers getting on the de don't think that's right because the moderator is not an issue. the two candidates are facing each other. is thessue and expressing yourself on how they are going to make this country a better country. i notice thatve got into in the policies game they've been focused on thew1rao do with it and i feel they have been treated unfairly and you ased or anything like that. postf■)ut referees and the sportsing the reference there.ething that haps

>> caller: it's become real because of trump. trump, when he attacks the his s and you do on the issue and he just throws out fireballs at the moderator. i think the moderator that's tonight will do a good job of moderating and keeping the playingg field freed with both candidates. jake tapper and dan abashed tonight is the pew research center notes all but two of the debate moderators at the since 1960 have been prominent broadcast moderated the most debates, 16 lehrer.ng 12 by the late the only other person to have presidential or vice presidential news.

2,422,000 hope that this is india norwalk connecticut a republic caller: good morni i do think the debates are important for one reason really, because a lot of our youth we don't watch network news and they don't read the they get their news from tik tok and instagram so this gives theg more than just sound bytes. president biden said he ran on that in the comments in charlottesville are what got them into theate. all he needed to do wasn

to the full comments and anybody in their right mind would have context. posted you think you people who watched tik tok and instagram >> guest: i sure hope soe? because how will you find out what's what? i watch a lot of podcast now because the mainstream media are bsedn both sides so i am a republican. i voted for and kennedy should be on the debate stage and i just want to mention one thing about just hope, it's not because trump with the attacks on the moderator. ow when romney and obama debated and

hope the moderators give them their full twoines and that they don't start fact-checking and interrupt themselves, to try to get trump or out.k that's tho do. they are going to be a ton of fact think it's 29 or something. it's an out rate. 's fact-checking. they are just going to say joent i would like to make i would just caution people. i'm not going party. i t ppl need to be sober and notee happened at the sheets watching this debate. thanou >> host: this is damien and g. >> caller: good morning, john. first i think you would be a good moderator. number i mean this is an important

because a lot of people are going to see it and it's going to get chopped up and put on tik tok and instagram and things like that. trump, if you watched trump style is to absolutely opponent. because he's a bloodsport■x and his politics are bloodsport. he's going to try to totally destroy biden, which he canssues and the abortion thingg is goinw about abortion. so he have to we says about abortion. >> host: portion might even be more topical with a supreme court decision coming at 10:00 a.m. eastern today. it appears that the idaho abortion case ifin the supreme s

web site is the actual dec mores are more in the spotlight tonight. >> caller: yeah exactly and i know they'll ask trump what he thinks about abortion and he should say, for the health of the mother raped and and i forgot the one. yeah he should be moderate on that. and that's only by said give him. maryland democrat go ahead. >> caller: thanks for having me on. to answer your question directly nk debates are important and i think more people it, younger people even are more engaged than they have or have been. i think we can see that clearly with all the protests goingwi oy

paying attention. i consider next year and i apologize if you can hear my toddler son in the background. he's enjoying hst right now. >> host: not a problem at all. >> caller: the only other comment■ i have that yes these are important debates i'm just not sure why soany people seem to belyaching about biden taking time to prepare for these debates. i mean the fact that trump is choosing prepare and he feels like he can just walk in and do what he needso do. i think that tells us right there ahe differences between these two men and i think a lot of that been cleared through their policies and t tngs term. sosoh ob >> host: are youy will be watching tonight as long as i

can get my wife to go to bed by 9:00. >> host: isitely a political, much more so than i am. i'm a little bit more radicalized. these last couple of years but i shocked.lly so many of us strumo the system has been fully locked that yeah it's har me not to stay engaged now. share the same, when you go box view vote for the same person or do you cancel each other out? >>st tend to votet of the same do. she is law enforcement and federal law enforcement actua■y and i'm a teacher so i think we aren't always fully in alignment with all the social cultural

things overall far and away all thsu are important we are an ally met with. >> host: where do you teach? >> caller: schoolers. >> host: thanks for what■í do and your wife as well. carol is in minnesota, republican, good morning. >> host: good morning. d morning. i do debates d't matter but what i'm having a problem with this i'm 71. es areis and 81 and i'm sobu age limit. i don't think you should be runu are 70 i see prestonid declining. every time i see him on any news show and i just think it's sad

his family i saw my dad declined and it's like i'm watg you. >> host:er morning. >> caller: good morning.] thank you for taking my call. to respond to your qios are imp. this one however i think is going to matter the next one. >> host: you think the september 1 will be more this os going to be biased with the "cnn" narrators and so forth. which way i'm going to go so i flipped from f channel two chanl and i watch fox and i watch "cnn" and news max. they are allea ways and the believe

are going to bring out what the that. i would like to hear more issues on the elderly and social security and benefits and everything. i've gotten hit with three whammies this year, the heat assistance our utility assistance, the connectivity program. they a government program through my local phone company that was canceled this everything, the prices of food oh my gosh, it's getting bad ats point but i see it going up. i just think thef they could talk about those issues and not be interrupted by the moderators g tn the of people in

crime issues and the economy believe are one of the most important things that couldt actually help fix and i'd like to hear what they havot say about those issues. >> host: john, thanks for the call. tennessee john are less in this poofgt journal." [inaudible conversations] g to "cnn" about 800 members of the u.s. and foreign cnn's presidential debate. this is the first debate between trump ahead of the election in

november. a oññ> room for surrogates and supporters of both candidates can speak to media after the debate ends for but the center is located at georgiah■s university pavilion. it's nickname is the thrille. it's not the. >> room. it hosts the men and women's georgia ch basketball team. ■

the house will ben order.