US Election 2020 | Trump, Biden set for final presidential debate - here’s all you need to know

Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the debate on October 22 (Image: AP)

United States President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden are set for the final presidential debate on October 22. This comes just 13 days before last ballots are cast in the 2020 US presidential elections.

The second debate, which was scheduled for October 15, was cancelled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19. The Commission on Presidential Debates, which organises these events, had decided to hold the debate virtually and had enabled the moderator to ‘mute’ the two participants when required — a move considered necessary to ensure a civilised discussion. However, this was struck down by the Trump campaign.

Instead, the two key candidates held separate town hall events on rival television networks. Early data showed former US vice-president Biden led the TV ratings battle.

The need for muting of participants was felt after chaos during the first debate on September 29. Trump and Biden’s discussion on key issues deteriorated into bitter taunts.

Trump, the Republican candidate, repeatedly interrupted Biden with angry — and personal — jabs that sometimes overshadowed the significantly different visions they have for the country facing historic crises.

The vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris – running mates of Trump and Biden, respectively – was seen by viewers as being more "civil".

Both made meaningful presentations to voters on job losses, the economic situation in the United States, their positions on the trade war with China and Trump administration’s handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, among other topics.

The final debate will happen at Belmont University's Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee. It will be moderated by NBC’s White House Correspondent Kristen Welker.

Timing and where to watch

The debate will begin at 9.00 pm ET, which is 6.30 am Indian Standard Time (October 23), just like the first presidential and lone vice-presidential debates. It is scheduled to run for 90 minutes and should conclude by 8.00 am IST.

You can catch the latest updates on Moneycontrol. The event would also be shown by all broadcasters in the United States. Additionally, it would be live streamed on various news portals and video platforms across the world. C-Span, an American non-profit and non-commercial entity, will stream it live on YouTube.

The Curb Event Center at Belmont University is decorated for the presidential debate. (Image: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Rules changed. But, will hostility persist?

Unlike the first debate, the microphone of the candidate not speaking will be muted. However, don’t be surprised if you still hear them yell at each other. They would be muted only during the opening two minutes in each of the six segments. The microphones will remain on during the rest of the time.

Despite these measures, pundits warn that the debate may still be hostile. “Television drama thrives on conflict. That's why the real draw Thursday night is the prospect of even more hostility than the first debate; and one other thing: the possibility of seeing what might turn out to be the last meaningful stand of President Donald Trump — cornered, threatened, but still voracious and dangerous,” media analyst Bill Carter wrote for CNN.

Preparing for a battle

About 44 million people have already voted in this election, according to the US Elections Project. However, for those who haven’t, this would be the last opportunity to compare Biden and Trump and the policies side-by-side. Thus, both candidates wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to make a final impression on voters.

According to The New York Times, Trump’s advisers are hoping for the president to get under Biden’s skin, but stop short of interrupting the former vice president repeatedly. The president may focus on Biden’s son Hunter and his business dealing drawing from an unsubstantiated news report on the matter.

Biden, the Democratic Party candidate, is reportedly working to protect his advantage by repeating his pitch that he is best-suited to handle the pandemic’s fallout and pull the nation out of the crisis. The NYT report suggests that Biden is bracing for ugly attacks from Trump.

Watch: Why Indian-Americans are likely to vote for Biden-Harris

Topics and segments

The moderator had released the tentative topics last week. However, these could change based on more recent developments.

> Fighting COVID-19
> American families
> Race in America
> Climate change
> National security
> Leadership

The segments may not necessarily be in this order. Most of these topics were touched upon in the first debate.

Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien had sent a letter to the debate commission slamming it for not including a segment on foreign policy. The Trump campaign sees foreign policy as Biden’s weak point.

Mock debaters perform onstage as preparations take place for the final presidential debate. (Image: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Biden’s ahead. Can Trump catch up?

As of October 22, The Economist’s dynamic election forecast dashboard had put Biden’s chances of winning the election at 92 percent. It also showed that Biden is expected to win 347 Electoral College votes – well above the 270 a candidate needs to clinch the presidency.

In the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist opinion poll dated October 15, Biden was seen leading Trump 54 percent to 43 percent among likely voters.

However, this could change with any slip up. The Biden campaign is urging supporters to not get complacent. In a memo on October 17, Biden’s campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon warned, "Donald Trump can still win this race."

Follow Moneycontrol’s full coverage of the 2020 US presidential elections here