Available at sfethics. Org. Nature followed was lifechanging for me, get growing at neutrophil. Com we go forwards in america thursday, july 4, they 70s dirt on see it in youre watching debate night america were just a few hours away from history unfolding right here on cnn. Tonights on precedent is showdown between joe biden and donald trump is the first time a current and a former president of ever debated the first time to candidates. Ive ever faced off before officially accepted their partys nomination were the stubbornly close election. It could be a make or break moment for both men welcome to our viewers. Here are the United States and around the world. Im wolf blitzer in atlanta and im Kaitlin Collins from the cnn spin room just outside the debate hall. Where are these two candidates are going to go headtohead tonight . President biden has just touched down here in georgia and we are expecting for President Trump to arrive here in the peach state shortly the stakes tonight, of course, could not be higher for both candidates after months of polling showing the race a relative dead heat, their performances tonight could alter the course of that race and maybe even American History this is debate night in america lets get straight to the final preparations inside both campaigns for tonights highstakes debate are senior White House Correspondent mj lee is joining us right now. Shes got details on President Bidens plans for tonight. Mj. I understand the president has just landed here in atlanta where we are what do we know about his final preparations well, wolf, after the last week of intense debate preparations, these final hours heading into tonight really felt like the calm before the storm for President Biden, we know that he spent the morning at camp david with only please several of his advisers. They didnt do any mock debates and the reporters that finally saw him after a week of not seeing him in the last few hours as he has made his way here to atlanta, he didnt say anything to them and i asked a biden adviser what the general mood was like on air force one. As the team made its way to atlanta. And this adviser said fueling good, we are ready to go. But of course, as we know very well, that sort of buoyant message of optimism really doesnt capture the incredible herculean task, but now lies ahead for President Biden then they have done their runthroughs. They have refine their methods, their attack leinz of vision that he wants to present a, he has prepared for every version of donald trump. We were told that could come up tonight on the debate stage. But the preparations really end there. It is now hi, early on, President Biden to try to execute on everything that he and his team have not prepare for and practice over the last week. And we are just getting images of the president making a pit stop before heading here to the cnn studios. He it was greeted by supporters of the were sharing. He was shaking hands with them. Clearly, it seems like he wanted to get in a good headspace get a good boost of energy, and one advice sir, said that bidens state of mind over the last week heading up to tonight can be summarized by two words. And those two words out wolf are focused and im jamie recorded frehse m, j. Thank you very much. Not a cnns Kristen Holmes. Shes been working her sources inside the Trump Campaign. Kristen trump is due to land here in atlanta in the next hour or so how has he been spending his final hours preparing . Well, thats right. Well, if i just talked to a senior advisers, he is wheels up on his way to atlanta, georgia for this debate, he is accompanied by some of his closest senior advisers that includes his campaign managers, Chris Lacivita and susie wiles, as well as jason miller. Now miller, its been a close ally of Donald Trumps four roughly last eight years. And he is running point on this debate preparation. Of course, if you ask Donald Trumps advisers, there is no debate preparation. However, miller has been in charge of arranging and sitting in on these various policy sessions as we have reported, they have ranged from anything from how to answer questions on abortion and democracy to how to pivot to the the economy and immigration, as well as inflation. Now, they are expected to land here, as you noted, around 530, ive talked to people close to donald trump who say that he is in a good, confident mindset as im jay said, its really up to donald trump and joe biden of who shows up here today and how that performance lands. Now areas, allies. We have spoken to him, say the donald trump knows the gravity of the situation tonight that the he knows what is on the table and that he will remain focused. But if you talk to those who are close to them, they also acknowledged that you never know what version of donald trump youre going to get. They had been watching carefully what is coming out of camp, david, how biden him . Itself has been preparing and they have been preparing in reaction to that. Again, they say that he is ready, that he is confident in tonight and then hes going to stay on message however, again, you never know which version of donald trump is going to show up here and whether or not President Joe Biden is able to get under his skin Kristen Holmes reported from the cnn spin room here in atlanta, kristin, thank you very much, right now, we want to bring you a behind the scenes, look at the stage where the two candidates are set to debate what just five hours or so from now seen as Boris Sanchez joining us from inside the debate hall, boris walk us through how tonight well go wolf the floors have been swept, the lighting has been tweaked, and the microphones have been laid out. The stage is set for a historic night. A sitting president taking on a former president headtohead right here on cnn at 9 00 p. M. At hallway. And then donald trump walk out through here and will approach these podiums, which are exactly eight feet apart. Lets talk about the actual rules while theyre here at the podium, they cannot sit, they cannot bring notes, and they cannot confer with Campaign Officials its when were in a commercial break. There are only allowed to have three things up here. That is pens. And well take a close look at them. The pens, the paper, and a glass of water, and maybe a tau as well in case they start sweating. The most important component, the most important thing on this podium other than this microphone, is this set of lights right here. Remember the rule . Whos wolf . A candidates microphone will be muted once there are a lot of time to speak is up. This will be green when the microphone is on, itll turn red once theyre time is expired. Lets give you a view now of where the moderators are going to be sitting. This is what the candidates are going to be seeing tonight. Youre going to have dana, bash and jake tapper moderating this debate and asking questions of the candidates, how exactly is it going to work . They will ask one candidate an overarching questions. The candidate will then have two minutes to respond. His opponent will have one minute for a rebuttal and then the original candidate will have another minute to respond to the rebuttal. Aside from that, the two moderators are going to opportunity to ask a followup question, and then the candidates will have a minute to respond to that. Follow. How are they going to be able to tell time given all those cues, there is a light, a colored light on top of the cameras where the candidates are going to be facing when they have 15 seconds left in their response. This is going to turn yellow when they have five seconds, itll start flashing red. And then when their time has expired itll be a steady red light on top of the cameras, so they will know and itll be every camera in the studio. So theyll know exactly when theyre time to talk is up. Now, one question that has been lingering over this debate is about the muting of the microphones. You have to remember these podiums are only eight feet apart, so even if a candidates microphone is muted, we at home may not be able to distinguish exactly what theyre saying, but theres no question that the other candidate standing only a few feet away is going to be able to hear them and potentially that may lead to interruptions. It may lead to responses to something that we havent heard from the other candidate itll be potentially true itll be intense and itll be right here on cnn at 9 00 p. M. Well and all of these rules for the debate tonight have been approved by both both candidates. Of course, sanchez, thanks preserves very much. Just ahead. Are details from our team of reporters on whats happening right now behind the scenes. And these the final hours before today its face off. 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During this 90 minute historic debate here on cnn biden arrived here in atlanta a short while ago when we do expect President Trump to be here on the ground soon ahead of that epic rematch between the two, that the president climbing down from air force one, trump on his plane shortly i am lucky to be surrounded by a team of powerhouses. As we look ahead to this debate, we have republican strategist for Michael Singleton and foreseen and political commentators here joining us, jonah goldberg, who was the editor and chief and cofounder of the dispatch. Ashley allison, the former National Coalitions director for the biden 2020 campaign. Kristen salt. Does anderson, a republican strategist and pollster and bucaram sellers, a former South Carolina state rep. I think we have got the resume if every single political job that youve ever could have held on this panel. So obviously that is why youre the experts and spin room for a lot of people who were like, what is the spin room is where all of the candidates surrogates come after their allies reporters are also in here listening to them asking them how the debate went. But because looking at this, i mean, these two men have not been in the same room, much less eight feet apart from each other in four years. And its a striking to think. They havent been in a moment where theyre debating each other in a sense like this since 2020. So this environment is palpable i think the word of the night ive been thinking about all this this entire day. The word of the night is energy its so much energy here in the spin room has so much energy in atlanta, everybodys talking about it. The streets has set down. People are going in different directions. And what we have to see from both of these candidates. One, because its 9 00, two because of their age and three because like you said, they hadnt been together and so long as energy, i expect to see more of a docile type of donald trump trying to stay on message, lowenergy donald trump is what we call them, but i expect joe biden to be somebody who brings a lot of energy, particularly in the first 15, 20 minutes, because that is when this debate is one, mike tyson, the great get american poet once said that everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. And so i want to see whos going to come out and throw the first punch. And im expected to see joe biden come out with that energy at 9 01, showing that he can serve another four years. Yeah. Sure. My god, i mean, weve been hearing ive been talking to people in both of these campaigns and i do think theyre going to both come out of this this gate, come out of the gate here ready to go . I mean, i think so, but i just hope that President Biden is careful and doesnt trip over himself in the first ten or 15 minutes because that isnt going to look good for him. Look, i think donald trump has one key message here, caitlin, that is a showcase that he is capable to lead the country again for another four years the showcase that despite what our opinions may be about him because of the rallies, because of some of the tweets that we saw on truth social, that he is principally concerned with the issues id impact everyday americans. Those Kitchen Table issues as jane its carnival once said its the economy stupid. 32 years ago is still the economys stupid today in donald trump needs to showcase that hes in the best position to improve the economic condition of hard work and americans and i think thats as number one objective. Jonah, what are you going to be looking for in the first . 20 critical minutes that are that are going to be playing out here mostly looking forward to seeing how quickly their plans evaporate i agree with the energy thing. I mean, its a little like Brian Santana and anchorman, its panda watch, right . I mean, were, were into this, but i think that theyre going to have i generally think the president ial debates dont really matter much. I think this is different because in a lot of ways for good reasons and bad, but the vibes election and this is going to be vibes debate we have to essentially literal or figurative incumbent candidates. Nima, wed never had that before. And to tell us debate or really in an election at all. And theyre not here to introduce themselves to voters. Voters know who these people are. Theyve 100 name id, theyre here to reassure voters and trump needs to reassure people that hes not going to bring more chaos like you did last time. And biden is the reassure people that hes up to the job for another four years and thats a weird debate. Strategy to have to implement when we other guys trying to trip you up at it. Yeah. Yeah theres this push and pull of like is this about the past or this about the future . And i think it has to be the whole story. It has to be dont forget what type of President Donald Trump was. Dont forget what he has been doing the last four years since he hasnt then president , dont forget what happened a couple of weeks ago where he is the only person running for president that now has 34 felony convictions. And looking at the camera, joe biden, i know what i can do for you of the American People. I know things are not perfect, but this is why i am ready for the job. I do think that this debate will be one and the first 15 to 20 minutes, and then it will be one on tiktok, twitter and instagram. Because if one of