What to Know About Thursday’s Presidential Debate, According to Jack Schlossberg

Thursday night on CNN, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump went head-to-head in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle. Historically, debates between the two have been tense, at best; their September 2020 meeting left moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash (who reprised their roles on Thursday) in disbelief. “That was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck,” Tapper said. “That was a shitshow,” Bash agreed.

As for what we could expect from a Biden v. Trump matchup in 2024? We tapped Jack Schlossberg—President John F. Kennedy’s only grandson—for his insights. Beyond his undeniable political pedigree (and dual business and law degrees), he’s also recently found a following for his madcap, young voter-friendly political commentary. Read his pre-debate breakdown below.

Hi, I’m Jack Schlossberg. Here’s what I’m thinking ahead of Thursday’s presidential debate. Enjoy!

Debates are an ancient sport and a great American tradition—they’ve changed the course of campaigns, and of history.

The first live TV debate was in 1960, when JFK’s winning smile and Florida tan outshined Nixon’s sweaty 5 o’clock shadow. It was an instant hit—since then, live TV debates have spread to democracies around the world. Nothin’ better than watching people fight, don’t you think?

Debates matter. Just ask Obama, whose first debate against Romney nearly ended his campaign. Or Donald Trump, whose first debate against Hillary Clinton earned the highest ratings ever.

Debates aren’t required, they’re voluntary. Everything is negotiated beforehand by the candidates. Here’s the layout:

First, Trump and Biden agreed to do it, so let’s take the win.

Second, it’s tomorrow, June 27 at 9 p.m, hosted by CNN and moderated by Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

Third, expect 90 minutes with two commercial breaks. Podiums, not seats. No audience or props. Positive vibes only (jk lol).

BREAKING: There was a conspiracy to exclude third-party candidates. But it wasn’t the deep state, the Illuminati, or Sandra Bullock, despite what everyone’s saying.

Instead, it was a set of pre-existing and objective criteria published and agreed to beforehand. Biden and Trump are the only candidates that met the two-part test: (1) 15%+ support in national polls, and (2) the ability to win sufficient (270) electoral college votes to be elected president.

Personally, I think those rules are fair: a candidate with zero chance of winning should not be able to hijack this pivotal democratic exercise, no matter how loudly they complain.

RFK Jr. has protested and filed suit. However, he (1) has not polled that high and (2) is on the ballot in enough states to win only 100 electoral votes. He’s saying it’s a First Amendment violation, but it isn’t. He wants the Federal Election Commission to stop the debate until his complaint is resolved; it’s the least we could do.

We don’t know how the debate will go, but we already know what everyone will say.

FOX News: “Trump: Perfect Combination of Sexy and Cute”

CNN: “Flawless Debate Saves America”

New York Times: “Obscure Choreographer Not Mentioned: Have Liberals Forgotten What Matters?”

So skip all that and ask yourself: Has the perfect guy been standing in front of me this whole time?

Personally, I’m most interested in how Trump answers questions about the 2020 election, like, “Who won the last election?” I’m also eager to see if his sense of humor is still there, or if he’s only breathing fire.

On the flip side, I want to see how the president handles inflation. I’m Biden’s biggest fan; he’s got a great story to tell—the USA has one of the fastest-growing economies on earth, he’s created 15 million jobs, he passed the largest infrastructure bill since the New Deal, and the biggest investment in renewable energy ever.

Finally, I’m wishing the moderators luck—Bash and Tapper are two of the best. The pressure’s on, the stakes are high. For the first time, we’ve got two presidents debating live and I don’t have anything to wear!

Stay hydrated. When you get bored, check your voter registration to prepare for the upcoming election. (FUN FACT: JFK barely won! In 1960 the final tally was 49.7% to 49.5.%. 100,000 votes made the difference.) This year, the stakes are way higher, and it will be just as close. Your vote matters, it always has :)