U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are set to go head-to-head tonight in the first of two planned presidential debates.
Here’s how to watch the CNN Presidential Debate and CTV News Channel’s pre- and post-debate specials; and follow along in our CTVNews.ca live chat with expert analysis by debate and body-language experts.
How do I watch it
At 8 p.m. ET, an hour before the CNN Presidential Debate kicks off, CTV News analysts and guest panelists will break down the debate’s significance through a uniquely Canadian lens.
The full debate and special coverage will stream in its entirety at the top of this article, as well as on the CTV News app, at 9 p.m .ET. It will be broadcast on CTV News Channel through your television service provider.
Pre-debate special at 8 p.m. ET
Anchored by Power Play and Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, special coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET right here on CTVNews.ca, as well as on the CTV News app and CTV News Channel.
Vassy’s guests will include:
- David Frum – staff writer with The Atlantic and a former speechwriter for U.S. President George W. Bush
- Brian Stelter – special correspondent with Vanity Fair, former CNN media critic
- Eric Ham – bestselling author and former congressional staffer
Strategy Session:
CNN Presidential Debate at 9 p.m. ET
The debate will take place at CNN’s Atlanta studios and will be moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. It will be simulcast on CTV in our video player above, as well as on the CTV News app and on CTV News Channel.
CTVNews.ca will also host — on this page — a live blog full of colourful expert commentary and analysis. This will allow you to watch the debate and get analysis at the same time.
Guests for the live blog will include:
- Eric Ham
- Tracey Thomson – body language expert and co-founder of communication training company TruthPlane.
- Dr. Nate French — debate expert and political communications professor at Wake Forest University.
- Dr. Allan Louden — debate expert and political commentator, former director of debate at Wake Forest University.
- Rachel Aiello – national correspondent for CTV News.
Post-debate special at 10:30 p.m. ET
After the debate wraps, keep watching as CTV News Channel’s post-debate analysis kicks off with experts weighing in on how it all went for the candidates. Host Vassy Kapelos will be joined by:
- David Frum
- Nik Nanos – chief data scientist and founder of Nanos Research
Strategy Session: