President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will face off on Thursday, a rematch of the debate cycle in 2020.
Their first debate was notably feisty, with both candidates consistently interrupting each other, the second debate was canceled because Trump refused to participate remotely after being diagnosed with COVID-19, and the third debate was more tempered than the first, as the candidates discussed the response to the pandemic and racism in the country.
This year, the two candidates abandoned theCommission on Presidential Debates and agreed to earlier debates. CNN will be hosting the presidential first faceoff from their Atlanta studios, and the candidates' microphones will be muted outside of their turn to speak.
If the TV faceoffs between Biden and Trump four years ago are any indication, viewers can expect a bitter clash and plenty of drama.
Here is a look back at the 2020 debates:
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‘Will you shut up, man?’
Who said it: Biden, at the first debate on Sept. 29, 2020.
Context: The first debate was notably tense, with both candidates interrupting each other and sparring over their answers.
During a lengthy discussion on health care, Biden shook his head and said, "Will you shut up, man?" adding "This is so unpresidential."
Trump also accused Biden of being socialist, and Biden shot back with "I am the Democratic Party right now."
'Proud boys: stand back and stand by'
Who said it: Trump, at the first debate.
Context: Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox Newsasked Trump directly to condemn white supremacists, and Biden offered the Proud Boys, labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, as an example of one.
"Proud boys: stand back and stand by," Trump responded. "But I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem."
Response: Trump drew bipartisan backlash for the comments, but later claimed he did not know who the Proud Boys are.
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Remote debate is a 'joke,' effort 'to protect Biden'
Who said it: Trump, ahead of the second scheduled debate
Context: The second debate planned for Miami was canceled after Trump refused to participate once the commission moved it to a virtual format.
It went virtual after Trump and several White House officials contracted COVID-19. Trump said he wouldn't "waste (his) time doing a virtual debate," calling it a ploy "to protect Biden" and a "joke" in a Fox News interview.
Response: The Biden campaign blamed Trump for the event being canceled, and pointed out that they canceled the town hall debate where voters ask questions.
'We’re about to go into a dark winter'
Who said it: Biden, at the second debate of 2020 on Oct. 22.
Context: The two candidates argued fiercely over how the Trump administration was handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden slammed Trump for not taking responsibility for 220,000 Americans dead. As of February 2023, the death toll rose to more than 1.1 million.
“We’re about to go into a dark winter… but he has no clear plan,”Biden said, casting doubt on Trump's prediction that the vaccine would be ready in weeks. Health care workers began receiving the first doses in mid-December 2020.
Response: Trump claimed "full responsibility," but shifted the blame to China for the virus coming to the U.S.
'Least racist person in the room'
Who said it: Trump (about himself), at the second and final debate of 2020
Context: The candidates were talking about race and the Black Lives Matter movement, attacking one another and elevating themselves as the best candidate for Black and Hispanic voters.
Trump brought up senatorial Biden's record when he voted in favor of the 1994 crime bill, which has a legacy often associated with mass incarceration.
Trump also said he is the "least racist person in the room," touting his own record on criminal justice reform.
Response: Biden apologized for his role in passing the crime bill, but took a sarcastic jab mocking Trump for calling himself the least racist person in the room.
Contributing: Savannah Behrmann, Joey Garrison, Rebecca Morin, Jeanine Santucci, Deirdre Shesgreen, Phillip M. Bailey, Courtney Subramanian
