Biden and Trump face to face in the first presidential debate on Thursday evening

Joe Biden and his rival Donald Trump are preparing for the most important moments of the US presidential election so far, as they will face off in the first of two presidential debates scheduled.

This debate is crucial for both candidates, as it could radically change the trajectory of the race for the White House as they seek a second term in November’s election.

The debate will be free of audiences and without ad breaks, with the candidate’s microphone switched off while their opponent speaks.

They won’t be allowed to bring their supporters to the debate photography studios at CNN’s headquarters in Georgia.

The first debate takes place on Thursday evening, and is expected to be the culmination of two election campaigns in which personal attacks have escalated significantly in recent times.

In an interview with the right-wing Newsmax network, Trump said of his preparations for the debate, “I feel like I’ve been preparing for this moment all my life, and we’re going to do excellent”.

The upcoming election in 2024 looks very closely, although polls suggest a slight lead for Trump in swing states.

CNN will host the 90-minute debate in the southern city of Atlanta.

For Biden, (81), concerns about his mental competence will be his biggest challenge, especially with interest in the subject of his age growing compared to Trump, who is just three years his junior.

Both candidates have appeared several times at public events and faced embarrassing situations because they forgot or stumbled on speech, but Trump was particularly striking with his sensational speech.

Former President Trump is also facing a series of criminal cases in court.

The Biden campaign issued an announcement saying Trump was busy revenge rather than helping voters, and the Democratic National Committee set up billboards in Atlanta to remind voters that Trump was convicted.

Biden, for his part, spent the week at the Camp David resort, where he conducted intensive debate practice.

Trump’s preparations were more relaxed, avoiding formal training and engaging in informal discussions with his supporters.

Trump’s aides advised him to focus on his strengths such as the economy, while Biden seeks to portray Trump as unfit for office.

Democratic spokeswoman Jackie Bush said, “In November, Georgians will vote on the basis that President Biden takes care of them, while Trump only cares about himself”.

The Trump campaign has repeatedly described Biden as weak and incompetent, but the strategy has changed recently to avoid downplaying expectations about Biden’s performance.

Jason Miller, Trump’s senior campaign adviser, said Biden would be ready for the debate after a week of preparation.

With the support of right-wing media, the Trump team is promoting an unproven theory that Biden will look good thanks to his performance-enhancing drugs, Trump also hinted that CNN was biased.

The issue of border security is one of Biden’s biggest weaknesses, as Trump has promised to fight illegal immigration from Mexico by mass deportations and highlighting crimes committed by migrants.

US media have predicted that Trump will invite family members of victims of violence to Atlanta, although the debate itself won’t have an audience.

The Biden administration said Wednesday that its new restrictions have led to an undocumented immigrant crossing rate at its lowest level in more than three years, downplaying the importance of using immigration as the main line of attack.