AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ARE SET TO GO MANO A MANO TONIGHT IN ATLANTA FOR THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF THE 2024 ELECTION.

THE DEBATE WILL AIR LIVE ON CNN AT 08:00PM CHICAGO TIME.

IT WILL FEATURE NEW RULES THAT INCLUDE NO OPENING STATEMENTS.

THE MUTING OF CANDIDATES MICROPHONES WHEN THEY'RE NOT SPEAKING.

NO STUDIO AUDIENCE KNOW INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CANDIDATES AND THEIR CAMPAIGN STAFF, INCLUDING DURING COMMERCIAL BREAKS AND NO PRE-WRITTEN NOTES.

NOW.

JOINING US NOW TO BREAK DOWN THE PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S DEBATE DEBATE ARE HALL SAYS SANCHEZ, COMMUNICATIONS AND POLITICAL CONSULTANT AND FORMER DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY FOR GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER'S OFFICE AND JOINING US VIA ZOOM IS THAT OUTLOOK ABOUT THAT, A HISTORY PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

HE'S ALSO THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, THE HISPANIC REPUBLICAN IN A WRITER FOR THE NEW YORKER.

THANK ALL FOR JOINING US NOW.

LET'S START WITH THIS YEAR'S NEW DEBATE RULES.

JOSE, IN THE PAST FEW DEBATES HAVE GOTTEN PRETTY HEATED AS WE ALL KNOW WITH SOME OBVIOUS IS RESEMBLING SAND.

THERE BLING SPORTING EVENTS.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE LACK OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE WILL AFFECT BOTH CANDIDATES?

WELL, FIRST, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME I THINK THE LACK OF AUDIENCE IS REALLY GOING TO HAVE MAKE THE CANDIDATES FOCUS ON THEIR MESSAGING.

THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE HAS REALLY CHANGED OVER THE 4 YEARS.

I THINK WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO FOCUS ON IS REALLY GET THAT 15, THE 30ND CLIP THAT'S GOING TO GO ON TIKTOK INSTAGRAM OR TWITTER.

MOST PEOPLE WATCH THE DEBATE OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS ACROSS THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO INTERESTING.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS A BIG PART, RIGHT?

WE WENT TO THOSE CLIPS.

WEISEL THINK OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

WELL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, I THINK EVERYDAY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GET HOME THE TUNING IN NOW.

BUT I THINK WHAT REALLY STANDS OUT, THEY'RE GONNA FAR THEY'RE GOING TO FIND TRENDING ACROSS ACROSS WEB SITES.

AND NOW YOU HAVE INFLUENCE IS THAT WE ACT AS WELL.

SO I CAN'T WAIT TO THE FUNDING.

AND I DO WANT TO GO TO WHAT ABOUT MUTED MICROPHONES?

DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE AN ADVANTAGE TO EITHER CANDIDATE?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

I THINK IT WILL CERTAINLY ADVANTAGE OR ITS INTENDED TO JOE BIDEN FOR CERN MEAN HE'S THE CANDIDATE WHO REQUESTED THE MUTED MICROPHONES AND IT KIND OF TAKES DONALD TRUMP OUT OF IS MORE COMFORTABLE RALLY ATMOSPHERE WHERE HE'S KIND OF FIGHTING WITH THE CROWD AND HE'S GOING TO HAVE A MUCH HARDER TIME DOING THAT IN.

HE TENDS TO GO ON AND ON AND ON AS WELL.

I MEAN, HIS CAMPAIGN SPEECHES ARE LIKE HIS RALLIES MAYBE LIKE HOUR AND A HALF ON TWITTER, UNINTERRUPTED SPEAKING SO IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR HIM TO KIND OF CONTAIN HIMSELF WITHIN 2 MINUTES.

AND I THINK THE MUTED MICROPHONES WILL ENSURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WATCHING?

TO SEE WHAT THEIR DYNAMICS ARE.

AND WITH NO AUDIENCE, BECAUSE AS I JUST EXPLAINED, SOME PEOPLE DESCRIBE IT AS A SPORTING EVENT.

YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH MORE, I THINK BY DESIGN AND MUCH MORE KIND OF MUTED FORMAT FOR THEM NOT JUST LITERALLY IN THE MUTING OF OF THE MICROPHONE, BUT A MUCH MORE STAID ATMOSPHERE WITHOUT THE AUDIENCE.

AGAIN, YOU CAN'T LIKE MINE WITH THE AUDIENCE THERE EITHER.

SO I THINK IS NOT WHAT I WANT TO SEE.

I MEAN, I SUPPOSE THAT THE KIND OF HEAVY CONTROL WITH THE NETWORK IS PUTTING ON IT BY THE REQUEST OF THE CANDIDATES COULD MAKE IT A LITTLE EXCITING OR OR BORING EVEN.

BUT I DO THINK THAT IN TERMS OF GIVING VOTERS WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR TO BEGIN TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THESE 2 CANDIDATES, IT'S PROBABLY THE THE BEST THING I THINK WE'VE BEEN HEARING, YOU KNOW, BOTH TRUMP AND BIDEN SAY WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY ABOUT EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT FORMATS FOR A LONG TIME.

SO I THINK IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR VOTERS TO FINALLY SEE THEM SIDE BY SIDE HEARING THEIR MESSAGES.

AND THOSE THAT YOU WORKED ON SEVERAL CAMPAIGNS, INCLUDING GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER AND CITY YOU HOW IMPORTANT OUR DEBATE AND DETERMINING THE OUTCOME OF ELECTIONS, WHICH WELL, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT DEBATES AREN'T NECESSARILY THE THING THAT MAKES OR BREAKS WHETHER A PERSON IS GOING TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE.

BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF TELLING A STORY, I THINK FOR TRUMP WHAT HE REALLY WANTS TO FOCUS AND IS ATTRACTING THOSE VOTERS THAT THINK THAT MIGHT THAT MAYBE HE'S A LITTLE TOO EXTREMIST.

BUT I THINK THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO JOE BIDEN IN THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXPECTING MUCH SO AS LONG AS HE SHOWS UP ENERGETIC REALLY DELIVERS ON A MESSAGE ON WHY HE DESERVES ANOTHER 4 YEARS.

I THINK YOU'RE REALLY STAND OUT AS THE WINNER OF THAT DEBATE.

YOU KNOW THE WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY BIDEN AND TRUMP NEED TO DO TODAY TO WIN TODAY'S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE?

WELL, I THINK I GO BACK AND FORTH ON QUESTION OF WHETHER THIS TO BE IT'S GOING TO BE VERY SIGNIFICANT OR INSIGNIFICANT.

ON THE ONE HAND, I THINK EACH CANDIDATE HAS HIS SUPPORTERS AND AS WE KNOW, KIND OF PARTISANSHIP LOYALTY TO A PARTY INTO A CANDIDATE IS HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES.

SO YOU KNOW THAT BOTH HAVE THEIR BASES AT THIS POINT.

IT'S AS MUCH ABOUT KIND OF ENERGIZING THEIR BASE IS AS CONVINCING BE, YOU KNOW, PERSUADABLE VOTERS WHO ARE OUT THERE.

SO I THINK YOU KNOW THIS, THOUGH, ON THE OTHER IN ONE SENSE, IT'S NOT GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE MUCH BECAUSE BOTH SIDES ALREADY HAVE THEIR SUPPORTERS.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME.

IT PROBABLY SINCE THE LAST DEBATE WHERE WE'VE SEEN 2 MEN SIDE BY SIDE AND IN THE INTERIM WE'VE YOU KNOW, INSURRECTIONS.

WE'VE HAD TRIALS OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

WE'VE HAD ALL OF THE QUESTIONS SURROUNDING JOE BIDEN'S AGE AND BE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS WHERE HE KIND OF SHOWED SOME OF HIS VIM AND VIGOR.

AND SO I THINK THAT BOTH CANDIDATES NEED TO STAND THERE SIDE BY SIDE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND HELP VOTERS MAKE THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THEM.

AND I THINK THAT CAN HAPPEN ON IMMIGRATION.

IT CAN HAPPEN ON THE CLIMATE.

THEY CAN HAPPEN ON APPROACHES TO THE ECONOMY.

I THINK JOE BIDEN CAN ALSO RELY ON HIS STATUS AS THE INCUMBENT TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS HE'S ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS.

I THINK IT'S REALLY ABOUT SIDE BY SIDE TALKING TO THE VOTERS THIS TIME AND YOU MENTIONED AGE, JOSE, LET'S TALK ABOUT AGE.

DOES AGE MATTER?

I THINK AGE MATTERS YOU KNOW.

PEOPLE LEADER, THAT'S ENERGETIC.

THAT'S READY TO COME OUT AGGRESSIVELY AND FIGHT FOR THEM.

YOU KNOW, I REALLY THINK ABOUT WHY A LOT OF LATINOS, DESPITE TRUMP SAYING THEY NASTY THINGS.

HIS FIRST CAMPAIGN SPEECH WAS SAYING NASTY THINGS ABOUT MEXICANS.

WHY SAID THAT SOME OF THE NOSE AND GRAVITATED TOWARDS HIM AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO MAKE VERY TOUGH DECISIONS.

ARE THEY GOING TO BE LATE ON THEIR CAR NOTE?

ARE THEY GOING TO GET GROCERIES FOR A WEEK TO MAKE RENT?

AND I THINK WHAT THEY REALLY WANT IS A LEADER THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT AND I'M GOING TO FIGHT FOR YOU.

I'M GOING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER AND I'M GOING TO PROVIDE RELIEF WHILE GOING THROUGH THIS VERY TOUGH PERIOD.

HE DOESN'T MENTION IMMIGRATION.

AND JOSE, YOU ARE A DHAKA RECIPIENT ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU THINK THAT THE CANDIDATES CAN DO TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION DURING THE DEBATE, DO YOU EXPECT AN EMPHASIS ON THE WORKING VOTE?

I SURE HOPE SO.

YOU KNOW, AS A DHAKA RECIPIENT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL ALWAYS COME AND PRESIDENT OBAMA ON IS TAKING SUCH AGGRESSIVE ACTION TO PROTECT AND ENSURE THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME CAN WORK CONTRIBUTE.

I HAVE A CAREER BECAUSE OF DHAKA AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT FROM BOTH CANDIDATES.

YOU KNOW, I THINK TRUMP HAS A GOOD JOB OF ELICITING FEAR AND TRYING TO USE THAT AS A WAY TO RALLY HIS BASE OVER THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF, WE SAW PRESIDENT BIDEN TAKE SOME ACTION.

BUT WHAT I'M HEARING FROM VOTERS, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM OTHER STRATEGIST IS THAT MORE IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, NOT JUST FOR REFUGEES AND RECENT MIGRANTS, BUT FOR THE MIGRANTS THAT WINDS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 5, 10, 15, 20 YEARS AND TALKING ABOUT THE LATINO VOTE.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO LATINO VOTERS?

IT'S ALWAYS THE CALM.

I MEAN, FIRST AND FOREMOST, SECOND, THAT SUCH A BROAD TERM.

BUT I THINK WHAT MOST LETTING THOSE MEAN BY THAT IS HOW THEY FEEL THEMSELVES TO BE DOING TO THE HOUSE ON STU.

THEY THINK THEY EARN A GOOD WAGE.

DO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE ABLE TO PAY RENT FOR THEIR MORTGAGE FOR THEIR FOOD, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HEAR LATINOS TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMY ENCOMPASSES A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS THAT ARE ALL IMPORTANT, NOT THIS YEAR, I THINK IMMIGRATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT BEEN A LOT OF INTERESTING POLLS LATELY SHOWING HOW IMPORTANT THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION IS TO LET HE KNOWS AND IT COMES IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS FOR SURE ONE, YOU KNOW, STABILITY IN A CALM WAY TO CITIZENSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR LONG-TERM RESIDENTS OR THE SPOUSES OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS OUT OF THIS.

THE UNDOCUMENTED SPOUSES OF AMERICAN CITIZENS TO HAVE THEIR STATUS, REGULAR BUT I THINK ONE THING THAT SHIFTING AS THEY DO ALSO MONTH, BORDER SECURITY, BIG THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BORDER WALL ARE STILL REALLY UNPOPULAR AMONG LATINOS, BUT THEY DO ONE.

I KIND OF FAIR AND ORDERED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE OUT OF CONTROL.

SO I THINK THE ECONOMY AND IMMIGRATION THIS YEAR ARE 2 REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES.

I THINK HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO HIM WITH HEALTH CARE THING.

BIDEN ACTUALLY HAS SOMETHING TO REALLY RUN ON THERE WHERE THE UNINSURED RATE AMONG LATINOS HAS DROPPED BY HALF DURING PRESIDENCY.

SO I THINK BIDEN NEEDS TO DO IS KIND OF RUN A LITTLE BIT MORE AS AN INCUMBENT AND TOUT HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PAST 4 YEARS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK MANY LATINOS KNOW ABOUT THEM.

WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IN SURVEYS IS THAT LET YOU KNOW WHEN ASKED CAN YOU NAME SOMETHING THAT JOE BIDEN HAS DONE FOR YOU OVER THE PAST 2 OR 3 YEARS?

70 OR 80% SAY THEY CAN'T NAME ANYTHING.

AND SO I THINK THE CAMPAIGN IS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS GOING HAVE TO MAKE REALLY CLEAR WHAT THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED.

ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON SCENE?

I AGREE 100% AND, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE WORLD, I THINK INCUMBENTS ARE FACING A TOUGH TIME.

BUT I THINK WE HAVE 2 GREAT EXAMPLES, BOTH IN MEXICO AND THEN HERE AT HOME, YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR HAS GREAT APPROVAL RATING BECAUSE HE'S DELIVERED FOR PEOPLE.

AND WE SAW THE SAME THING WHEN HIS POWER AND HIS PARTY PEOPLE TURN OUT OVERWHELMINGLY FOR BECAUSE HE INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE BECAUSE HE DELIVER FOR FOLKS.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON.

PEOPLE WANT SOMEONE THAT CAN DELIVER AND OFFER A VISION OF WHAT THE NEXT 4 YEARS AGO LOOK LIKE.

AND WHAT ABOUT VOTERS WERE UNDECIDED?

WE KNOW THAT ROBERT F KENNEDY JUNIOR DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR TONIGHT'S DEBATE.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO TRUMP AND BIDEN NOT TO THOSE VOTES TO THE INDEPENDENT PARTY?

I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT.

I THINK IT KEEPS GOING BACK WHAT I'M SAYING.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHAT THEY ARE FEELING IS THEY THEIR BUDGET COME UNDER A LOT OF STRESS.

THEY HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS.

THE LOOK AT THEIR CHILDREN AND THEY SAY IS THIS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO FACE?

I HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE MY AGE THAT HAVE GIVEN UP ON EVER OWNING A HOME ON EVER STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS.

SO FOR A CANDIDATE, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND SAY, NO, THIS IS NOT THE FUTURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.

AND I THINK THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO JOE BIDEN