Pres. Joe Biden, former Pres. Donald Trump to square off in first presidential debate in Atlanta

ATLANTA — The first presidential debate of the campaign season is here.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will square off at CNN Studios at Techwood in midtown Atlanta. The CNN Presidential Debate will simulcast on Channel 2 beginning at 9 p.m.

We’re LIVE inside the debate studios for a look at the final preparations, on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4:00 p.m.

Georgia is once again proving to be at the center of the political universe.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

“I am proud to stand up here today a conservative Republican and endorse Joe Biden for reelection as president of the United States,” former GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger said.

Former Illinois Republican Congressman Kinzinger came to the Georgia State Capitol Wednesday to endorse Democratic Joe Biden for president.

He stood alongside Georgia’s former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who has long been a vocal critic of Donald Trump. He also endorsed Biden.

“Why would anybody pick Donald Trump over Joe Biden? Even if you completely disagree with the policies? There’s no policy that’s going to break this country and our democracy. There’s only one person in this race who has the chance to wreck democracy and that’s Donald Trump,” Duncan said.

RELATED STORIES:

• Laugh (or cringe) at these history-making moments from presidential debates
• Here’s what’s at stake for Biden and Trump in this week’s presidential debate
• Biden and Trump are set to debate. Here’s what their past performances looked like

“A lot of the black leaders, they really are influential in the city, so hopefully, they have some good points they can bring up,” voter Josh Sole said.

Across town, Sole joined dozens of others at Rocky’s Barbershop in Buckhead as black business leaders hosted a roundtable featuring a phone call from Donald Trump.

Trump is trying to court black voters.

He talked about his indictment and arrest in Atlanta and his now-famous mugshot.

“But it’s the number one mugshot of all time. It’s really amazing. Something happened, support among the Black community and the Hispanic community has skyrocketed,” Trump said.

Sole said he liked what he heard.

“Kind of what we’re going through specifically in Atlanta and then simply as Black men and our community as a whole,” Sole said.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Demolition for major metro Atlanta mall begins to make room for $843M development

©2024 Cox Media Group