The Atlanta debate at 9 p.m. ET, moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will give Americans a better sense of where the presidential candidates stand on the biggest and most pressing national security and foreign policy issues.
At the top of the list are the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, but how to address the threats from China and Iran will also likely be a key part of the debate.
Iran remains one of the biggest dividers between Trump and Biden.
During his presidency, Trump took a hard line against Iran, in 2018 killing a deal that had restricted Tehran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief.
In his first two years in office, Biden tried unsuccessfully to renew that pact and last year negotiated with Iran on a prisoner exchange deal.
Trump may use the topic to argue Biden has weakened U.S. standing abroad, as he did after Iran attacked Israel in April.
“The great weakness that we’ve shown is unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office,” Trump said at the time.
The presidential candidates, who have both slapped tariffs, export controls or taken other economic action on China, will likely try to make the case their China policies are stronger and more effective, especially as a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan looms over the debate.
Biden attacked Trump on China in his March State of the Union address, arguing his administration has strengthened Indo-Pacific alliances.
“For all his tough talk on China, it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that,” Biden said in the speech.
The rivals may also clash over NATO and how to secure peace in a more dangerous world.
Biden emphasized in a ceremony in France marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day that alliances are critical to securing freedom and democracy.
Trump earlier this year threatened to not defend countries that do not pay enough in defense spending over concerns European allies have too long relied on the U.S. for security.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
