Tonight’s the night. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will come face to face on CNN Thursday evening for their unusually early first debate ahead of the 2024 election. By this point, moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash should be well prepared with a vast array of questions and tactics, no matter how unhinged things get on the debate stage.
But just in case they need some last-minute ideas, The Daily Beast reached out to a bunch of professional comedians to ask what questions they would open the debate with if they were serving as moderator.
Some took the assignment a bit more seriously than others. And some were even tougher on Biden than they were on Trump. But a running theme seemed to be just how unprecedented this big showdown between two men hovering around 80 years old with very different visions for the country they want to lead will no doubt be. Here are some highlights from the responses we received.
