Immediately after Thursday's presidential debate, some commentators questioned whether President Joe Biden should stay in the race and vie for a second term in the White House.

A poll conducted by debate organizers CNN found that a majority of debate watchers thought former President Donald Trump outperformed Biden on Thursday.

But President Biden had a lot to prove, even to Democrats, heading into the debate. A Gallup Poll released just before the debate found that 42% of Democrats were pleased that Biden was the nominee, while 56% preferred another candidate.

Related story: Robert Kennedy didn't make the debate stage, but he answered the same questions during a rival event

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson only were able to muster token campaigns against President Biden in the primaries.

Process for replacing Biden on the ballot

Since Thursday's debate comes over a month before Democrats officially select a nominee in August, it's not impossible for the party to replace him on the ballot. But it is likely going to require President Biden's cooperation for him to be replaced.

According to Decision Desk HQ, President Biden won at least 3,850 out of a possible 3,934 delegates for this year's convention. He only needs 1,968 delegates to secure the nomination.

Those delegates are bound to support Biden on the first ballot, per the party's delegate rules.

"Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them," the rules state.

Related story: Fact-checking claims made by Biden and Trump during the first 2024 presidential debate

Also, keep in mind, as the Democratic Party's standard-bearer, President Biden picked the DNC's leadership, making any organized effort to force him out even more challenging. In 2021, President Biden selected Jaime Harrison to lead the party. Harrison continued to express his support on his X account following the debate. He also shared a post from Sen. John Fetterman, who decried calls for Democrats to find a new nominee.

"I refuse to join the Democratic vultures on Bidens shoulder after the debate," Fetterman said. "No one knows more than me that a rough debate is not the sum total of the person and their record."

If Biden were to drop out before the convention

If President Biden were to exit the race, his delegates would be free to vote for potential replacements. It would still take 1,968 delegates for a candidate to become a nominee.

While Vice President Kamala Harris would presumably contend for the nomination, others could enter the race as well. Convention delegates would continue voting until someone gets at least 1,968 delegates.

But whether President Biden would even consider this remains questionable. He has referred back to his rough start in the 2020 primaries as an example of how he's been able to come back when trailing.

If Biden were to drop out after the convention 

According to a Congressional memo, the party would be responsible for choosing a replacement nominee. Even though Harris' spot on the ticket would have already been confirmed, she would not automatically take the spot of the presidential nominee.

The party could vote for a different nominee if they choose.

Although no presidential candidate has ever dropped out of the race after the convention, in 1972, Sen. Thomas Eagleton decided not to run for vice president after getting the party's nomination. He was replaced by the Democratic Party by Ambassador Sargent Shriver as Sen. George McGovern's running mate.

Incumbent President Richard Nixon ended up winning the election in one of the most lopsided races in U.S. history.

The Scripps News political team's Midnight Van to Georgia continued south, stopping at its final top swing-city contender before heading to Thursday's presidential debate in Atlanta.

On Wednesday, Scripps News' political director Andrew Rafferty, deputy political director Joe St. George and White House correspondent Serena Marshall arrived in Athens, Georgia, to figure out where voters stand ahead of Thursday's presidential debate.

While filling up at the pump en route to Athens, they ran into Emanuel Boneparte refueling his car. Even though he voted for Joe Biden in 2020, today, he is undecided.

Im not voting for Trump. I dont like all the lies, Boneparte said.

Related story: Scripps News' Midnight Van to Georgia stops in N.C. to hear from voters ahead of presidential debate

Boneparte values truth above all when selecting a president, but he wants to make sure he is knowledgeable before deciding on President Biden or an independent.

I want to hear more. I want to understand more," he said.

Around lunchtime, the Scripps News squad pulled into the University of Georgia area, home of the Bulldogs. College kids make up most of the population and play a big role in the upcoming election.

I am very undecided right now, one Athens resident said.

The reason, Rafferty found, is an issue facing college towns across the country.

I don't know how in good conscience I vote for Biden while he is supporting a genocide," the resident said.

Related story: Midnight Van to Georgia: Scripps News speaks with voters in Virginia ahead of Thursday's presidential debate

At a nearby diner, Marshall and St. George encountered that same issue on the mind of 20-year-old Luca. He considers himself an isolationist and is undecided about this election. His friends have been arrested as part of the Free Palestine movement.

As like a progressive, it's just kind of difficult. How progressive are we getting with Biden? Luca said.

Nathan Macktire is 21 years old but undecided for other reasons. To him, it is simply not worth the time.

I have much better things to do than watch two old people go up there and grandstand," Macktire said.

Former President Donald Trump Trump and President Biden supporters were spotted sitting at the same table. A mother and daughter are on opposite sides for this election.

We will agree to disagree; we still love each other," one of them said.

Ann is a Trump supporter and Ruth will vote for President Biden.

While mom and daughter may disagree on foreign policy, immigration and other issues, they both agree some civility would be nice.

Show some goodwill in politics, Ruth said.

Scripps News will continue to talk to people in bellwether counties this week, in places that can give major clues about who could win in November.

The debate begins Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and is expected to last 90 minutes. Scripps News will air CNN's simulcast of the debate live on-air and online

The first of at least two presidential debates is on Thursday. Thursday's debate marks the first time President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have been face-to-face since the last debate of the 2020 election cycle.

A lot has happened since then, including the 2020 election itself, the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, massive inflation and a criminal trial that concluded with the conviction of Trump.

This is also by far the earliest a debate between major party nominees has ever been held, which could raise the stakes for the debate.

In a poll released by the New York Times this week, among registered voters, when asked if they had to decide now who to vote for, Trump had a 39-32 advantage over President Biden, but 11% couldn't or wouldn't answer.

The same poll showed that 74% of those asked say they plan to tune in to the debate.

Here is what you need to know and how to tune in:

When is the debate?

The debate begins Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and is expected to last 90 minutes.

How can I watch the debate?

Scripps News will air CNN's simulcast of the debate live on-air and online. To find Scripps News on air or watch on Scripps News' website, click here.

Scripps News' live coverage of the debate starts at 6 p.m. ET.

Who will participate?

Presumptive Democratic nominee Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Trump have accepted invitations to participate. Independent candidates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Jill Stein, did not meet the criteria for an invitation. Several independent candidates have threatened legal action over not being included.

Related story: Candidates make preparations for first presidential debate of 2024

Who will moderate?

Longtime CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will serve as moderators. Tapper joined CNN in 2012, while Bash has been with the network for over two decades.

Debate rules

According to CNN, moderators will be allowed to mute the candidates' microphones during the debate when it is not their turn to speak. CNN also said that there will be two commercial breaks during the 90-minute debate, but campaign staff will not be allowed to interact with candidates during these intermissions.

Candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water, but they are not allowed to bring any prewritten notes or props with them to the stage, organizers said.

What's different about this debate?

For the first time since 1984, leading presidential candidates will debate outside the auspices of the Commission on Presidential Debates. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns criticized the debate-organizing nonprofit for its format.

Instead, President Biden and Trump formalized agreements with CNN and ABC News allowing them to organize and simulcast two presidential debates. A vice presidential debate will also be organized by CBS News between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump's yet-to-be-named running mate.

Another big departure from past debates: No audience. In the past, presidential debates had an audience, but that will not be the case on Thursday.

Related story: Trump says he's decided on a running mate ahead of this Thursday's debate

Economy top issue on voters' minds

This week's New York Times poll found that the economy ranked as the No. 1 issue determining a person's vote. Another top issue listed was inflation and the cost of living.

Abortion, immigration and the character of the candidates are also major deciding factors, the poll found.

When asked, "Which candidate do you think would do a better job of handling the issue you think is most important?" 51% said Trump compared to 37% who said President Biden.

Health care, education, student loans, gun policies and war in the Middle East had much lower interest from voters.

Trump has higher debate expectations, poll finds

The recent New York Times poll found that 60% of registered voters think Trump will do either somewhat well or very well in the debate. Meanwhile, only 48% think President Biden will do very or somewhat well.

Scripps News' political director Andrew Rafferty, deputy political director Joe St. George and White House correspondent Serena Marshall left their Washington, D.C., home base to drive to Atlanta to meet voters in several key states ahead of Thursday's presidential debate.

Their first stop will be Norfolk, Virginia, on Monday, followed by a stop in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday and Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday. On Thursday, they will reach Atlanta, the site of the first presidential debate of 2024 between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

These are places that are illustrative of where the campaigns are going. Scripps News will talk to people in infamous bellwether counties places that can tell us major clues about who will win in November.

The debate begins Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and is expected to last 90 minutes.

Scripps News will air CNN's simulcast of the debate live on-air and online. To find Scripps News on air, click here. You can also watch on Scripps News' website.

Based on opinion polls, the economy, the border, health care and voting fights are top issues heading into November's presidential election.

One issue that might not be on top of mind for many voters is infrastructure; however, whoever wins the presidency will oversee what the federal government invests in, from high-speed rail to high-speed internet.

And both candidates are making infrastructure a top issue.

"We are going to rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure," former President Donald Trump said.

"Somewhere along the way we stopped investing in ourselves," President Joe Biden said.

Both President Biden and Trump spent a great deal of their presidencies talking about infrastructure.

Trump had several "infrastructure weeks" while in office, but only President Biden can claim major legislative success.

In November 2021, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which funds over $1 trillion in projects and addresses everything from high-speed internet to high-speed trains.

Trump said at the time that the "infrastructure bill is a disgrace."

But that was the past and the question is what would President Biden and Trump do for the future? A big part of whoever wins will be overseeing the implementation of that legislation.

The Biden administration has taken criticism recently by members of Congress, specifically over how only a handful of electric charging stations have been built, even though it has been three years since the infrastructure law was approved.

Democratic senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon recently called it a "vast administrative failure."

If Trump returns to the White House, the impact on the electric vehicle charging network would likely be even more profound. Trump has criticized electric vehicles on the campaign trail and has vowed to roll back Biden administration policies to speed up the transition to EVs.

Other challenges to implementing the infrastructure law exist too.

Commissioner Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, recently posted on social media, "In 2021, the Biden Administration got $42.45 billion from Congress to deploy high-speed Internet to millions of Americans. Years later, it has not connected even 1 person with those funds."

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Candidates make preparations for first presidential debate of 2024

Trump says he's decided on a running mate ahead of this Thursday's debate

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to appear in the first of two presidential debates on June 27 as debate organizers announced finalized rules for the debate.

According to CNN, moderators will be allowed to mute the candidates' microphones during the debate. CNN also said that there will be two commercial breaks during the 90-minute debate, but campaign staff will not be allowed to interact with candidates during these intermissions.

Candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water, but they are not allowed to bring any prewritten notes or props with them to the stage, organizers said.

Historically, microphones have been kept on during presidential debates between the major party candidates. That changed in 2020 when the Commission on Presidential Debates said before the second and final debate before the election that it would give the moderator the ability to mute the microphones.

Will Kennedy be included?

Although details of the debate were worked out between the Biden and Trump campaigns with CNN, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. still has an outside chance of making the debate.

The rules allow for candidates who have garnered at least 15% in four national polls to be included. Candidates also have to appear on enough state ballots to theoretically win a majority (270 out of 538) of Electoral College votes to win office. CNN says that Kennedy has met the polling threshold in three national polls, but his biggest obstacle is ballot access. He currently is on enough ballots to theoretically win 89 Electoral College votes.

The Kennedy campaign says it has confirmed ballot access in eight states totalling 138 Electoral College votes. The campaign also said it has collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot in 14 states, which would give Kennedy a possible 304 Electoral College votes.

His campaign told Scripps News in May that Kennedy will have enough ballot access to win a majority of Electoral College votes by June 27.

No third-party candidate has joined the two major party candidates for a presidential debate since Ross Perot appeared with George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton in 1992.

Why is this debate different?

For the first time since 1984, leading presidential candidates will debate outside the auspices of the Commission on Presidential Debates. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns criticized the debate-organizing nonprofit for its format.

Instead, President Biden and Trump formalized agreements with CNN and ABC News allowing them to organize and simulcast two presidential debates. A vice presidential debate will also be organized by CBS News between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump's yet-to-be-named running mate.

President Joe Bidens reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trumps felony conviction and signals that the Democratic incumbent is seeking to make his Republican opponents legal woes a bigger issue heading into November.

The advertising push comes with Election Day still more than five months away. But President Biden's campaign says it wants to more clearly define the choice between the candidates ahead of the first debate between them in Atlanta on June 27.

The ad campaign includes more than $1 million geared toward media reaching Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters and a spot highlighting Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts in a New York hush money case. It will air on general market television and connected TV on streaming devices and cellphones in battleground states as well as on national cable.

Besides Trump's criminal conviction, the ad, titled Character Matters, notes the former president also was found liable for sexual assault and financial fraud in separate proceedings. Trump also faces felony charges in three other criminal cases, none of which may go to trial before the November election.

This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family, intones the ad's narrator over images of a Trump mug shot and President Biden high-fiving supporters.

President Biden also has frequently talked about Trumps 34 felony convictions while decrying the former president for claiming that the case against him was politically motivated. President Biden argues that its reckless, its dangerous, its irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they dont like the verdict.

President Biden's son Hunter last week was convicted in Delaware of three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018, when, prosecutors argued, he lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. The president has said he would accept the outcome of the case and continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.

A central part of President Bidens reelection strategy is also highlighting Trumps policy proposals for a second term and firing up disaffected Democrats and independent voters. Still, the campaign producing an ad that leans heavily into Trump's conviction and including it in such a large advertising buy indicates a renewed effort to make Trumps legal problems an election issue in ways President Bidens team previously resisted.

"Its a stark contrast, and its one that matters deeply to the American people, Biden campaign spokesman Michael Taylor said in a statement. And its why we will make sure that every single day we are reminding voters about how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has argued, without evidence, that President Biden or Justice Department officials orchestrated the New York case against him for political reasons. He and his allies also have raised the prospect of prosecuting political opponents in revenge if he returns to the White House.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the Biden administration had weaponized the justice system against President Trump" and that the contrast between her candidate and President Biden "will be very clear on the debate stage.

Some of Hollywood's brightest stars headlined a fundraiser for President Joe Biden that took in a record $30 million-plus for a Democratic candidate, according to his campaign, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.

George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand were among those who took the stage at the 7,100-seat Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel interviewed Biden and former President Barack Obama, who both stressed the need to defeat former President Donald Trump in a race that's expected to be exceedingly close.

During more than half an hour of discussion, Kimmel asked if the country was suffering from amnesia about the presumptive Republican nominee, to which Biden responded, all we gotta do is remember what it was like" when Trump was in the White House.

Luminaries from the entertainment world have increasingly lined up to help Bidens campaign, and just how important the event was to his reelection bid could be seen in Biden's decision to fly through the night across nine time zones, from the G7 summit in southern Italy to Southern California, to attend.

He also missed a summit in Switzerland about ways to end Russia's war in Ukraine, instead dispatching Vice President Kamala Harris who made a whirlwind trip of her own to represent the United States there, a stark reminder of the delicate balance between geopolitics and Biden's bid to win a second term.

Further laying bare the political implications were police in riot gear outside the theater. A group of protesters angry about the Biden's administrations handling of Israels war against Hamas in Gaza demonstrated nearby.

The fundraiser included singing by Jack Black and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and actors Kathryn Hahn and Jason Bateman introduced Kimmel, who himself introduced Biden and Obama. The comedian deadpanned, I was told I was getting introduced by Batman, not Bateman.

But he quickly pivoted to far more serious topics, saying that so much is at stake in this election and listing womens rights, health care and noting that even the ballot is on the ballot in a reference to the Biden administration's calls to expand voting rights.

Kimmel asked the president what he was most proud of accomplishing, and Biden said he thought the administrations approach to the economy is working.

We have the strongest economy in the world today, Biden said, adding we try to give ordinary people an even chance.

Trump spent Saturday campaigning in Detroit and criticized Biden's handling of the economy and inflation. The president was fundraising "with out-of-touch elitist Hollywood celebrities, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.

But Biden told the crowd in California that we passed every major piece of legislation we attempted to get done." And Obama expressed admiration for sweeping legislation on health care, public works, the environment, technology manufacturing, gun safety and other major initiatives that the administration of his former vice president has overseen.

What were seeing now is a byproduct of in 2016. There were a whole bunch of folks who, for whatever reason, sat out," said Obama, who, like Biden wore a dark suit and a white shirt open at the collar.

Obama, speaking about the Supreme Court, added that "hopefully we have learned our lesson, because these elections matter in very concrete ways.

Trump nominated three justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision guaranteeing a constitutional right to an abortion. The audience expressed its displeasure at the mention of Roe, to which Obama responded, don't hiss, vote. That was a play on his common refrain prioritizing voting over booing.

Biden said the person elected president in November could get the chance to nominate two new justices, though a second Biden term probably wouldn't drastically overhaul a court given its current 6-3 conservative majority.

He also suggested if Trump wins back the White House, one of the scariest parts" was the Supreme Court and how the high court has "never been this far out of step.

Biden also referenced reports that an upside-down flag, a symbol associated with Trumps false claims of election fraud, was flown outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January 2021. He worried Saturday that, if Trump is reelected, Hes going to appoint two more who fly their flags upside down.

Kimmel offered his special brand of humor throughout the night. At one point he asked how can a president get back at a talk-show host who makes fun of him on TV every night.

Ever hear of Delta Force? Biden responded, referring to the Army special operations unit.

Earlier in the program, Kimmel noted Biden's campaign promise to restore the soul of America and said lately it seems we might need an exorcism. Then he asked Biden, Is that why you visited the pope? Biden and Pope Francis met in Italy on Friday.

The amount raised outpaced the then-record $26 million from Biden's fundraiser in March at Radio City Music Hall in New York that featured late-night host Stephen Colbert interviewing Biden, Obama and former President Bill Clinton.

Former President Donald Trump, who is once again running for president against President Joe Biden, spoke with Scripps News Phoenix in a one-on-one interview Thursday.

Watch the full interview in the player below:

In the interview, Trump is asked about the border, the economy and more.

Trump is currently speaking at a town hall in Phoenix organized by Turning Point, a conservative youth organization that has seen its influence rise alongside Trump's takeover of the GOP.

The portion of the town hall featuring Trump is livestreaming here.

FULL COVERAGE: America Votes 2024

Trump was found guilty on May 30 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush money provided to an adult porn actor. He continues to make unfounded claims that the trial was rigged and that the judge was biased against him. Trump is expected to be sentenced for these charges in July.

Ahead of Thursday's rally, Scripps News Phoenix crews were there as several people were overcome with heat exhaustion while waiting outside. Our crews saw three people being taken away on stretchers by Phoenix firefighters. Phoenix Fire officials later confirmed 11 people were transported due to heat-related issues.

Scripps News Phoenix

It's election day in Colorado and Denver7 is tracking the latest results on statewide propositions, local mayoral, school board among other key races.