Donald Trump to close first presidential debate next week

Former President Donald Trump will close the CNN debate next week, the network announced Thursday, after President Joe Biden's team decided to emphasize his placement in the debate on TV screens. 

Next week's debate, which will be moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will be the first presidential debate between the two frontrunners, who have been neck-and-neck in polls recently. Trump has been leading the polls in swing states, but Biden recently beat Trump in a nationwide poll from Fox News that was released Thursday. 

Biden won the coin toss that gave him the option of picking the podium placement, or who would close the show. It is not clear why the president opted for podium places, but it means the placement will be the same order as it was in the 2020 debates, with Biden on the right side of the TV screens and Trump on the left, according to Politico.

Each podium will be equipped with a water bottle, a pad of paper, and a pen. But notecards with pre-written responses, and props will not be allowed, according to CNN.

The 90-minute debate, which will take place in Atlanta, will also mute the candidates' microphones when they are not speaking, in order to cut down on interruptions, and there will be no opening statements from Biden and Trump. There will also be no live audience at the debate. 

The candidates will additionally have two minutes to answer each question, one minute for a rebuttal, and one minute for the initial candidate to respond to that rebuttal.