The Opinion Video above lays out the unique challenges facing President Biden and Donald Trump when they meet in Atlanta on Thursday for their first 2024 presidential debate.

A lot has happened in the four years since they last appeared together on a debate stage, including a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, many more months of a raging pandemic, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, galloping inflation and the outbreak of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Indeed, there’s no shortage of matters for the two men to discuss.

In the Opinion Video above, we draw on footage of their past performances, in debates as well as on the campaign trail, to show what each candidate needs to do — and what he needs to avoid — to win the day. The stakes are high, and so is the risk of failure.

Adam Westbrook is a producer and editor with Opinion Video. Emily Holzknecht (@emilyholzknecht) is an associate producer in Opinion Video.

Opinion Video combines original reporting with creative storytelling to produce visually transformative commentary. Pitch a video guest essay here.

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