Why Joe Biden chose audience’s right side for Trump debate

NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden secured a significant advantage ahead of his upcoming presidential debate against Donald Trump by winning a coin flip that allowed him to choose his stage position. The CNN revealed on Thursday that Biden correctly picked tails, granting him the first choice of podium on the Atlanta stage for next week’s debate.
Biden opted for the left side of the stage, which means he will appear on the right side of millions of TV screens across the country.This positioning is more consequential than it might initially seem. Experts note that viewers are inherently drawn to the right in a two-figure setting, which will likely result in Biden receiving more attention by default, assuming viewers can look past Trump’s potential antics and interruptions, a Daily Beast report said.
This phenomenon is often cited as the reason why nearly every late-night TV host, from Jimmy Fallon to Steve Allen, has been positioned to the right of their guests. Biden's camp prioritized stage positioning over choosing the order of closing statements, reflecting the perceived importance of this visual advantage. The White House did not immediately respond to questions from The Daily Beast regarding the reasoning behind Biden’s choice.
In a 2010 article, Slate explained that stage right positioning often conveys a sense of power, a concept rooted in old-school royalty practices. "In the theory of stagecraft, it’s understood that a rightward placement telegraphs royalty," the article noted. "So no matter how famous the guest may be, sitting to the left makes him or her seem subservient."
Both Biden and Trump are relatively untested in recent debates, having faced no significant primary challengers this cycle. In their 2020 debates, Biden had the advantage of appearing on the right of TV screens in both events.
Although Trump lost Thursday’s coin toss, his camp was granted the choice of deciding the order of closing statements. Unsurprisingly, Trump chose to deliver his closing statements last, allowing him to have the final word of the night—a move often seen as a separate advantage.
Trump is likely satisfied with this outcome, especially considering how upset he was during his hush-money trial when prosecutors had the final floor time before his conviction.
The highly anticipated debate is scheduled to begin at 9pm on June 27 on CNN, with anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash serving as moderators.