Good evening.

I'm Nora O'Donnell in New York tonight and thank you for being with us.

Millions are expected to tune in for the matchup between president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump the 2 meeting in the earliest presidential debate in history.

It is a chance for voters to hear the candidates vastly different visions for the future for America and the contrast between the 2 could not be more stark in both policies and personalities.

The one thing they have in common however is age president Biden is 81 years old and Donald Trump is 78 making them the oldest candidates to ever meet on the debate stage and you can bet that will be a topic.

We have team coverage starting with CBS's Nancy Cordes in Atlanta.

President Biden was embraced by supporters after touching down in Atlanta this afternoon.

Former president Trump got a hero's welcome to when he arrived a couple of hours later the 2 men meet face to face tonight for the first time since their second presidential debate in 2020 nearly 4 years ago.

If I thought you did a good job I would have never run, you know his character, you know my character.

In a preview of the notes they hope to hit tonight, both candidates launched new ad blitzes today, Biden knocking Trump on abortion 2 years ago Trump overturned Roe v.

Wade because of the abortion bans across the country women's lives are at risk.

Trump knocking Biden on age do you think the guy who was defeated by the stairs makes it 4 more years in the White House going into this debate of the 7 battleground states 6 are currently rated as toss-ups while one North Carolina leans Republican he's relaxed, he's confident Danielle Alvarez is a senior adviser on the Trump campaign we expect president Trump to win because he's going to focus on record his record.

One new feature tonight, a pair of green lights on each candidate's podium that will alert him when his microphone is on the Mike will shut off when it's the other man's turn to speak the question is just as we're out of the left when you shot a man who is it comes after Trump interrupted Biden or the moderator more than a 100 times in their first debate in 2020.

That's just who Donald Trump is Biden adviser Cedric Richmond was a part of the team that prepped with him at Camp David for the better part of a week we just wanted to make sure that he was prepared for the antics of Donald Trump and hearing lie after lie after lie and making sure that he's talking to the American people to make sure that they understand that he wakes up every day focused on them.

Thank you so much for joining us and we'll see you next time.

Thank you.

One open question tonight whether these 2 men who have made no secret of their mutual dislike will shake hands when they walk on stage.

They didn't in 2020, but that was due to covid protocols at the height of the pandemic or.

Nancy Cordes in Atlanta for us.

Thank you Nancy.