Decision 2020

First Presidential debate: What time, what channel, who is the special guest?

It’s expected  to be the most watched debate in U.S. history.

Upward of 100 million people could tune in Monday night to see the first presidential debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The two will meet in  New York for the first of three debates scheduled for the next few weeks.

Here’s a quick look at Monday’s debate.

What time is it on?

The debate begins at 9 p.m.(EDT)  It will be 90 minutes long, without commercial interruption.

Where can I see it?

The debate will be broadcast live on cable news networks, the three major networks and other media outlets including social media.

Where is it?

The debate is being held at Hofstra University on Long Island, N.Y.

What is the structure  for the debate?

The first debate will be divided into six 15-minute segments. The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. Candidates will then have an opportunity to respond to each other. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a deeper discussion of the topic.

Who will moderate the debate?

The moderator of the first debate will be NBC's Lester Holt.

What are the topics for the debate?

The topics will include "America’s Direction," "Achieving Prosperity" and "Securing America," in that order.

Will anyone else be on the debate stage?

No, the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, and the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, failed to qualify for a spot on the debate stage.

Special guest?

Rumors are that Gennifer Flowers, who in the 1990s had an affair with Bill Clinton, will be in the front row of the debate audience. Apparently, Trump invited Flowers after he was told that Dallas Mavericks owner and Trump detractor  Mark Cuban would be attending the debate, sitting in the front row.  (Update: Gov. Mike Pence told Fox News that Gennifer Flowers will not be  attending the debate and that Trump was simply mocking the Clinton campaign's announcement that Mark Cuban will be there.)