The upcoming US presidential election is one of the most controversial and polarized in recent history with significant potential consequences for the US and the broader political arena.  In this special two-part episode, we chat to Balder Hageraats and DJ Flynn, both professors at IE's School of Global and Public Affairs.  Some highlights in the first part include the role of media polarization,  reactions to the presidential debate and polling as well as how the state of democracy is being affected.  A highly informative conversation for our community.