GOP presidential candidates will flock to the stage for the first Republican National Committee debate of the 2024 election cycle, a chance for presidential hopefuls to pitch themselves and their policies.
At least seven candidates have met the RNC’s criteria and can appear on the debate stage. One candidate, former President Donald Trump, has confirmed he will not participate in the first debate, and potentially future ones. As the GOP front-runner, his absence could allow rising candidates like Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and Vivek Ramaswamy the chance to move up in the polls and become viable alternatives to Trump.
RNC ANNOUNCES CRITERIA FOR SECOND DEBATE DESPITE UNCERTAIN TRUMP PARTICIPATION
Here’s everything to know about the RNC debate.
When and where is the debate?
The RNC debate will take place on Aug. 23 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. CDT.
The debate will air on Fox News, with longtime anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum as moderators.
What is the significance of the debate?
Right now, the top-performing candidates in the GOP primary polls are the most vocal: Trump, DeSantis, and Ramaswamy. With Trump’s absence, DeSantis will be the top candidate others will likely go after.
The debate will give non-Trump candidates such as Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a chance to present their platforms which are largely being overshadowed by primary leaders. A debate can be effective for all candidates, especially for media campaigns and for attracting donors.
History has shown that debates can prove effective in terms of voter approval. In 2020, now-Vice President Kamala Harris received a bump in the polls after confronting now-President Joe Biden onstage at the first Democratic national debate. In 2016, Trump emerged as a viable candidate in the first GOP debate, beginning the race rather under the radar.
What are the criteria for the RNC debate?
To participate, GOP presidential candidates must receive 1% in three different national polls, or 1% in two national polls and 1% in two polls from different early primary or caucus states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.
Candidates are also required to have 40,000 unique donors, including 200 unique donors in 20 states or territories.
The last requirement is that all participants must sign a pledge to support the eventual nominee. Only after meeting the polling and donor requirements will candidates receive the commitment pledge to sign.
They have until 48 hours before the debate to complete the criteria, so some candidates may make up their minds on the pledge just days before.
Who has and has not qualified for the RNC debate?
DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Christie, Burgum, Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and former Vice President Mike Pence have qualified for the debate. While Trump has met the donation and polling thresholds, he has not signed the debate pledge, which makes him ineligible to participate in the debate.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and businessman Perry Johnson claimed they met the qualifications for the debate, but the RNC has not confirmed if they made the debate stage. Former Rep. Will Hurd has not met the polling requirement but claims to have made the donor requirement.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson claimed to have met the RNC’s requirements on Sunday, but it is unclear if he has been verified by the RNC. As of Sunday, the RNC had yet to verify his donors, and he had not signed the pledge.
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Who has agreed to support the Republican nominee?
Of the candidates who have met the donor and polling requirements, seven out of eight have signed or said they intend to sign the pledge. Trump has said he will not sign the pledge, and he has already confirmed he will not attend.
Hutchinson has said he will sign the pledge, while Hurd is the only other candidate who has outright refused to pledge his support to the nominee, acknowledging it will impede him from joining the debate stage.
