The fourth Republican presidential debate is scheduled to take place this evening in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and only four candidates will take the stage.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy each met the requirements set by the Republican National Committee (RNC) in order to participate in the debate.
Eligibility criteria included the stipulation that the candidate poll at least 6% in two national polls, or 6% in one national poll and 6% in “one early state poll from two separate ‘carve out’ states (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina),” according to the RNC.
The requirements also state that candidates must have at least 80,000 unique donors to their principal presidential campaign committee. They must also have a minimum of 200 unique donors from each state, with at least 20 states or territories represented.
Finally, candidates must sign two pledges, one stating that they will not participate in non-RNC sanctioned debates and another agreeing to support the party’s eventual nominee, regardless of who is chosen by voters.
Candidates were required to submit proof that they met all the requirements no later than 48 hours before the debate, which is scheduled to begin tonight at 7 p.m. CT.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum qualified for the first two debates but was unable to qualify for the third or fourth. He claimed that “[t]he RNC’s clubhouse debate requirements are nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire.”
“None of their debate criteria relate to the qualifications related to actually doing the job of the president. This effort to nationalize the primary system is unhealthy for the future of the party, especially for a party which proclaims to value leadership from outside of Washington,” he added in a statement posted on social media.
A more significant absence from the fourth debate lineup is former President Donald Trump, who did not participate in any of the first three events.
Trump has previously stated that the other candidates “ought to stop wasting their time” by participating in the debates.
“They’re wasting a lot of time with these ridiculous debates that nobody’s watching,” he added, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Some candidates have criticized Trump for his decision not to take part. DeSantis said during the third debate that the former president was “different … than he was in 2016” and he should join the rest of the candidates on stage.
Despite the absence of some big names, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a press release that “[t]he fourth debate is another fantastic opportunity for our Republican candidates to share our winning agenda with the American people.”
“President Reagan was the first sitting president to visit the University of Alabama nearly 40 years ago, just before cruising to a landslide victory in 1984, and I’m thrilled to return our conservative message to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night,” she added.
The most recent information from FiveThirtyEight states that Trump is polling at an average of 59.8% among Republicans, followed by DeSantis with 13%. Haley is garnering the third most support at 10.5%, with Ramaswamy and Christie trailing with averages of 5.1% and 2.9%, respectively.
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