RNC announces criteria for second debate despite uncertain Trump participation
Julia Johnson
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The Republican National Committee revealed its criteria to qualify for the second primary debate, and it might leave several candidates struggling to make the cut.
All of the criteria for the first debate must be met, and more. Going into the second debate — which will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 27 — candidates must reach 3% in two different national polls or 3% in one national poll paired with 3% in two polls from different early primary or caucus states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.
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Furthermore, the donor requirements will be stricter, with the RNC requiring candidates to boast 50,000 unique donors, according to Politico. This is 10,000 more donors than the first debate’s requirement, which is 40,000. Several candidates vying for the Republican nomination have yet to meet this requirement, with roughly three weeks until the first debate on Aug. 23. The most prominent candidate who hasn’t racked up enough donors is former Vice President Mike Pence.
Candidates will have to have signed multiple pledges, including a loyalty agreement to support the nominee and a promise not to participate in primary debates held by other entities or people.
This comes as the question of former President Donald Trump‘s participation in any of the RNC’s debates still lingers. Trump has criticized the idea of participating due to his large polling lead over all other primary competitors. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said it would be a “mistake” for Trump not to participate.
Trump’s nonguaranteed participation poses an additional concern for the RNC as television executives reportedly express hesitance to spend large sums. If Trump doesn’t show, ratings will likely be lower, which scares networks. Despite this, networks have reportedly reassured the committee that they are interested in partnering for debates.
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“High cost and bad ratings — that’s the kind of thing that makes people lose their job,” one network insider told Semafor.
So far, the candidates reported to have qualified for the first debate this month are Trump, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.