MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — Republican presidential hopefuls will meet in Milwaukee Wednesday for the first 2024 Republican primary debate.
The forum kicks off the 2024 primary schedule, giving GOP candidates the chance to speak on hot-button issues and face each other head-on after months of independent campaigning across the United States.
When is the debate? Where can I watch?
The first debate will start at 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday and last two hours. Moderators include Fox News Channel hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
To watch, viewers will have to tune in to Fox News, Fox Business Network or Fox's digital streaming platforms, including the Fox website.
The Republican National Committee will also livestream the forum on Rumble, a video-sharing platform.
Who's qualified for the debate?
Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Doug Burgum and Tim Scott have all qualified.
In order to qualify for this month's debate, candidates must have met the following requirements before Aug. 21:
- Each must secure 40,000 donors, including 200 of those from 20 states and/or territories.
- Candidates also need support from 1% of Republican voters in three different national polls, or in two national polls and two polls in early primary states
- Signed the Republican National Committee's "Candidate Pledge"
Though he qualified, Trump will not be attending, per a social media post on Sunday.
“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump wrote. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!"
This is coming at the same time Trump is expected to surrender to Georgia authorities on Thursday, Aug. 24, following his fourth indictment.
Despite Trump's absence, Dell says this may not impact the polls overall.
"You look historically at debates, most of the time, very little changes in terms of the polling from a debate. A lot of times that has to do with how well rehearsed candidates are going into a debate," Vote Smart President Kyle Dell said.
To qualify for the second primary debate — scheduled at the end of September in California — White House hopefuls will have to secure 50,000 donors and 3% in two national polls.
Where do GOP candidates stand in Iowa?
The latest Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll offered a glimpse at Iowa's leanings ahead of the debate. Here's a breakdown of the poll's results:
42% of the voters say they plan on backing Trump, and DeSantis came in second with 19% of the votes.
Scott earned 9%, while South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former vice president Mike Pence tied at 6%. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie followed behind with 5%, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy came in last with 4% of total votes.
Only 2% of people chose the "None of these" option, and 5% said they weren't quite sure yet.
Campaign strategist Pete D'Alessandro says even though all GOP candidates trail former President Trump by a wide margin, there's still plenty of time to gain ground — and that can occur at Wednesday night's debate.
"Well, if he's not on the stage, you're going to be able to clearly show, relative to these other people running, why you should be that alternative," D'Alessandro said.
However, he admitted that Trump's current polling numbers will be very hard to beat, and Iowa State University political science professor Karen Kedrowski agreed.
"Snapshot today, I don't see anybody that might break out of the pack and can become a serious contender," she said.
Local 5 also reached out to campaigns included in the polls on Monday.
DeSantis' team shared the following statement:
This poll confirms that this is a two-man race and Iowa is Ron DeSantis' for the taking. Nobody is working harder than DeSantis, who has visited 38 of 99 counties so far and boasts the most endorsements from state legislators than anyone else in the race. The more Iowans see and hear Ron DeSantis in person, the more his message to reverse our nation's decline and revive the American dream will continue to resonate."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Haley said:
"Nikki Haley has traveled thousands of miles across Iowa, holding town halls, answering every question, and meeting voters face-to-face. She puts in the time and effort on the ground because she believes every vote must be earned. No one will outwork Nikki Haley."
What should we expect from the GOP debate?
As far as debate topics go, there are plenty of important issues that will likely come up, including education, parental rights, abortion control and the economy.
"There's not going to be really an issue that any of those candidates on the stage don't have kind of rehearsed lines for. What will be interesting, I think, for Iowa voters is to understand not just how a candidate is going to talk in the moment on an issue, but also kind of what's behind that," Dell said.
Dell also said another important aspect of the debate will be how a candidate presents themselves under pressure.
"Presidents are on TV, presidents are in front of cameras all the time. The ability to be articulate, the ability to be persuasive when you are in front of a camera and maybe in a high-pressure environment isn't an un-important skill to the next president," Dell said.
More than anything, Dell said this debate could be just the beginning of many possible campaign adjustments.
"I would just say buckle up, be ready for the campaign to you know take twists and turns, this is one of them moving forward," Dell said.