As another Republican announces a potential 2024 bid, details for the first GOP debate were released on Wednesday.
The first debate, scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, later this year, will be broadcast exclusively by Fox News.
The upcoming debate is set to coincide with the national party’s summer meeting in August, and it could actually be a two-night affair. When asked about that possibility, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said: “We’ll put the criteria out soon. We don’t know how many candidates there’s going to be, so that will dictate whether there’s one or two stages. Right now, I don’t see there being two stages, but I could be wrong on that. The field’s forming later than usual.”
As the number of presidential candidates for both parties has increased over the years, debates have become a crucial platform for contenders to vie for airtime and the chance to instantly become a frontrunner. In the 2016 election season, the GOP held 12 debates, with some requiring two stages to accommodate a record 17 candidates.
Recent polls show that former President Donald Trump is leading the field of potential Republican presidential candidates, which includes former Trump ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and businessman Perry Johnson of Michigan.
Other high-profile Republicans, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, former Vice President Mike Pence, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, are also reportedly considering running for president.
On Wednesday, Scott announced the formation of an exploratory committee, which allows candidates to test the waters for resources before making an official announcement.
The RNC’s first debate will be sponsored by Young America’s Foundation and Rumble, with the latter securing streaming rights.
Asked if she would require all candidates to back the GOP’s nominee, McDaniel deflected somewhat.
“It’s about beating Joe Biden. It’s about beating what’s happening in this country right now. And we can only do that united, so we want every candidate to pledge that heading into this process,” she said.