First Republican presidential debate hosted by Fox News will be in August in Milwaukee
With just four months until the first Republican presidential primary debate, it’s still unclear who will take the podium.
The Republican National Committee announced Wednesday that Fox News will host the first debate of the 2024 election cycle, which will take place in August in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, coinciding with the RNC’s summer meeting.
It is still not clear what conditions the candidates must meet to reach the debate stage, but it is rumored that the RNC could require candidates to sign a pledge to support the final nominee if they wish to participate.
This could pose a problem for former President Donald Trump, who is unlikely to run for a 2024 candidate that he is not.
“At this time, no other debates have been approved, nor have the final criteria for the first debate been determined,” RNC President Ronna McDaniel said in February.
Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee (right), announced Wednesday morning on Fox & Friends (pictured) that the Fox News network will host their first RNC presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August
It is still unclear who will make it to the debate stage and the RNC has not yet released eligibility requirements for the first debate. Some say discussions about requiring candidates to support the final nominee would disqualify Donald Trump
The debate, titled “Fox News Republican Primary Debate with partners Young America’s Foundation and Rumble,” is broadcast exclusively on Fox News and streamed live on Rumble, which emerged as a conservative and free alternative to YouTube.
It is still unclear which Fox News personalities will moderate the debate.
McDaniel told Fox & Friends in an interview Wednesday morning, “We’re also going to be working with some pretty exciting partners.”
“For the first time ever, we’re going to be livestreaming on Rumble,” she said. “We’re moving away from Big Tech, YouTube is owned by Google, we’re getting an RNC channel on Rumble. And then the Young America’s Foundation, which is led by Scott Walker to really reach young voters, they’re based in Wisconsin, so they’ll be a partner as well.”
The debate will take place during the month of August in the host city of Milwaukee of the RNC summer meeting. It comes 11 months before the 2024 Republican National Convention, which will also be held in the Midwestern state.
Wisconsin is a major swing state that turned red for Trump in 2016 before turning blue for Joe Biden in 2020 by just 0.63 percent against Trump, giving the current president victory against the then-incumbent.
Former ambassador to the UN and ex-Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley is the only woman to date to announce her candidacy for the GOP presidential primaries
Multimillionaire Vivek Ramaswamy (left) and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson (right) have also announced their candidacy and would compete to be on the debate stage despite appearing in the single digits in the polls so far
While Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to announce a bid, he consistently comes second in the primary.
The only declared Republican presidential candidates for 2024 so far are Trump, his one time ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, biotech multimillionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, who tried to to run for governor last year.
Some potential candidates have said they don’t plan to make an announcement until the end of the year or early 2024, while others say they want to officially start in the coming months.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, announced on Wednesday his launch of a presidential scouting committee, which is usually the last step before he officially begins the election.
The field is expected to grow exponentially in the coming weeks and months.
Among those expected to participate are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who quickly emerged as No. 2 in Trump’s popularity, and the ex-President’s former Vice President, Mike Pence.
Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu are also considering their own bids. Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and former delegates Will Hurd of Texas, Mike Rogers of Michigan and Liz Cheney of Wyoming are also considering a run.