Tag Archives: debate watch

Politico reports: The Republican National Committee is pausing its participation in 2024 GOP primary debates, the organization decided Friday. The RNC’s decision, made by a 16-member internal body, means that any forthcoming debates will be hosted by networks independently of the committee. Two outlets — ABC and CNN — have announced plans to host future debates in Iowa and New …

The Washington Post reports: It took about 15 minutes before former New Jersey governor Chris Christie was able to speak during the fourth Republican presidential primary debate Wednesday — but once he did, he held nothing back. Christie called out the other three candidates onstage for being too hesitant to criticize former president Donald Trump. He slammed Florida Gov. Ron …

NBC News reports: During the fourth Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, citing his time serving in the Middle East, referred to the clothing worn by Al Qaeda as “man dresses.” DeSantis was answering a question at the debate, hosted by NewsNation, about his past remarks that he’d authorize shooting drug smugglers coming across the southern …

The Messenger reports: The locations for next year’s presidential debates have been set for Virginia, Utah, and Texas according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. Texas State University will hold the first debate on Sept. 16, 2024. That will be followed by another one on Oct. 1 at Virginia State University. The last debate will be held on Oct. 9 …

The New York Times reports: Megyn Kelly, whose high-flying career as a Fox News anchor fell to earth after an ill-advised move to NBC — and then remade herself as a conservative podcaster and radio host — is set to return to the political spotlight next month as a moderator for the next Republican primary debate. The event, set for …

Real Clear Politics reports: When the moderators returned to Ramaswamy later in the evening, he launched an attack that seemed at once a snarky fashion review and a critique of neoconservatism. “Do you want a leader from a different generation who’s going to put this country first? Or do you want Dick Cheney in three-inch heels? In which case, we’ve …

USA Today reports: Tim Scott had a very special guest at Wednesday’s Republican presidential primary debate: His girlfriend. A campaign statement said the woman who greeted Scott onstage after the debate and posed for a picture with him “is his girlfriend Mindy.” The mystery woman was later identified as Mindy Noce, a design and renovations manager in Charleston, S.C. Scott’s …

The New York Times reports: Vivek Ramaswamy drew shock and criticism online on Wednesday when he appeared to accuse the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, of being a Nazi — but Mr. Ramaswamy’s campaign insisted that wasn’t what he meant. The remark came in response to a question about Mr. Zelensky’s recent plea for more American aid …

The Daily Beast reports: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will have to find something else to do Wednesday night, as he hasn’t been granted an invite to grace the stage in Miami for the third Republican presidential debate. The five candidates who qualified—Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott—all met the Republican National Committee’s criteria, which …

CBS News reports: Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has secured his spot in the third GOP presidential debate in Miami next week, announcing that he has met the final requirement — gathering enough individual donations needed to qualify for the event, his campaign announced. Expected to join the senator on Nov. 8 will be Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former …

The Hill reports: GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign is asking the RNC to cut the number of candidates for the third debate down to the top four. Vivek 2024 CEO Ben Yoho urged the RNC to limit the next debate to the top four candidates in national polling besides former President Trump . Besides raising the threshold, the Ramaswamy …

NBC News reports: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson fell short of qualifying for the second GOP presidential primary debate this week, but the seven other candidates who were there for the first debate in August will be back onstage Wednesday in California. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador …

Politico reports: Fox News drew 12.8 million viewers during the first Republican presidential debate, the network announced Thursday. The viewership numbers from Wednesday night reflect an interest in GOP candidates other than the current frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, but do not outpace the first GOP debate in August 2015 during Trump’s first run for the White House. Viewership for …

The Huffington Post reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appearance at Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate might be best remembered not for what he said, but what he did. Or rather, what he tried to do. DeSantis seemed to attempt a smile at the end of an applause line, then either thought better of it or simply failed to pull it …

The Daily Beast reports: People familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast that the network has committed to a plan to “beam Trump in” by playing clips of him throughout the debate and having the candidates respond. The move partly satisfies the network’s need for an active, lively debate with the frontrunner somehow involved, as well as its post-2020 …

CNN reports: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum was taken to a Milwaukee emergency room Tuesday after suffering an injury while playing a game of pick-up basketball with his staff, a source familiar with the situation tells CNN. The injury Burgum sustained makes it unclear whether he will be able to stand for the debate tonight, putting his attendance now in …

The New York Times reports: The RNC had imposed a 9 p.m. deadline for candidates to accumulate at least 40,000 donors and hit 1 percent in a certain number of qualifying national and state polls. But two officials familiar with the R.N.C.’s decision said that three candidates all fell short: Perry Johnson, a businessman who previously tried to run for …

The New York Post reports: Fox News informed the Trump campaign on Monday that surrogates for the former president will not be allowed to attend the first Republican primary debate. The barring of Trump surrogates from attending Wednesday’s debate at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee comes one day after the 77-year-old former president confirmed that he would not participate in …

NBC News reports: Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he will skip the first Republican presidential primary debate Wednesday — and indicated he may not attend future ones, either. The former president wrote on his Truth Social media platform that polling shows him leading in the Republican primary field by such a wide margin that he doesn’t need to stand alongside …

Little Rock’s NBC affiliate reports: Presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he will be on the debate stage this week. Hutchinson announced that he passed the requirements to qualify for the first Republican National Committee Debate on Aug. 23. “Thank you to everyone that donated for believing that consistent, commonsense, conservative leadership is needed to bring out …