Four Republican presidential candidates are set to debate in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday night on the least crowded stage of the 2024 cycle.
Here’s everything you need to know before you settle in to watch.
When and where is the debate?
The two-hour debate will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be held at the University of Alabama’s Frank Moody Music Building in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
How can I watch it?
The debate will air live across the country on NewsNation (formerly WGN America) and will be simulcast in the Eastern and Central time zones on The CW Network — Channel 11 for those in the New York area.
Those in the Mountain and Pacific time zones can watch the debate live on NewsNation or on tape delay on their local CW affiliate from 7-9 p.m. MT or 8-10 p.m. PT.
The debate will also be live-streamed on www.NewsNationNow.com and on Rumble.
Who will be moderating?
NewsNation host Elizabeth Vargas, podcast host and SiriusXM radio personality Megyn Kelly and Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson will be moderating the debate.
Which candidates will be there?
The four candidates include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
The contenders have taken part in numerous spats since the last GOP debate in Miami Nov. 8, and those back-and-forths will likely show up again on the Alabama stage.
“Millions of Americans are still meeting Nikki Haley,” spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said. “She’s gone into every debate making the case for why we need a new generation of conservative leadership who will leave the chaos of the past behind. Voters like her toughness and moral clarity, and that’s why she’s the only candidate on the rise.”
What about Trump?
Former President Donald Trump will skip the debate, as he has done for every other one in the 2024 cycle. He will instead hold a closed-door fundraiser Wednesday night, a source close to Trump’s campaign told The Post.
How did the candidates qualify?
The White House hopefuls had to meet an enhanced threshold put forward by the Republican National Committee to qualify for the debate.
The RNC mandated the candidates get at least 6% in two national polls or one national poll and one poll from two separate early states — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. They also had to attain at least 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 donors from 20 unique states/ territories.
The criteria was up from the 4% and 70,000 donor benchmarks at the November debate.
Who did not qualify?
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and businessman Ryan Binkley, who are still in the race, did not meet the qualifications to make it on to the stage.
Several candidates have also suspended their campaigns since the Miami meetup.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) ended his White House bid on Nov. 12, four days after taking the stage in South Florida. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also announced the suspension of his campaign on Monday after failing to qualify for the third debate and polling at a national average of 0.5%, according to RealClearPolitics.
Is this the last Republican debate?
The RNC has yet to announce additional debates as of Wednesday morning.
During the 2016 election cycle, the last time there was an open contest on the Republican side, candidates took part in two January debates — one in South Carolina and one in Iowa ahead of that state’s caucuses.
This time around, the Iowa Republican caucuses will be held Jan. 15, with the New Hampshire primary to follow eight days later, requiring a quicker turnaround from the RNC if it wants to hold more debates before voting begins.