CNN announced Thursday it will stage two GOP primary debates in January, forcing the Republican National Committee to make a decision on whether to scrap its rule against candidates participating in non-RNC sanctioned forums.
The first CNN debate would take place at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 10, days before the first-in-the-nation caucuses Jan. 15. The second forum would be held Jan. 21 at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, NH, two days before the Granite State’s primary.
The RNC has yet to announce if it will be holding additional debates, but is rumored to be considering ending its requirement that candidates not engage in outside forums. So far this cycle, White House contenders have jostled with the RNC numerous times about participating in formats that closely resemble formal debates.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy would be interested in participating in the CNN debates, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told The Post. Other candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, did not immediately respond.
The White House hopefuls would have to meet more stringent criteria to make the CNN stage.
To qualify for the Iowa debate, candidates must reach a minimum of 10% in three national and/or Iowa polls that meet CNN’s reporting criteria, the network announced. One of the polls has to be a CNN poll of likely GOP Iowa caucusgoers, and the window to qualify ends on Jan. 2.
To debate in New Hampshire, the White House hopefuls must also meet a minimum threshold of 10% in either three CNN-approved national polls or New Hampshire polls of likely Republican primary voters. One of the polls has to be a New Hampshire GOP survey produced by CNN.
The window to qualify for the New Hampshire debate ends on Jan. 16, and candidates who end up in the top three positions at the Iowa caucuses will automatically receive an invitation to participate in the Granite State forum, according to CNN.
The RNC did not immediately respond to a question about whether it would allow the candidates to participate in the CNN debates.
The RNC has so far held four debates, with four candidates qualifying for the most recent showdown Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy and Christie all hit the 6% polling and 80,000 unique donor benchmark put forth by the RNC. Trump chose not to participate, as he has done with every other debate this cycle.