Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is holding out hope that former President Donald Trump will attend Wednesday's first primary debate.
The former president has reportedly decided not to attend the debate, which will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and instead taped an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that may debut on the same day, according to the New York Times.
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“Well, I'm still holding out hope that President Trump will come," McDaniel said in an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures. "I think it’s so important that the American people hear from all the candidates."
Trump made the decision to skip the debate even after McDaniel traveled to his home in Bedminster, New Jersey, per the Times. She warned the former president that skipping the first debate could give President Joe Biden a way out of a general election debate against whomever the GOP presidential nominee becomes.
The RNC chairwoman said they have verified that seven candidates have met the requirements for the first debate, though there are a couple of candidates who have claimed to reach them but have their metrics yet to be verified.
“We’re at seven right now that have officially qualified … and then we’ve got some that are on the cusp, so we’re going to be looking at polls the next few days. There are three or four that are waiting for 1% in one more national poll to make that debate stage,” McDaniel said.
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The requirements are that candidates need 40,000 unique donors, including 200 unique donors in 20 states or territories, and receive at least 1% in three national polls or 1% in two national polls and 1% in one early state poll from two separate early nominating states.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) are all expected to be on the debate stage, while former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and Perry Johnson have said they've surpassed the requirements.