2024 GOP Debate Analysis: A Brief Overview
Eight Republican Presidential Candidates Take the Stage in Milwaukee
On August 23, the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee hosted the first GOP primary debate of the 2024 campaign. This highly anticipated event featured eight Republican presidential candidates vying for the nomination.
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Former President Donald Trump, the clear frontrunner, declined the invitation to participate in the debate. However, he is expected to engage in counter-programming on social media, ensuring his presence is felt.
Meet the Candidates Who Qualified for the Debate
Aside from Trump, several candidates met the Republican National Committee (RNC) criteria to join the Fox News debate. To qualify, candidates needed 40,000 donors (including at least 200 unique donors in 20 states) and polling at 1 percent or more in three qualifying polls. Here are the candidates in order of RealClearPolitics averages as of August 22:
- Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida
- Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur and businessman
- Mike Pence, former vice president
- Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor
- Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor
- Tim Scott, U.S. senator from South Carolina
- Asa Hutchinson, former Arkansas governor
- Doug Burgum, North Dakota governor
Candidates Who Did Not Qualify
Unfortunately, four candidates did not meet the RNC criteria and did not qualify for the debate:
- Larry Elder, media personality
- Francis Suarez, Miami mayor
- Will Hurd, former congressman from Texas
- Ryan Binkley, entrepreneur and pastor
It’s worth noting that Larry Elder claims to have met the criteria and has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission.
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