By contrast, to appear at the second debate in Simi Valley, Calif., candidates had to show they had at least 50,000 donors, including at least 200 each in 20 or more states. They also needed to register at least 3 percent in two national polls or in one national poll and two polls from different early-nominating states.
Seven candidates cleared those hurdles: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, former vice president Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.).
Scott, Christie and Burgum could struggle to qualify for the third debate. All are below 4 percent in a Washington Post average of September polling.
Former president Donald Trump, who has a commanding lead in the polls, may once again decline to take the debate stage in Miami.
He released an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson at the starting time of the first debate in Milwaukee. On the night of the second debate, he appeared at a nonunion venue in Michigan as the United Auto Workers union continued to strike in hopes of gaining leverage for a new contract.
Late Wednesday, Trump’s campaign released a statement bashing the second debate as “boring and inconsequential,” with no moments likely to deflate the former president’s dominant lead in the race.
“The RNC should immediately put an end to any further primary debates so we can train our fire on Crooked Joe Biden and quit wasting time and money that could be going to evicting Biden from the White House,” Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign, said in the statement.
