Former President Donald Trump might not be the sole 2024 Republican contender opting out of the upcoming third GOP presidential nomination debate scheduled for November 8 in Miami, Florida.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time presidential candidate, is considering his participation in the event. After filing to place his name on the presidential primary ballot in New Hampshire, Ramaswamy told Fox News that he’s evaluating his options.
Trump, who is the leading candidate in polls and fundraising for the Republican nomination, had already skipped the first two debates. His campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, confirmed that Trump would not be participating in the third debate.
Additionally, Trump’s campaign has called for the cancellation of all future debates and for the Republican National Committee (RNC) to redirect its resources towards defeating Democrats in the upcoming election.
The RNC had raised the qualifying thresholds for candidates to appear in the third debate. To participate, candidates must secure a minimum of 70,000 unique donors to their campaign or exploratory committee, including 200 donors in 20 or more states.
They must also achieve at least 4% support in two national polls or meet a 4% threshold in one national poll and two statewide polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina – the first four states in the Republican presidential nominating calendar.
Candidates must also pledge their support for the eventual Republican presidential nominee, refrain from participating in non-RNC sanctioned debates, and agree to share data with the national party committee.
Vivek Ramaswamy stated that he has met the criteria for the third debate but is contemplating whether to join Trump in abstaining.
He emphasized that his decision would be based on what best serves substantive debate for the future of the Republican Party and the country.
The third debate, hosted by NBC News, Salem Radio Network, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), and Rumble, will take place at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.
It is scheduled to occur nearly two months before the Iowa caucuses on January 15, which marks the beginning of the 2024 GOP presidential nominating calendar.
