Last updated on January 29th, 2024 at 10:13 pm
In the lead-up to the 2024 United States presidential election, both major political parties are preparing for primary debates. The Republican Party is planning a series of debates and forums for candidates seeking the party’s nomination. The Republican National Committee (RNC) has organized official RNC-sanctioned primary debates.
The Republican National Committee has set the party’s nominating convention for Milwaukee, Wisconsin next year.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel emphasized the committee’s commitment to a transparent and impartial primary process. The criteria, including polling and donation thresholds, aim to position the party and eventual nominee for success in the November 2024 election.
Stay informed about these debate events live stream as we provide real-time updates on candidates taking the stage and the selection process that will influence the primary race and spanning into early 2024 across key primary voting states.
Ronna McDaniel stated, "The next President of the United States will be on our debate stage, and we look forward to hosting a fair and transparent platform for our great candidates to debate and share our winning Republican message with voters across the country."
First Republican Primary Debate (Fox News)
August 23, 2023 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced that the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 campaign was hosted by Fox News, with partners Young America’s Foundation and Rumble. The debate, titled the “Fox News Republican Primary Debate,” took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 23, 2023.
GOP First Debate Details:
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
📺 Live Stream Link: Watch Here
⏰ Time: 9 pm – 11 pm ET (2 hours)
📍 Location: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
📢 Sponsor: Fox News
🎙️ Moderators: Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum
🎯 Qualifying Standards:
- 1% or above in three national polls or two national polls and state poll
- At least 40,000 contributors nationally
- At least 200 unique donors per state in 20+ states/territories
Candidates Who Meet The Requirements For First Debate:
- Donald Trump (Not Attended)
- Ron DeSantis
- Nikki Haley
- Tim Scott
- Vivek Ramaswamy
- Doug Burgum
- Mike Pence
- Chris Christie
- Asa Hutchinson
*Donald Trump qualified but decided not to Participate in the first debate
Candidates Who Didn’t Qualify Requirements:
- Perry Johnson
- Will Hurd
- Francis Suarez
- Larry Elder
- Ryan Binkley
Milwaukee, Wisconsin had been chosen as the location for the debate as it is also the host city for the 2024 Republican National Convention. The debate allowed Republican candidates to discuss their policies and ideas in a televised forum and played a crucial role in shaping public opinion leading up to the party’s nomination of their presidential candidate.
"I am excited to announce that our first debate in Milwaukee will be in partnership with Fox News, Young America’s Foundation, and Rumble," RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement first shared with Fox News.
Second Republican Presidential Debate (Fox Business):
September 27, 2023 – Simi Valley, California
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has revealed FOX Business, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, and Institute, Univision, and Rumble as key partners for the upcoming second Republican presidential primary debate.
This significant event is scheduled to be held at the prestigious Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on September 27, 2023. As with the first debate, Rumble will be the exclusive RNC livestream provider and the RNC’s exclusive online home for the second debate. Stay tuned for this crucial event shaping the trajectory of the Republican primary race.
GOP Second Debate Details:
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023
📺 Live Stream Link: Watch Here
⏰ Time: 9 p.m. EST.
📍 Location: Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California
📢 Sponsor: Fox Business, Rumble, Univision, and the RRP Foundation
🎙️ Moderators: Stuart Varney, Dana Perino and Ilia Calderón
🎟️ Tickets: Debate Ticket RNC
🎯 Qualifying Standards:
- Candidates must have a minimum of 50,000 unique donors.
- Among these donors, there should be at least 200 unique donors from at least 20 states or territories.
- This threshold must be achieved no later than 48 hours prior to the debate.
- Candidates are required to register a minimum of 3 percent in two national polls.
- Alternatively, they can poll at 3 percent in one national poll and 3 percent in two polls conducted in early states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada).
Candidates Who Meet The Requirements For Second Debate:
- Vivek Ramaswamy
- Senator Tim Scott
- Governor Ron DeSantis
- Ambassador Nikki Haley
- Vice President Mike Pence
- Governor Doug Burgum
- Governor Chris Christie
Asa Hutchinson(Not Qualified)
“I am excited to announce that our second Republican primary debate will be in partnership with FOX Business, Rumble, Univision, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which will serve as an iconic venue for the debate. We are looking forward to continuing our fair, neutral, and transparent primary process in Simi Valley to elect the next President of the United States.” – RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
“FOX Business is proud to partner with Univision for the second Republican primary debate from the renowned Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to provide all Americans with an unparalleled opportunity to assess the candidates and their stances on critical issues ahead of the primary season.” – Jay Wallace, President and Executive Editor of FOX News Media
Third Republican Primary Debate (NBC News and Salem)
November 8, 2023 – Miami, Florida
The Republican National Committee will hold its third primary debate on Nov. 8 in Miami, Florida
GOP Third Debate Details:
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023
📺 Live Stream Link: Full Video
⏰ Time: 8 pm to 10 pm ET
📍 Location: Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, Florida
📢 Sponsor: NBC News and Salem Media are in talks to host the debate
🎙️ Moderators: NBC’s Lester Holt, Kristen Welker, and conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt
🎯 Qualifying Standards:
- Candidates must meet RNC criteria: 4% in two national polls or 4% in one national poll and an early state poll (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina) conducted after Sept. 1.
- Candidates need 70,000 unique donors, with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in at least 20 states or territories.
- Candidates require 3% support in two national surveys or in one national poll and two polls from key early primary states.
Related- Watch Live – Third GOP Debate: Republican Presidential Debate In Miami (Nov.8)
Qualified Candidates:
- Former President Donald Trump (Not Attended)
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
- Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
- Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley
- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
- Senator Tim Scott
Fourth Republican Primary Debate in Tuscaloosa (News Nation)
December 6, 2023, Tuscaloosa
GOP Fourth Debate Details:
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2023
📺 Live Stream Link: Watch Here
⏰ Time: 8:00 pm ET
📍 Location: University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL
📢 Sponsor: News Nation
🎙️ Moderators: Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, New Nation’s Elizabeth Vargas, and The Washington Free Beacon’s Eliana Johnson
🎯 Qualifying Standards:
- Candidates will need to receive 6% support in at least two national polls, or 6% in one national poll and one statewide poll in four early primary states, Reuters reports.
- Candidates will also need 80,000 unique donors and at least 200 donors from each of 20 or more states and territories.
- “With less than a year out from Election Day 2024, the fourth debate stage will showcase our winning Republican agenda against Biden’s record of failure,” RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said.
Qualified Candidates:
Related: Republican Primary Debate – Fourth GOP Debate (Dec.6)
- Former President Donald Trump (Not Attended)
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
- Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
- Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley
- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Fifth Republican Primary Debate in Des Moines, Iowa (CNN)
January 10, 2024, Des Moines, Iowa
GOP Fifth Debate Details:
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2024
📺 Live Stream Link: Visit CNN
⏰ Time: 9:00 pm ET
📍 Location: Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa
📢 Sponsor: CNN
🎙️ Moderators: CNN anchors Jake Tapper, and Dana Bash
🎯 Qualifying Standards:
- To qualify for CNN’s Iowa debate, candidates needed to register at least 10% support in three separate polls, either nationally or in Iowa.
- Recognized polls had to begin their surveys no earlier than October 15, 2023, and not later than January 2, 2024
Qualified Candidates:
- Former President Donald Trump (Not Attended)
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
- Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley
ABC News and WMUR canceled their planned Republican primary debate in New Hampshire on Thursday, citing a lack of candidate participation.
Sixth Republican Primary Debate in New Hampshire (ABC News)
January 18, 2024, New Hampshire
GOP Sixth Debate Details:
🗓️ Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024
📺 Live Stream Link: Coming Soon
⏰ Time: 8:00 pm ET
📍 Location: St. Anselm College in Goffstown, Manchester, New Hampshire
📢 Sponsor: ABC News, WMUR-TV, the New Hampshire Republican State
🎙️ Moderators: To Be Determined
🎯 Qualifying Standards:
- The candidates securing the first three positions in the Iowa Republican caucus on January 15, 2024, will be eligible to participate in the debate.
- A candidate must receive 10 percent support or more in two separate national and/or New Hampshire polls.
- Recognized polls had to begin their surveys no earlier than November 27, 2023.
Qualified Candidates:
- Donald Trump
- Nikki Haley
ABC News also canceled its New Hampshire debate, following former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley saying that she would only participate in debates if former President Trump is on the stage, too.
Seventh Republican Primary Debate in New Hampshire
January 21, 2024, New Hampshire
GOP Seventh Debate Details:
🗓️ Date: Sunday, January 21, 2024
📺 Live Stream Link: Coming Soon
⏰ Time: 8:00 pm ET
📍 Location: St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire
📢 Sponsor: CNN
🎙️ Moderators: To Be Determined
🎯 Qualifying Standards:
- A candidate must receive 10 percent support or more in three separate national and/or New Hampshire polls.
- Recognized polls had to begin their surveys no earlier than November 1, 2023, and not later than January 16, 2024, at 12:05 p.m.
- Recognized polls must meet CNN’s standards for reporting.
Qualified Candidates:
- Donald Trump
- Nikki Haley
CNN is no longer hosting a New Hampshire Republican primary debate, as “only one qualifying candidate accepted” the invitation to take the stage