Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is undecided on whether he will take the stage at the upcoming third GOP presidential nomination debate in Miami. While former President Donald Trump has already ruled out participation, Ramaswamy is evaluating his options and considering whether his presence would advance substantive debate. As a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time presidential candidate, Ramaswamy filed to place his name on the presidential primary ballot in New Hampshire on Wednesday.
Trump, the commanding front-runner in polling and fundraising for the Republican nomination, has chosen to skip the first two debates due to his significant lead over his rivals. Chris LaCivita, a Trump campaign adviser, confirmed that the former president will not participate in the third debate either. In fact, Trump’s campaign is calling for the cancellation of all future debates, suggesting that the Republican National Committee should redirect its resources towards defeating Democrats in the upcoming election.
The Republican National Committee recently raised the thresholds for 2024 primary candidates to qualify for the third debate. Each candidate must have a minimum of 70,000 unique donors, including 200 donors from at least 20 states. Additionally, they must reach 4% support in two national polls or 4% in one national poll and two statewide polls conducted in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina. Candidates are also required to sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican presidential nominee and refrain from participating in any non-RNC sanctioned debates.
Ramaswamy, who claims to have met the criteria for the third debate, is still deliberating whether to join Trump in opting out. He believes that the decision should be based on what best advances substantive debate for the future of the Republican Party and the country. At the previous debate, Ramaswamy faced criticism from his rivals but remains focused on the bigger picture.
The upcoming debate will feature candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, former Vice President Mike Pence, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who qualified for the first debate, did not make the cut for the second showdown.
The Republican National Committee has selected NBC News, Salem Radio Network, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and Rumble as partners for the debate, scheduled to take place at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. The event will be held nearly two months before the Iowa caucuses on January 15, which serve as the leadoff contest in the 2024 GOP presidential nominating calendar.
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