The third GOP primary debate scheduled for Wednesday in Miami is shaping up to be a smaller affair than the previous primary debates, Reuters reported.
NBC News announced that the debate will air from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
With the RNC’s rules for qualification growing more stringent with each debate, so far, the only candidates confirmed to appear in Wednesday’s debate are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Based on polling, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott also have a chance of qualifying for the debate.
Last Tuesday, the Scott campaign told CBS News that the Senator met the requirements laid out by the RNC and would also appear in Wednesday’s debate.
Scott previously said he needed only a few thousand dollars more to meet the fundraising threshold set out by the RNC, and in a statement to CBS News, the campaign confirmed that it received the donations it needed.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is facing an uphill battle to qualify for Wednesday’s debate and it is unlikely that former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will qualify at all. Hutchinson failed to qualify for the second debate held last month.
To qualify for the third debate, candidates must receive at least 4 percent support in two national polls or 4 percent in one national poll and two early state polls, specifically from Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina.
Additionally, each candidate must have secured at least 70,000 unique donors, including a minimum of 200 donors from at least 20 states or territories. The candidates must have also signed a pledge to support the eventual nominee.
It is unlikely Donald Trump will attend Wednesday’s debate. The Republican candidate who has been leading in early polling skipped the two earlier debates and previously suggested that he would not participate in any primary debates.
After the October 2 debate in California, the Trump campaign demanded that the RNC cancel the Miami debate.
