The Republican National Committee on Monday released the list of GOP presidential candidates who qualified for the fourth primary debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Dec. 6.
According to the announcement, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will participate. Once again, current frontrunner and former President Donald Trump will not debate. Instead, he will engage with voters during a Fox News town hall event hosted by Sean Hannity on Tuesday evening.
To qualify for Wednesday’s debate, candidates needed to have 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 in 20 or more states. They also had to be polling at least 6 percent in two national surveys, or in one national poll and two early state surveys.
“The fourth debate is another fantastic opportunity for our Republican candidates to share our winning agenda with the American people. President Reagan was the first sitting president to visit the University of Alabama nearly 40 years ago, just before cruising to a landslide victory in 1984, and I’m thrilled to return our conservative message to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
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Last month, Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus called on the RNC to end the debates and rally around Trump.
"I urge my fellow Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to put their love for America above all else. I urge the Republican National Committee to end the Republican debates that only benefit ad makers and political consultants. They are unproductive and embarrassing," he wrote in an op-ed published by RealClearPolitics.
Trump has also repeatedly called for an end to the debates.
“It’s time for the Republican establishment to stop wasting time and resources trying to push weak and ineffective RINOs and never-Trumpers that nobody wants and nobody is going to vote for,” he said last month.
Wednesday's event, hosted by NewsNation and moderated by Megyn Kelly, Eliana Johnson, and Elizabeth Vargas, will begin at 8 p.m.
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