Will You Watch The Third GOP Presidential Debate?

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Ex-President Trump Opts for Rally Over Debate, Tight Qualifications Set Debate Stage

In a strategic move, former President Donald Trump has chosen to host a rally in Hialeah, Florida, coinciding with the timing of the upcoming debate, which he has decided to forgo.

Candidates vying for a spot on the debate stage were required to achieve a minimum of 4 percent in the polls, which could be from two national surveys or a combination of one national and two early state surveys. Additionally, they needed to secure contributions from at least 70,000 individual donors by the 8 p.m. deadline on Monday.

Speculation was rife about whether Senator Scott would make the cut for the debate. Despite not hitting the 4 percent mark in national polls, his stronger performance in early-voting states seemed to have bolstered his position. His inclusion was ultimately secured by a YouGov poll conducted in September, which employed a unique method for identifying “likely voters” and was accepted by the RNC.

However, Senator Scott, who is currently polling around 2 percent nationally, may find the next debate’s increased threshold of 6 percent a significant hurdle. This heightened requirement could also pose a challenge for Christie as they approach the fourth debate in Alabama.

The upcoming debate will feature the smallest group of Republican primary candidates since February 2016, mirroring the final pre-Super Tuesday debate that year with five participants: Trump, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and Marco Rubio.

This Wednesday’s debate will be the first of the primary season to be broadcast nationally on NBC’s network of affiliates. The event, which starts at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, is a collaborative effort between NBC News, the Salem Radio Network, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and the streaming platform Rumble.