Fox News has released the format for the first GOP primary debate set to take place in Milwaukee on August 23, which is two weeks from now.
The debate will be moderated by Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier and will begin at 9:00 p.m. EST, according to a memo provided to the Republican presidential candidates. The debate will run for two hours and there will be no opening statements. Questions may involve sound or video and some pre-taped questions will be submitted by students from the Young America’s Foundation.
Candidates will have one minute to answer questions; 30 seconds for follow-ups. A 45-second closing statement will be allowed. There will be two 3-4 minute commercial breaks per hour, and candidates will have the opportunity to use the restroom or do off-camera hair/makeup touch-ups.
It remains unclear whether former President Donald Trump, the clear frontrunner in the GOP primary, will attend the debate. Trump has cited his big lead to suggest he may not participate and he referred to Fox News as a “hostile network” during an interview back in June.
“Why would I give them time to make statements? Why would I do that when I’m leading them by 50 points and 60 points,” Trump said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is Trump’s chief rival, has chided the former president over skipping the debate.
“You have got to earn the nomination, and doing things like the Family Leader event in Iowa, doing things like these debates, they’re important parts of the process,” he said in an interview last month. “I’ll be at all the debates because the American people deserve to hear from us directly about our vision for the country.”
“So he should debate. He should go to all these things, and see if he can earn it with his vision,” DeSantis added. “I think people need, every candidate needs to be put to the test, and I think he needs to step up and do it.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence just qualified for the first debate, with his campaign announcing that he hit the Republican National Committee’s 40,000-donor threshold, securing contributions from at least 200 unique donors in 40 states, according to The Hill. He will join DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has also qualified.
Lessons Learned.
Fox Business has been selected to host the second GOP presidential primary debate set for Sept. 27, according to Politico. The Republican National Committee tapped the network for the debate that will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in Simi Valley, Calif., and announced that Univision and Rumble will be partners for the event — Rumble will also broadcast the first debate.
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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