CNN announced Thursday it will stage two GOP primary debates in January, forcing the Republican National Committee to make a call about whether to scrap its rule against candidates participating in non-RNC-sanctioned forums.
The first CNN debate would take place at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 10, days before the first-in-the-nation caucuses Jan. 15. The second forum would be held Jan. 21 at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, NH, two days before the Granite State’s primary.
The RNC has yet to announce if it will be holding additional debates, but is rumored to be considering ending its requirement that candidates not engage in outside events. So far this cycle, White House contenders have jostled with the RNC numerous times about participating in formats that closely resemble formal debates.
A person familiar with the RNC’s decision-making confirmed to The Post that the committee is considering dropping the restrictions.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be interested in participating in the CNN debates, their spokespeople told The Post. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on X that he was “[l]ooking forward to debating in Iowa!”
The other two major candidates — former President Donald Trump and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley — did not immediately respond.
Republican presidential candidates (from left) former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at the Gap debate in Miami on Nov. 8. Getty Images
Ramaswmay, who has argued with the RNC the most of any candidate, would be interested in participating in the CNN debate, his spokesperson said. Getty ImagesThe White House hopefuls would have to meet more stringent criteria to make the CNN stage.
To qualify for the Iowa debate, candidates must reach a minimum of 10% in three national and/or Iowa polls that meet CNN’s reporting criteria, the network announced. One of the polls has to be a CNN poll of likely GOP Iowa caucusgoers, and the window to qualify closes on Jan. 2.
To debate in New Hampshire, the White House hopefuls must also meet a minimum threshold of 10% in either three CNN-approved national polls or New Hampshire polls of likely Republican primary voters. One of the polls has to be a New Hampshire GOP survey produced by CNN.
Trump has refused to attend any RNC-sanctioned debate so far, and participated in a town hall hosted by Fox News on Tuesday night. Fox NewsThe window to qualify for the New Hampshire debate closes on Jan. 16, and candidates who end up in the top three positions at the Iowa caucuses will automatically receive an invitation to participate in the Granite State forum, according to CNN.
The RNC did not immediately respond to a question about whether it would allow the candidates to participate in the CNN debates.
The RNC has so far held four debates, with four candidates qualifying for the most recent showdown Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy and Christie all hit the 6% polling and 80,000-unique-donor benchmarks put forth by the RNC. Trump chose not to participate, as he has done with every other debate this cycle.
