The Republican National Committee lifted all restrictions on debate participation Friday, allowing 2024 candidates to participate in any forum of their choosing — and clearing the way for three showdowns to take place next month ahead of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
“It is now time for Republican primary voters to decide who will be our next president and candidates are free to use any forum or format to communicate to voters as they see fit,” the RNC said in a statement, noting it had held four debates with the “most conservative partners in the history” of a GOP race.
Several candidates — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — have complained about restrictions barring them from taking part in non-RNC-sanctioned debates for the first several months of the campaign.
On Thursday, CNN announced it would host debates on Jan. 10 in Iowa and Jan. 21 in New Hampshire. The same day, ABC and its Manchester, NH, affiliate, WMUR-TV, announced they would also host a debate in the Granite State on Jan. 18.
(From left) Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy participate in Wednesday’s fourth GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Ala. REUTERSThe Iowa Republican caucuses will be held Jan. 15, with the New Hampshire primary to follow Jan. 23.
The RNC has no additional debates scheduled after hosting forums Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 27 in Simi Valley, Calif., Nov. 8 in Miami, Fla., and Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
CNN said it would raise qualifying restrictions for its debates to include a 10% polling minimum in either three national surveys or Iowa and New Hampshire polls of likely Republican voters that meet the network’s reporting criteria.
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel has gotten heat from Vivek Ramaswamy about her handling of the committee. APRamaswamy is interested in participating in the CNN debates, his spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told The Post Thursday, while Christie spokesman Karl Rickett said the campaign would look into the possibility of participating.
Meanwhile, DeSantis posted on X that he was “[l]ooking forward to debating in Iowa!”
There was no immediate word from the campaigns of either former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley or former President Donald Trump about whether they would take part in any of the debates.
