The second Republican presidential primary debate is set to take place in Simi Valley, California, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Wednesday, 27 September.
Once more, the Republican party candidates are set to face off on the debate stage this time under the direction of moderators Stuart Varney and Dana Perino of Fox News, and Univision’s Ilia Calderón.
While there were some clear standouts from the last debate, all the candidates seemed to come in second place compared to frontrunner Donald Trump, who will not be appearing at the second debate.
Fireworks are expected to go off centre stage yet again, this time with just seven candidates exchanging harsh words as they battle it out for the 2024 presidential nomination.
Here’s everything you need to know about the second debate, including where to watch and how qualifications have changed.
How can I watch the debate?
Viewers can tune in on Fox Business, Univision or Rumble from 9 to 11pm ET on Wednesday, 27 September to watch the debate hosted at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
FOX News will also simulcast the entire debate from 9 to 11pm ET and FOX Nation will offer a livestream for the platform’s subscribers.
Univision’s digital viewers will be able to watch full coverage of the debate via UnivisionNoticias.com and TelevisaUnivision’s streaming platform, ViX, will also have live coverage on its news channel Noticas 24/7.
In a press release from the Republican National Committee (RNC), Rumble is said to be the exclusive livestream provider.
David Trulio, the president and CEO of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said: “President Reagan felt strongly that the institution that bore his name should be a ‘dynamic intellectual forum’ where leaders would debate the future. We are excited to partner with the RNC to host the next Republican presidential candidate debate at the Reagan Library.”
Who has qualified for the second debate?
Mr Trump has qualified for the second debate but said on his social media platform Truth Social that he will not be attending the debate.
The other candidates are Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former vice president Mike Pence, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
What are the rules for qualifying?
The second time around, the RNC raised the criteria to qualify for the debate.
To qualify candidates need to be polling at least 3 per cent in two national polls or polling 3 per cent in one national poll and two early-voting state polls — a person familiar with the markers set by the RNC told The Associated Press.
Candidates are also expected to have 50,000 unique donors, including at least 200 donors from 20 different states or territories. This is an increase from the first debate qualifications.
Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson is the only candidate who qualified for the first debate but did not qualify for the second.
