When is the second Republican debate, and who has qualified for it?

When is the second Republican debate?

The second Republican primary debate will be held Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. ET, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, in Simi Valley, California.

• The first Republican debate's biggest highlights: Revisit 7 key moments

Fox Business, along with Univision, will moderate the second debate, and the conservative online video platform Rumble will also stream it. 

What are the requirements to qualify for the debate?

The threshold for the second debate is higher than it was for the first. Candidates must poll at 3% in two national polls or 3% in one national poll and 3% in one early state poll from two separate early-voting states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina — recognized by the Republican National Committee. For the first debate, the polling requirement was 1% in the same poll categories.

Polls must have been conducted on or after Aug. 1, and candidates have until 48 hours before the debate to meet the polling requirement.

Candidates will also need to have a minimum of 50,000 unique donors to their principal presidential campaign committee or exploratory committee, with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in more than 20 states and/or territories. That's an increase of 10,000 unique donors over the 40,000 required to make it onstage for the first primary debate.

Who has qualified for the second debate?

The RNC has not yet released its list of participants, but so far, it looks likely that former President Donald Trump, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Ambassador to the U.N. and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott are likely to have qualified. 

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum appear not to have qualified yet.

Who's moderating the debate?

Stuart Varney and Dana Perino, of Fox News, will moderate the debate, with Univision's Ilia Calderón.

Does Trump plan to attend?

Trump will skip the second Republican primary debate to deliver a competing address the same night in Detroit, his campaign confirmed Monday.

The exact time and audience have not been announced yet, but according to the New York Times, which first reported Trump would skip the debate, he will be addressing a union crowd. Trump is expected to speak in the same city where United Auto Workers members are striking to demand higher wages, better schedules and better benefits. 

The former president also did not attend the first debate, and instead sat for an interview with Tucker Carlson that streamed at the same time the debate aired. Here's what he said about why he didn't participate: "You see the polls have come out, I'm leading by 50 and 60 points. And some of them are at one and zero and two. And I'm saying, 'Do I sit there for an hour or two hours, whatever it's going to be and get harassed by people that shouldn't even be running for president? Should I be doing that? And a network that isn't particularly friendly, frankly.'" 

Trump has also not signed the RNC's "loyalty pledge" to support the candidate who wins the Republican nomination. 

In:
• Republican Debate
• Vivek Ramaswamy
• Mike Pence
• Donald Trump
• Republican Party
• Chris Christie
• Ron DeSantis
• Nikki Haley

Aaron Navarro

Aaron Navarro is a digital reporter covering politics.

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