The Republican National Committee is upping the criteria for GOP presidential hopefuls to qualify for its fourth debate, set for Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
To make the debate stage, the primary candidates will need to be polling at least 6% in two national polls, or one national poll and two separate early state polls, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina, the RNC said. The polls need to survey at least 800 likely Republican voters.
That figure is higher than the 4% the presidential hopefuls needed to participate in Wednesday night’s debate in Miami.
The candidates also must have a minimum of 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 unique donors in 20 or more states or territories each.
Each contender has until 48 hours before the debate to meet the requirements.
Six candidates have met the requirements for the third debate: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen Tim Scott and former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump has qualified for every debate thus far but has not attended any of them. For the first one in Milwaukee in August, the former president opted instead to do an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was broadcast on X at the same time as the debate. For September’s debate in Simi Valley, Mr. Trump made his way to Michigan to visit the autoworkers’ strike.
For Wednesday’s debate, he is expected to hold a rally in nearby Hialeah the same night.