If the Republican debate were today, only Trump, DeSantis, Scott, Haley, and Ramaswamy would qualify

The debate between the Republican presidential candidates is less than two months away. Currently, 13 names are seeking their party's nomination for the next election, giving them the right to eventually face off against Joe Biden in November 2024. However, based on current parameters, the event would only feature a few debaters as only five figures meet the current requirements established by the Republican National Committee (RNC).

While Donald Trump is the strongest candidate in the polls, the rest are looking forward to August 23 to take the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hoping to break the former president's dominance. However, to participate, they must meet the requirements set by the RNC, published on Friday, June 2.

RNC debate entrance requirements

For starters, they will have to commit to supporting the eventual Republican nominee, a requirement that Trump has expressed dislike towards. In addition, they must have received donations from at least 40,000 domestic taxpayers. The candidate must consistently obtain more than 1% in three national polls or two national polls and one state poll, while having "at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in more than 20 states and/or territories." Finally, they may not participate in any external debates.

The deadline to comply with the requirements will be August 21, just 48 hours before the debate. As to which polls will be considered valid, only those after June 1 will count.

Qualified candidates

With this in mind, the only ones with enough credentials to take the stage today are Trump, Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. According to their campaigns, they all have reached or passed the 40,000 unique donor threshold nationally, which must include "at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in more than 20 states and/or territories."

It is important to clarify that only those who meet the prerequisites will be asked to sign the agreement to support the eventual nominee. For example, Asa Hutchinson, Trump and Chris Christie do not look favorably on the requirements, although the former New Jersey governor has made it clear that he will sign whatever it takes to be part of the debate.

Trump increasingly out of the debate

As recently reported by POLITICO, the former president's advisors claim that this is the first time that he is against the idea of participating in the debate. The main reason is twofold: it would allow his rivals to trip him up, while he remains angry with Fox News (the event organizer) for what he considers unfair coverage of him. "It is possible that Trump will hold an event that competes for attention and draws spectators away from his rivals," the aforementioned media outlet added.