The Republican National Committee on Monday confirmed that eight GOP candidates have qualified for the first 2024 presidential primary debate. Participating in the event in Milwaukee will be Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Donald Trump, the current frontrunner for the Republican nomination, declined to take part in the debate despite qualifying, opting instead for an interview with Tucker Carlson. Fox News, which is hosting the debate, hit back at Trump and his campaign by restricting access to the post-debate “spin room” to aides of candidates who are participating in the event, according to Axios.
