Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign urges RNC to make changes as ‘frontrunner is absent‘ from the center of the debate stage
Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign reportedly made a request to the Republican National Committee (RNC) to substantially reduce the number of GOP presidential candidates participating in the upcoming primary debate for the party’s presidential nomination.
In a letter addressed to RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, as well as Committee on Arrangements co-Chairs David Bossie and Anne Hathaway, Ben Yoho, the CEO of Vivek 2024, formally requested that the RNC limit participation in the upcoming debate to only the top four Republican candidates with the highest national polling numbers, following the inclusion of former President Donald Trump. This request was reported by The Hill.
On Monday, Trump’s civil trial is set to begin arising from Letitia James’ lawsuit
Additionally, the campaign also urged the RNC to raise the donor threshold to 100,000.
Yoho wrote, “Given the disarray witnessed during the second debate and the fact that the current frontrunner has chosen not to participate, we respectfully request that the RNC reconsider its approach.
This adjustment would allow Republican voters to concentrate on credible candidates who possess a realistic chance of defeating Joe Biden, or any potential Democratic replacement for him.”
He further expressed, “Time is running short, with early-state voting looming in January,” as per the letter obtained by The Hill. “Having another unproductive debate in November is not a viable option. Voters deserve genuine choices for determining our party’s nominee.
It’s not in the voters’ best interest when a multitude of candidates with minimal chances of success engage in chaotic discussions at the periphery of the stage, while the clear frontrunner remains absent from the center of that very stage.”
It’s worth noting that the RNC has already increased the qualifying criteria for the third presidential debate of the 2024 cycle.
To participate in the event scheduled for November 6, GOP candidates must meet certain requirements: they need to have two national polls showing them with 4% or higher support, or alternatively, they must attain 4% support in one national poll and achieve this level of support in two different early state polls.
Additionally, presidential hopefuls are expected to meet a donor threshold of at least 70,000 unique donors, including a minimum of 200 donors from 20 or more states each.
This contrasts with the criteria for the September 27 debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, which required a 3% polling threshold and a minimum of 50,000 unique donors.