RNC Chairwoman McDaniel Speaks Up in Support of Debate Requirements
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel stated that Republican presidential candidates who did not qualify for the debate should not blame the Republican National Committee. Eight candidates qualified for the debate while former President Donald Trump chose not to participate. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum may not be able to attend due to a basketball injury. Former Rep. Will Hurd, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Larry Elder, and Perry Johnson failed to meet the polling and donor requirements. Johnson and Elder are suing the RNC for not including them in the debate. McDaniel defended the decision, stating that the rules were applied equally to every candidate. The candidates who did qualify for the debate include Burgum, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Chris Christie, and Asa Hutchinson.
