Post-debate analysis from Fox News' spin room talks night's top moments

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FOX Business will host the second GOP presidential primary debate on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California. 

“I am excited to announce that our second Republican primary debate will be in partnership with FOX Business, Rumble, Univision, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which will serve as an iconic venue for the debate," Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement earlier this month. 

"We are looking forward to continuing our fair, neutral and transparent primary process in Simi Valley to elect the next President of the United States,” McDaniel added. 

“FOX Business is proud to partner with Univision for the second Republican primary debate from the renowned Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to provide all Americans with an unparalleled opportunity to assess the candidates and their stances on critical issues ahead of the primary season," said Jay Wallace, President and Executive Editor of FOX News Media.

Additional details about the debate will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis used former President Donald Trump's famous line against him in the first 2024 GOP primary debate Wednesday evening hosted by Fox News.

DeSantis said he would have fired presidential adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the White House COVID-19 pandemic response under the Trump administration.

"Why are we in this mess? Part of it and a major reason is because how this federal government handled COVID-19 by locking down this economy," DeSantis said at the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"It was a mistake," he continued. "It should have never happened, and in Florida, we led the country out of lockdown. We kept our state free and open. And I can tell you this, as your president, I will never let the deep state bureaucrats lock you down."

"You don't take somebody like Fauci and coddle him. You bring Fauci and you sit him down, and you say, ‘Anthony, you are fired,'" he added, sparking applause.

Fox News' Jessica Chasmar contributed to this update.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., used his 45-second closing arguments during Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate to take a shot at biological males who identify as transgender participating in women’s sports. 

The GOP presidential candidate brought up things his mother instilled in him when he was younger, and it eventually led to his final point that received some cheers from the crowd. 

"If you’re able-bodied in America, you work. If you take out a loan, you pay it back. If you commit a violent crime, you got to jail. And if God made you a man, you play sports against men," Scott said. 

Scott is a conservative on transgender issues. He introduced legislation in 2022 to cut funding from schools that use pronouns matching transgender students' identities without parental consent. 

"Schools exist to educate children, not indoctrinate them," he said at the time. 

In an interview with NBC News, Scott said he would support a ban on biological males participating in women's sports. 

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this update.

Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley emphatically rejected allowing biological males in girls’ locker rooms during the first Republican presidential primary debate on Fox News Wednesday. 

Haley was asked about her previous statement that biological boys playing in girls' sports is the "women’s rights issue of our time."

"As a parent, the one thing you want is for your child to have a better life than you did," Haley began, taking the time to also address other educational issues. "And we can talk about all of these things and there’s a lot of crazy woke things happening in schools, but we’ve got to get these kids reading. If a child can’t read by third grade, they’re four times less likely to graduate high school. So we need to make sure we bring in reading remediation all over this country. We need transparency in the classroom because parents should never have to wonder what’s being said or taught to their children in the classroom.

She continued, "Parents need to be deciding which schools their kids go to because they know best. And let’s put vocational classes back into the high schools. Let’s teach our kids to build things again. When we do that and we allow that innovation, that’s when it’ll get back and, yes, I will always say I’m going to fight for girls all day long because strong girls become strong women. Strong women become strong leaders and biological boys don’t belong in the locker rooms of any of our girls."

Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.

Fox News host Howard Kurtz observed that the pundits got several things wrong after Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee.

"Ron DeSantis, the second-place candidate, was not the focus of attacks," the "MediaBuzz" host wrote early Thursday morning, after the debate. "Donald Trump, who wasn’t there, wasn’t substantively discussed until an hour into the debate."

In his review, Kurtz gave a rundown of who benefited and who faltered during the debate. 

"Ron DeSantis was crisp and aggressive throughout, though again he failed to display any warmth, but probably helped himself the most.

"Tim Scott, while eloquent on faith and education, too often seemed to fade into the background.

"Nikki Haley came off as sensible and reasonable–but passionate on foreign policy–yet that may not be what the party wants this cycle.

"Mike Pence was unusually feisty but spent too much time touting his Jan. 6.

"Christie didn’t get many chances to score—he even got a UFO question--instead touting his record as a former U.S. attorney who fought crime in his state.

"And Vivek Ramaswamy was a remarkably adept debater, though he kept interrupting, and on substance–from climate change is a hoax to Ukraine is not a priority–he will invite more media scrutiny."

Fox News hosts Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier moderated the first Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Wednesday.

Watch the full debate here.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum shared how they plan to combat the increasing crime rates across the country during the first GOP presidential primary debate Wednesday night.

DeSantis said he would remove Soros-funded, "radical left-wing district attorneys" from their posts, as he has in Florida, while Burgum said he would push for a return to the small-town mentality of looking out for your neighbor.

Political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy was praised by conservatives, including a fellow presidential candidate, on social media Wednesday after he addressed the issue of fatherlessness in America during the first GOP primary debate.

"The word privilege gets used a lot," the entrepreneur said. "Well, you know what? I did have the ultimate privilege of two parents in the house with a focus on educational achievement and I want every kid to enjoy that."

He continued: "So part of the problem is we also have a federal government that pays single women more not to have a man in the house than to have a man in the house contributing to an epidemic of fatherlessness and I think that goes hand in glove with the education crisis as well, because we have to remember, education starts with the family, and the nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind."

Larry Elder, another Republican candidate for president who is vocal about the lack of fathers in the home, praised Ramaswamy on X, formerly known as Twitter, for recognizing the "epidemic."

"I’m happy that Vivek recognizes there is an ‘epidemic of fatherlessness,’" Elder wrote. "It’s about time. Let’s hope the other candidates, the Democrats and the media start addressing this number one social problem in America."

GOP operative Matt Mackowiak also commended Ramaswamy on X, writing: "Good for Vivek for bringing up fatherlessness as a major issue."

"Vivek just delivered the best answer by anyone in stage tonight. The nuclear family is the best form of government on earth. It’s the answer to virtually all of our major issues," media personality T.J. Moe contributed to the praise.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley argued against former President Donald Trump becoming the GOP nomination in a post-debate interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Wednesday night.

Haley, former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor, said Trump's ongoing court cases are in the way of his 2024 campaign, and while she does mostly align with his policies, electing him as the nominee would not allow the Republican Party to beat President Biden.

"What I do believe is you're going to have Donald Trump spend more time in a courtroom next year — not through anything outside of they're weaponizing government against him — but he's going to spend more time in a courtroom than he is campaigning," Haley told Hannity during the interview.

"I served with him, I was proud to serve with him, I agree with him on most issues and he's my friend," Haley continued. "But the reality is we cannot afford Joe Biden."

Eight of the Republican candidates for president participated in the first GOP debate of the 2024 election season in Milwaukee Wednesday night.

Fox News opinion writer Mary Katharine Ham broke down the good, the bad and the underestimated following the two-hour event. Here's a rundown on her ratings of each candidate:

Under Scrutiny: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Underestimated: Former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley

Understated: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

Underwhelming: U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson

The first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle is in the books, and a number of Republican pundits, commentators, and lawmakers offered their perspectives on how they believe the eight candidates who took part in the event fared.

In a post shared to X, Ben Domenech, who co-founded The Federalist, a conservative online magazine, insisted that entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was a "lightning rod" in the first debate.

"Vivek was the lightning rod in this debate. He's so disliked by the other candidates, he took all the incoming fire," Domenech said. "DeSantis emerged not just unscathed, but solidly improved."

Weighing in on the event featuring the GOP presidential hopefuls, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, who won election to the upper chamber in the 2022 midterm elections, called for an end to the "charade" of debates and for Republicans to back former President Donald Trump in 2024.

Big-name Democrats reacted to the first GOP presidential debate, with some cursing to express their disapproval of the political showdown.

Wednesday saw the first Republican presidential debate hit the airwaves as eight candidates jockeyed on stage to gain ground and take the red party's presidential nomination.

"No one is trying to allow abortions right up to birth," disgraced former Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., tweeted. "You a--hole, DeSantis."

Democratic House Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, took issue with some of the Republican candidates who called for tighter border security. "The Republicans cheering for war with Mexico are taking the United States down a dark, dangerous path," Castro said.

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has a military background marked by service in the United States Navy. He graduated from Harvard University in 2001, earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2005, and then chose to join the military before entering into his political career. In 2004, DeSantis was commissioned as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer in the U.S. Navy.

During his military service, DeSantis was deployed to Iraq as an advisor to the  U.S. Navy SEALs. He earned the Bronze Star Medal (meritorious service), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (gold star in lieu of second award), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Medal, among other distinctions.

His active duty service lasted from 2004 to 2010, and he subsequently served in the Navy Reserve. DeSantis' military background, particularly his Iraq deployment and role as a JAG officer, has often been highlighted as a testament to his dedication to service and country.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was at the receiving end of a number of attacks from his fellow presidential primary candidates on Wednesday evening -- appearing to take more heat than Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The businessman saw attacks from all sides on the debate stage, including some grueling hits from former Vice President Mike Pence and former NJ Gov. Chris Christie.

Haley tore into Ramaswamy over his foreign policy, saying his inexperience "shows" while Pence blasted the businessman on the subject of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Christie attacked Ramaswamy after Ramaswamy's statement that the "climate change agenda is a hoax."

"No, hold on, hold on. Enough," Christie said. "I've had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like Chat GPT."

Christie also accused him of "amateur tendencies" after he used a debate line similar to one used by former President Barack Obama.

Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this report.

The first GOP presidential debate covered the controversial topic of abortion. Candidates argued their sides on late-term and and up until birth abortions.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, the authority over abortion policies and reproductive rights has now shifted to individual states.

Some states have enacted regulations aimed at restricting late-term abortions, enforcing requirements for minors to notify parents prior to seeking abortion, and obligating healthcare providers to communicate potential procedure risks to patients in advance.

In California, abortion remains legally protected. Notably, California's highest court acknowledged abortion rights within the state's constitution even earlier than the Roe ruling in 1969. The state law safeguards the freedom to make reproductive choices. As recently as November 2022, Californians voted in favor of incorporating access to abortion and contraception into the state constitution.

New Jersey implemented legislation that established abortion as a fundamental right under state law in 2022. The state's highest court recognized the significance of a woman's right to control her own body and shape her destiny, as firmly rooted in the New Jersey constitution.In 2019, Illinois implemented comprehensive legislation to solidify abortion rights. Moreover, the Illinois Supreme Court validated the right to abortion through its interpretation of the state's constitution.

California, New Jersey, and Illinois have each undertaken measures to enshrine a right to abortion as a matter of reproductive healthcare in their respective jurisdictions.

Additionally, six states, New Mexico, Colorado, Alaska, New Jersey, Vermont, and Oregon, currently allow abortion at any stage or pregnancy, including abortion until birth.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at the first GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday that he would authorize military force into Mexico as a way to tackle the Mexican drug cartels funneling fentanyl into the U.S.'

DeSantis, who has previously promised to authorize lethal force at the border against drug smugglers, was asked if he would support sending U.S. Special Forces over the border into Mexico to take out fentanyl labs and the operations of drug cartels.

"Yes, and I will do it on day one," he said.

"Here's the thing. The cartels are killing tens of thousands of our fellow citizens. You want to talk about a country in decline? You have the cartels controlling a lot of your southern border. We have to reestablish the rule of law and we have to defend our people," he said.

DeSantis has taken a hard line on what he has called an "invasion" at the southern border, both in terms of migration and drug smuggling, and his previous comments about Mexico and fentanyl have upset Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this update.

The chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as "President Harris" on Wednesday while criticizing the policies of the GOP before their first primary debate. 

"The issues that propelled these elections are on the table again in 2024 and every one of the Republicans running for president at this moment is wrong on these issues," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said during a press conference. "Wisconsinites have tasted the alternative. They experienced eight years of proto MAGA extremism from Scott Walker. They experienced the attacks on workers rights. The attacks on reproductive freedom. The attacks on public schools and teachers. The attacks on democracy and voting rights. And they rejected that kind of politics."

"They rejected Scott Walker in 2018. And now, because of Governor Evers, Senator Baldwin, because of President Harris and Vice — President Biden and Vice President Harris because of Attorney General Kaul, Wisconsin has been and continues to be on the right track."

The gaffe was posted on a social media account belonging to the Republican National Committee.

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this update.

Presidential campaigns have begun declaring victory in the "spin room" following first GOP showdown of the 2024 race to the White House.

The spokesman for former Vice President Mike Pence's campaign told Fox News that the Republican candidate showed the best

“Mike Pence is the clear winner from today's debate, from foreign policy to the issue of life to law in order to domestic issues," said Pence spokesman Devin O'Malley. "He showed not only a command of the issues but showed a clear and glaring weakness [in] the other candidates. [He] put other candidates on their heels. I don't think there's any question that before this debate was even over, Mike Pence was the was the clear winner.”

Most of the 2024 Republican presidential candidates said they believed former Vice President Mike Pence , their primary challenger, "did the right thing" in certifying President Biden's 2020 election win against former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.

"Absolutely, he did the right thing," Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said during the first 2024 GOP primary debate Wednesday evening hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee.

"We've answered this so many times," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said after skipping over the question to talk about the "weaponization" of the Department of Justice.

Pence fired back, "I think the American people deserve to know whether everyone on this stage agrees that I kept my oath to the Constitution that day."

"I've answered this before," DeSantis responded. "Mike did his duty, I've got no beef with him, but here's the thing, is this what we're going to be focusing on, the rehashing of this? I'm telling you, the Democrats would love that."

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki appeared to respond to a pertinent Republican presidential debate topic on Wednesday related to abortion.

Amid discussion on abortion by the Republicans who participated in the debate held in Milwaukee, Psaki wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, "No one supports abortion up until birth."

Psaki's comment came after former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley urged the media to ask President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris specific questions about late-term abortion and see whether they supported any limits whatsoever on the procedure.

"I think we’re all pro-life but what I would love is for someone to ask Biden and Kamala Harris are they for 38 weeks? Are they for 39 weeks? Are they for 40 weeks? Because that’s what the media needs to be asking," Haley said.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this update.

Former Vice President Mike Pence joked Wednesday that he believed it would be a good idea for everyone in Washington, D.C., to pass a mental competency test.

Asked whether presidents should pass a mental and physical fitness test, Pence responded, "It might be a good idea for everyone in Washington D.C. to do that."

Pence's remarks drew immense applause from those in attendance at the debate, signaling that a majority of Americans agree with him.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie slammed his fellow GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, likening him to Democrat former President Barack Obama.

Christie went after Ramaswamy during Wednesday's debate following the tech entrepreneur's statement that the "climate change agenda is a hoax."

"No, hold on, hold on. Enough," Christie said. "I've had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like Chat GPT."

"He stands up here, and the last person  in one of these debates, Brett, who stood in the middle of the stage and said, 'What's a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here' was Barack Obama."

"And I'm afraid we're dealing with the same type of amateur tendencies tonight," Christie added.

Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this update.

Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley urged the media to ask President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris specific questions about late-term abortion and see whether they supported any limits whatsoever on the procedure.

"I think we’re all pro-life but what I would love is for someone to ask Biden and Kamala Harris are they for 38 weeks? Are they for 39 weeks? Are they for 40 weeks? Because that’s what the media needs to be asking," Haley said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The comment came after a lengthy discussion on debate that saw former Vice President Mike Pence spar with Haley, the former South Carolina governor, over whether she supports the six-week abortion ban that her state's all-male Supreme Court upheld on Wednesday.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this update.

When asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday how he can square signing the pledge to support the eventual nominee – even if it’s Trump – with his comments that Trump’s actions in trying to overturn the 2020 election should prevent him from regaining the White House, Former Vice President Mike Pence said he’s "confident that Republican primary voters know that not only do we need new leadership in the White House, but we need new leadership in the Republican Party."

Fox News then specifically asked Pence what he would do if Trump wins the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

"I’m very proud of the record of the Trump administration," Pence answered. "But the president and I took a different path in the end and sadly in the last two and a half years the former president has continued to maintain that I had the right to overturn the election. I had no right to overturn the election. If the American people hear us out, they know that we kept our oath to the constitution. I’m confident more and more Americans every day are understanding the stand that we took and appreciating our commitment to keep the oath that we made to them and to almighty God."

Trump, who’s the commanding front-runner in the GOP nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run, said earlier this month in an interview  that he "wouldn’t sign the pledge…Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have?" 

"I think everyone who is willing to step forward and be considered here in the Iowa caucus and the upcoming primaries owes it to the American people to be on that stage to tell their story, to share their vision, and I’m looking forward to being there," Pence added.

GOP presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley clashed Wednesday during the first Republican presidential primary debate over the United States' role in funding the war in Ukraine.

“You are choosing a murderer over a pro-American country ... You would make America less safe," Haley told Ramaswamy.

"You have no foreign policy experience and it shows," she added.

Haley said other Republican presidential contenders are looking to prevent war with various countries amid the fatal conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said during Wednesday's debate that he does not support a federal ban on abortion.

"I'm a pro-life governor of a very pro-life state, and this issue is, of course, very important. But I am on the record, and I stand behind, that we should not have a federal abortion ban. We should not. And the reason why we shouldn't is very simple: It's the 10th Amendment in the Constitution," Burgum said.

"In the Constitution, which -- the states created the federal government, not the other way around -- it says that there were certain duties allowed to the federal government delegated to them by the states," he added before arguing the issue should be returned to the states.

Both Vivek Ramaswamy and Gov. Ron DeSantis said they would prioritize the U.S. southern border over additional assistance to Ukraine.

“I think that this is disastrous, that we are protecting against an invasion across somebody else's border when we should use those same military resources to prevent across the invasion of our own southern border here in the United States of America," Ramaswamy said.

"I'm not going to send troops to Ukraine , but I am going to send them to our southern border where these drug pushers are bringing fentanyl across the border. That's going to be the last thing they do. We're going to use force and we're going to leave them stone cold dead," DeSantis said.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley came out swinging during Wednesday night's RNC debate against fellow GOP candidates including former President Donald Trump over their past support for government spending increases.

In her remarks, delivered during her opening statement, Haley blasted Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., for previously backing measures increasing the U.S. debt. She added American children "will never forgive" leaders for supporting such positions.

"No one is telling the American people the truth. The truth is that Biden didn't do this to us," Haley said. "Our Republicans did this to us too. When they passed that $2.2 trillion COVID stimulus bill, they left us with 90 million people on Medicaid, 42 million people on food stamps. No one has told you how to fix it."

"I'll tell you how to fix it," she continued. "They need to stop the spending. They need to stop the borrowing. They need to eliminate the earmarks Republicans brought back in. And they need to make sure they understand these are taxpayer dollars, it's not their dollars."

Haley's comments slamming fellow Republicans marked the first during the debate to directly go after Trump who opted against attending the debate.

"You have Ron DeSantis, you've got Tim Scott, you've got Mike Pence — they all voted to raise the debt. And Donald Trump added $8 trillion to our debt. Our kids are never going to forgive us for this," Haley added. 

Fox News' Thomas Catenacci contributed to this update.

The issue of climate change was brought up as a controversial topic at the first GOP presidential debate.

While the term climate change itself is generally used to refer to upward or downward trends in global temperature over time, the term is often used in political spheres as a label for man-made contributions to global warming.

Climate concerns have led to phaseouts of combustion engines and gas stoves in blue states, as well as state-sponsored investments in controversial green energy expenditures. Similar policy has been pursued by the Biden administration.

Most recently, climate change has reared its head in political discourse after wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, left over 100 people dead and Hurricane Hilary made landfall in Southern California — a once-in-a-generation weather phenomenon in the region.

Entrepreneur, author and conservative activist Vivek Ramaswamy denounced the idea as a "hoax" at tonight's debate -- claiming he was allowed to do so because he was the only candidate onstage not "bought and paid for" by outside interests.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ruffled feathers at Wednesday night's Republican debate after castigating the alleged activity that placed former President Donald Trump and his allies under legal scrutiny.

"Here's the bottom line: someone's got to stop normalizing this conduct," Christie began. "Whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of President of the United States."

After the crowd of approximately 4,000 began booing Christie, entrepreneur and conservative activist Vivek Ramaswamy hit back, starting by opining that Trump "was the best president of the 21st century," before turning on the former governor.

"Chris Christie, honest to God, your claim that Donald Trump is motivated by vengeance and grievance would be a lot more credible if your entire campaign were not based on vengeance and grievance against one man," Ramaswamy said.

Ramaswamy then posited that if "people at home want to see a bunch of people blindly bashing Donald Trump without an iota of vision for this country, they can just change the channel to MSNBC right now."

In a Republican presidential primary race dominated by former President Donald Trump, you can’t underestimate the importance of the GOP nomination debate, a Fox News-hosted primetime showdown in Milwaukee.

"It means a lot for me and every other candidate. It’s going to be the biggest audience any of us have spoken before in a long time," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, making his second run for the White House, told Fox News Digital.

Christie is one of eight candidates who have reached the polling and donor thresholds mandated by the Republican National Committee to qualify for the initial debate. 

The others are former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and biotech entrepreneur and bestselling author Vivek Ramaswamy.

With one more day to go to qualify, roughly a half dozen other Republican White House hopefuls are still aiming to make the stage.

Trump, the commanding frontrunner for the nomination as he makes his third straight White House run, hasn’t committed to attending the debate and has said he won’t sign an RNC pledge it is requesting the candidates make to take the stage. The pledge states that candidates will support the GOP’s eventual presidential nominee — regardless of who it is — and that they won’t take part in any debate not sanctioned by the national party committee.

Republican communicator and strategist Ryan Williams agreed, highlighting that the first debate "is an opportunity for many of the candidates to make a first impression on the national stage. It also allows candidates who are far back in the pack to have a breakout moment."

"Rich Men North of Richmond," a hit country song written by Oliver Anthony, marked his debut with the controversial hit. Prior to achieving this success, Anthony was not a well-known musician, having previously recorded his songs on a personal cell phone. The song's initial unveiling on August 8, 2023, via YouTube gained an impressive 5 million views within a mere three days.

The song's acclaim can be attributed to its raw, unvarnished sound, resonating with the working class. It speaks to several right-leaning topics , touching on subjects like meager wages ("for pitiful pay"), struggles with hunger ("empty plates to fill"), surging inflation ("dollar's losing its zeal"), heavy taxation ("tax burden's a bitter pill"), and issues like child safety ("minors in peril"), and welfare disparities ("the corpulent live off the dole").

Anthony, in a video explaining his songwriting process, revealed his aspiration to advocate for the working class, serving as a "voice for the many" and acknowledging their ongoing struggles to claim their share of the American dream. His remarkable chart-topping song marks the first #1 ranking for an artist with no previous chart history.

All but two of the GOP presidential candidates raised their hands during the first primary debate in Milwaukee when they were asked if they would support former President Donald Trump if he is convicted in a court of law and receives the party's nomination for president.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appeared to raise his hand , then later clarified that he was not and would not support Trump if he was convicted and received the nomination.

The other Republican contender who did not raise their hand in support of Trump was former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie received a smattering of boos as the candidates were introduced at the beginning of Wednesday evening's GOP presidential debate.

While candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were met with cheers from the crowd, it was noticeable that Christie -- who has been extremely critical of former President Donald Trump -- received cheers but also some boos from the crowd.

He would also be booed later in the evening when he again criticized Trump's conduct in the aftermath of the 2020 election and on Jan. 6, 2021.

Former President Donald Trump said he is refusing to sign a loyalty pledge to the Republican Party, leading to his absence from tonight's debate stage.

Trump dismissed the idea of making the pledge in a recent interview, saying that the gesture would not be worth it.

"I wouldn’t sign the pledge," Trump said. "Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn't have?"

"I can name three or four people that I wouldn't support for president. So right there, there's a problem right there. There's a problem," he added.

Trump took particular issue with the low bar for entry into the Republican debate regarding polling percentage and national support.

The former president said he would not want to give unpopular candidates with only a percentage of the vote a chance to say "nasty" things about him.

"You look at the debate, and they want you to debate, but you're debating — it's not really fair — somebody like Asa Hutchinson, who's polling at zero percent, will ask me nasty questions," Trump said. "Somebody like Chris Christie is falling at 1%, and he's going to ask me nasty questions and others, too."

Trump also cited decisions by previous Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon to skip primary debates.

"Why would you do that when you're leading by so much?" Trump asked. "Ronald Reagan didn't do it. Nixon didn't do it. Many people didn't do it."

He concluded, "But I'm going to look at it very seriously. I'd like to do it. I've actually gotten very good marks on debating talents. But you want to be, you know, they want a smart president. They want somebody that's going to be smart. So we have to do the smart thing."

Former President Trump teased on his social media platform that the first Republican presidential primary debate might help him narrow down his choices for a vice presidential running mate.

Fox News is hosting the first GOP presidential primary debate in Milwaukee. The debate began at 9 p.m. ET.

"Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!" Trump posted on his Truth Social.

Trump had said he would not participate in the debates, citing his commanding lead in the polls.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence clashed over their stances on abortion, with Pence dismissing Haley's call for consensus on the matter.

Candidates were asked for their stances on limiting abortion. Haley took a shot at calls for a federal abortion ban -- which Pence has supported.

"When it comes to a federal ban, let's be honest with the American people and say it take 60 Senate votes. It will take a majority of the House. So in order to do that, let's find consensus," she said.

"Can't we all agree that we should ban late term abortions? Can't we all agree that we should encourage adoptions? Can't we all agree that doctors and nurses who don't believe in abortion shouldn't have to perform them? Can't we all agree that contraception should be available and can't we all agree that we are not going to put a woman in jail or give her the death penalty if she gets an abortion?"

But Pence later pushed back, saying he was unapologetically pro-life, and appeared to dismiss consensus on the issue.

"I've been a champion for life in the Congress, a champion for life as governor and as vice president. And to be honest with you, Nikki, you're my friend but consensus is the opposite of leadership," he said. "When the Supreme Court returned this question to the American people, they didn't just send it to the states, only it's not a state only issue. It's moral issue. And I promise you, as president of the United States, the American people will have a champion for life in the Oval Office."

President Biden on Wednesday appeared to react to the Republican presidential primary debate when he posted about his belief in the reality of man-made climate change after one of the candidates called it a "hoax."

"Climate change is real, by the way," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He appeared to be responding to the GOP presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, Wis., where candidates were asked if they believe that human activity is causing climate change. Entrepeneur Vivek Ramaswamy was clear where he stood on the matter.

"I'm the only person on the stage who isn't bought and paid for so I can say this: The climate change agenda is a hoax," he said.

"And the reality is the anti carbon agenda is the wet blanket on our economy. And so the reality is more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual climate," he said.

Former Vice President Mike Pence and Vivek Ramaswamy had one of the debates first major clashes as the former told the latter the country didn't "need a rookie" in the White House.

"You've got people on this stage that won't even talk about issues like Social Security and Medicare. I mean, Vivek, you recently said the president can't do everything. Well, I got news for you, Vivek. I've been in the hallway. I've been in the West Wing. A president of the United States has to confront every crisis facing America," Pence said.

"This isn't that complicated, guys," Ramaswamy hit back. "Unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear. Put people back to work by no longer paying them more to stay at home. Reform the U.S. Fed, stabilize the U.S. dollar and go to war. The only war that I will declare as U.S. president will be the war on the federal administrative state that is the source of those toxic regulations, acting like a wet blanket on the economy."

"I'm not sure I exactly understood Mike Pence's comment, but I'll let you all parse that out. For me it's pretty simple. That's something a U.S. president can do with focus and I'll deliver on it," he added.

Pence jumped in, telling Ramaswamy he would explain what he said again and "go slower this time."

"You know, I sometimes struggle with the reading comprehension," Vivek joked.

"Now is not the time for on the job training. We don't need to bring in a rookie. We don't need to bring in people without experience," Pence responded.

Ramaswamy laughed as the hosts moved to another candidate.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., was pressed on his record at the first GOP presidential debate on Wednesday evening. He said he had voted against a number of spending packages in recent years and said "Bidenomics" led to the loss of spending power for families.

Scott was pushed on his approval of three multi-trillion spending packages during the Trump administration.

"There's no doubt that during the Trump administration, we were dealing with the COVID virus, we spent more money," he said. "But here's what happened at the end of our time in the majority, we had low unemployment, record low unemployment, three and a half percent for the majority of the population, a 70 year low for women. African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians had an all time low, but our inflation was at 2%.

"Under Joe Biden, we've seen the exact opposite. We've seen inflation explode, which led to 12 Federal Reserve increases. That's devastating homebuyers today," he said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the "rich men north of Richmond" in Washington, D.C. have put Americans in the economic "situation" they find themselves in.

DeSantis was asked about Virginia musician Oliver Anthony's hit song "Rich Men North of Richmond" during Wednesday's Republican presidential debate.

The GOP presidential candidate said our "country is in decline" but that the "decline is not inevitable."

"It's a choice. We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline," DeSantis said. "And it starts with understanding we must reverse Bidennomics so that middle-class families have a chance to succeed again."

"We cannot succeed as a country if you are working hard and you can't afford groceries, a car or a new home while Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars on lousy paintings," he continued. "That is wrong."

DeSantis said America "also cannot succeed when the Congress spends trillions and trillions of dollars" and that those "rich men north of Richmond have put us in this situation."

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the only female taking part in the first Republican presidential primary debate, took aim at her opponents on Wednesday evening.

"If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman," Haley said as she discussed climate change and solutions surrounding the issue.

"First of all, we do care about clean air, clean water. We want to see that taken care of. But there's a right way to do it. And the right way to do it is, first of all. Yes. Is climate change real? Yes, it is. But if you want to go and really change the environment, then we need to start telling China and India that they have to lower their emissions. That's where our problem is," she continued. "And these green subsidies that Biden has put in, all he's done is help China because he doesn't understand all these electric vehicles that he's done. What that does it half of the batteries for electric vehicles are made in China. And so that's not helping the environment."

"You're putting money in China's pocket ... and Biden did that. So, first of all, I think we need to acknowledge the truth, which is these subsidies are not working. We also need to take on the international world and say, okay, India and China, you've got to stop polluting. And that's when we'll start to deal," she concluded.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy used his first debate question to introduce himself to Americans watching across the country.

"Let me just address the question that is on everybody's mind at home tonight. Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name, and what the heck is he doing in the middle of this debate stage?" Ramaswamy said with a smile when asked why voters should choose him over his opponents.

"I'll tell you, I'm not a politician, Brett. You're right about that. I'm an entrepreneur. My parents came to this country with no money 40 years ago. I have gone on to found multi-billion dollar companies," he said.

He went on to mention his wife and two sons, and the importance of his faith in God.

"That is the American dream. And I am genuinely worried that that American dream will not exist for our two sons and their generation unless we do something about it," he added.

Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie shared how he would tackle the U.S. economy during the first GOP primary debate on Fox News.

"Truth and accountability are the things we need to do to fight waste. And I'd say the last thing is this, Brett. We cannot sit by any longer and allow the kind of spending that's going on in Washington. Because every dollar they spend is a dollar that these people are not allowed to spend on their children and their grandchildren. It's robbing our country and it's wrong."

The Republican candidates appearing on the debate stage in Milwaukee were asked Wednesday evening about the song titled "Rich Men North of Richmond," which went viral earlier this month and resonated with a large portion of Americans who feel left behind.

"As we sit here tonight, the number one song on the Billboard chart is called 'Rich Man North A Rich Man.' It is by a singer from Farmville, Virginia, named Oliver Anthony. His lyrics speak of alienation, of deep frustration with the state of government and of this country. Washington, D.C. is about 100 miles north of Richmond," debate moderator Martha MacCallum said.

"So, Governor DeSantis, why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now? What do you think it means," she asked.

"What do you think it means? Our country is in decline," DeSantis, the current governro of Florida responded. "This decline is not inevitable. It's a choice. We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline. .. It starts with understanding we must reverse Bidenomics so that middle class families have a chance to succeed again. We cannot succeed as a country if you are working hard and you can't afford groceries, a car or a new home."

The song went viral on social media after Anthony shared a clip of him performing the song in rural America.

Christian musician and nine-time Grammy nominee Natalie Grant sang the national anthem at tonight's Republican primary debate in Milwaukee.

"I like to keep politics to those who know how to do that best and talk about it best," Grant said in a Fox & Friends interview, calling her appearance at tonight's Fox News-hosted event an exercise in patriotism rather than one in political fealty.

"I love my country, I love our anthem, and it's just an honor and a privilege to get to sing it." Grant, an active singer-songwriter since 1999, has released 11 albums and achieved superstardom in the gospel music industry, boasting five Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association for Best Female Vocalist. Grant's next album, "Seasons," featuring artists including Dolly Parton, Tauren Wells, and Cory Asbury, is set for release on October 6.

The Republican National Committee’s longtime chair says it is only natural that the RNC is upping the ante when it comes to its thresholds for the GOP presidential candidates to reach in order to make the stage at the party’s primary debates.

"You don't go to the Olympics unless you pass the prelims, right? This is the Olympic stage, the Republican Party primary. And there's going to be criteria that you have to meet to be on that stage," RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel emphasized in an interview.

To make the stage at the first debate, the RNC is requiring candidates to reach 1% in three national polls, or 1% in two national polls and two state-specific surveys from the early voting nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. The polls must also be recognized by the RNC and must be conducted on or after July 1.

Additionally, the RNC requires candidates to have 40,000 unique donors to their campaign committee (or exploratory committee), with at least 200 unique donors each in at least 20 states and/or U.S. territories.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced campaign manager Generra Peck with a trusted political adviser who has worked with him for years but has little campaign experience.

DeSantis handed the role over to James Uthmeier on Tuesday, pulling the staffer up from his original position as chief of staff to the DeSantis' gubernatorial office. The change, confirmed by Fox News Digital, is the latest in a week-long "reload" of the DeSantis campaign amid disappointing poll numbers in the 2024 GOP primary race.

While Peck will stay on with the campaign as chief strategist, the move comes just weeks after top DeSantis campaign and outside advisers insisted that Peck’s job steering the governor's White House bid was safe."

James Uthmeier has been one of Governor DeSantis' top advisors for years and he is needed where it matters most: working hand in hand with Generra Peck and the rest of the team to put the governor in the best possible position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden," campaign Communications Director Andrew Romeo told Fox in a statement. "David Polyansky will also be a critical addition to the team given his presidential campaign experience in Iowa and work at Never Back Down. We are excited about these additions as we continue to spread the governor's message across the country. It's time to reverse our nation's decline and revive America's future."

Critics have pointed to the recent staff shake ups as evidence of a collapsing campaign, but Uthmeier argued that DeSantis still "knows how to win."

"People have written Governor DeSantis’s obituary many times," Uthmeier said in a statement to The Messenger, which was first to report the news." From his race against establishment primary candidate Adam Putnam, to his victory over legacy media-favored candidate Andrew Gillum [in 2018], to his twenty point win over Charlie Crist [in 2022], Governor DeSantis has proven that he knows how to win. He’s breaking records on fundraising and has a supporting super PAC with $100 million in the bank and an incredible ground game. Get ready."

Florida's 44-year-old governor saw his popularity soar among conservatives across the country over the past three years due to his forceful pushback against coronavirus pandemic restrictions and his aggressive actions as a culture warrior going after media, corporations and teachers’ unions. And DeSantis won an overwhelming 19-point gubernatorial re-election victory last November, amid a cycle where the GOP suffered some high-profile setbacks at the ballot box.

Former President Donald Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner in the GOP nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run, has expanded his large double-digit lead over DeSantis in numerous polls since the governor declared his candidacy two months ago. And Desantis' advantage over the rest of the large field of 2024 Republican presidential candidates has eroded since late spring.

Trump's political allies quickly spotlighted the latest DeSantis campaign news.

"Ron DeSantis has already delivered a political hat trick today and it’s not even lunchtime. The only problem? All three goals were scored by himself," Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc., argued in a statement. DeSantis raised an impressive $20.1 million during the first six weeks of his campaign. However, nearly half – $8.2 million – came in the first 24 hours after DeSantis declared his candidacy.

And peeking past the top lines, only a small percentage of the cash DeSantis raised came from donors contributing less than $200, with much of his fundraising coming from top-dollar donors, some of whom have now maxed out and are prevented by Federal Election Commission rules from giving further contributions to the governor. Trump, by comparison, saw the lion's share of his fundraising come from small-dollar, grassroots donations.

DeSantis has also been burning through his campaign coffers at a quicker rate than Trump. The governor’s campaign spent $7.9 million in half the time that Trump’s team shelled out $9.1 million.

"Woke culture" is a term that has gained popularity in recent years to describe a social and cultural awareness of issues related to social justice, inequality, and systemic oppression. The term "woke" means being awake or aware, especially in the context of social and political issues.

In contemporary usage, "woke culture" refers to a heightened awareness and consciousness about issues such as racism, sexism, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice, economic inequality, and other forms of systemic discrimination. It encompasses an understanding of how historical and ongoing social injustices impact marginalized communities. People who are considered "woke" are seen as being engaged in advocating for and supporting these causes.

While "woke culture" is embraced by many as a means of raising awareness and promoting social justice, it can also be a subject of debate. Some critics argue that it can lead to excessive political correctness or "cancel culture," where individuals are excluded for their views. Generally "woke" perspectives are associated with left-wing political and social movements.

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During a 1960 presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy , Nixon appeared shifty and was excessively sweating while JFK remained calm. Whether Nixon lost the election to JFK due to his body language is still probed today.

In 1980, during a primary election debate, Ronald Reagan said to moderator and executive editor of The Telegraph of Nashua, Jon Breen, "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green" when Breen asked for Reagan's microphone to be turned off.

In 1984, during a debate Reagan said, "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience," of former VP to Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale. Reagan’s blunt remark earned him cheer and laughter from both the crowd and Mondale.

In a 1988 debate, former Vice President Dan Quayle declared his experience was comparable to that of Jack Kennedy’s. Democrat Lloyd Bentsen responded to the Republican, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” 

The Bush-Quayle ticket won the presidency and the latter served as VP to Bush Sr. from 1989 to 1993.

During a debate in 1992, when asked a question by an audience member, Bush Sr. checked his watch before answering and seemed to stumble through a response.

In an interview with Fox Nation's Piers Morgan, Ron DeSantis called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" and "basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons."

He believes the U.S. should not escalate its involvement in the Russia, Ukraine conflict and that more American weapons or ground troops would be a "mistake."

During a radio interview in March with New Hampshire Today, Mike Pence said, "I strongly support continuing to provide the Ukrainian military the resources necessary to repel that Russian invasion. I truly do believe that we are the arsenal of democracy, and we are the leader of the free world and continuing to stand with Ukraine to support their fight. They are consistent with the conservative principals first articulated by Ronald Reagan."

In a March statement, Nikki Haley said, "We should not send American troops. We should not send cash or blank checks. Along with our allies in Europe and elsewhere, we should provide conventional weapons that enable Ukraine to effectively stop the Russian invasion and occupation of its land."

Since the first televised presidential debate between former President John F. Kennedy and former President Richard Nixon in 1960, there hasn’t always been a consistent flow of head-to-head matchups for Americans to watch every four years between White House hopefuls.

In fact, after the inaugural television debate in 1960, it would be 16 years and three presidential election cycles later before another would be held.

In 1964, then-President Lyndon Johnson refused to participate in a debate against then-Republican nominee and Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, citing his lead in the polls.

Four years later, in 1968, Nixon, still reeling from his not-so-stellar performance in the 1960 debate, refused to debate then-Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey.

Then, in 1972, Nixon continued that trend, refusing to debate Democratic candidate George McGovern, citing his lead in the polls.

However, since 1976, there have been debates held in every presidential election cycle.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who initially struggled to meet the 40,000-donor threshold required for the first debate by the Republican National Committee, launched a text message-based initiative that paid college students $20 for every acquaintance or relative they were able to convince to donate at least $1 to his campaign.

Despite amassing fewer than 5,000 unique donors as recently as halfway through this year, Hutchinson's campaign was able to close the gap in time for tonight's debate, with nearly half of those donors being recruited through the text-to-pay initiative.

Doug Burgum, who will stand opposite Hutchinson on the debate stage, employed a similar tactic. The billionaire North Dakota governor issued $20 "Biden Economic Relief Cards" to all donors who contributed $1 to his campaign.

Debates date all the way back to 1858, though the first was not between two presidential candidates. Former President Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas went head to head in a series of debates for Senate seats, according to the National Park Service.

During the election cycle, the opponents formally and politically sparred in seven debates in Illinois. The first candidate spoke for 60 minutes. Then, the opposing candidate spoke for 90 minutes. Finally, the first candidate would speak again, and rebuttal, for 30 minutes to conclude the debate. Douglas kicked off the debates in four of the seven arguments.

The first televised presidential debate in American history between candidates wasn't until September 26, 1960 and included Democratic candidate, John F. Kennedy and Republican opponent, Richard Nixon. 

However, in 1956, former Governor of Illinois Adlai Stevenson challenged past U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower to a debate. Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and American politician, Margaret Chase Smith stood in for the men and debated political issues, according to the United States Senate website.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he's "ready to do what we need to" at the first Republican presidential nomination debate to deliver his message and defend himself from rival candidates.

DeSantis is trying to change the narrative after a series of setbacks the past two months, which triggered weeks of negative stories spotlighting his campaign’s overspending, staff layoffs, change of leadership and other setbacks.

While Trump's large lead over DeSantis has expanded this summer, the governor remains in second place in most surveys, ahead of the rest of the large field of Republican presidential contenders.

A recent memo from the DeSantis campaign that was sent to donors and supporters from recently installed campaign manager James Uthmeier also argues that the governor will be "the center of attacks" at the debate.

The memo said the campaign's "fully prepared" to be "on the receiving end of false, desperate charges from other candidates and the legacy media." The memo was first reported by Axios and also obtained by Fox News.

DeSantis said earlier this week in a local radio interview that retail-style politics — which have long been crucial in Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that kick off the GOP nominating calendar — are a key for him to close the large gap with Trump.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is facing calls to drop out of the Republican presidential primary after he failed to earn a spot on the stage for the first GOP debate Wednesday evening.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Miami Herald editorial board published an op-ed calling for Suarez to "face the music." The editorial pointed to comments Suarez recently made stating that candidates who don't make the debate stage by failing to earn a sufficient amount of support should drop out of the race.

"I agree that if you can’t meet the minimum thresholds, you shouldn’t be trying to take the time involved away from being productive," Suarez told reporters at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 11.

"I don’t think candidates should just sort of linger around ... if they don’t have a credible path," he added.

Ahead of the debate, the Republican National Committee required candidates to obtain minimum of 40,000 donors with 200 in 20 or more states and poll at 1% at least in three national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls deemed acceptable. Suarez met the donor requirement, but failed to get 1% support in polls.

The Miami Herald editorial board said Suarez never had a credible path to the nomination and should drop out to allow himself to again focus entirely on his mayoral duties.

Fox News' Thomas Catenacci contributed to this update.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire has some advice for the GOP candidates on stage at Wednesday's first presidential nomination debate.

"You’ve got to explain where you are with your policy. Where you are with your background," Sununu emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview. "But you’ve got to go beyond that. It’s not just issue and policy based. And it’s not just in attack mode either. They’ve got to show that charm, that charisma, that likability. Likability is so important in a race like this."

The popular GOP governor, who seriously mulled a presidential run of his own before deciding against it in June, also stressed that the candidates need to exude "charisma, charm, inspiration. Something exciting. Something fun. Something that people say ‘wow. That’s something I can get behind.’"

Sununu called the debate - a Fox News-hosted showdown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - "an awesome opportunity for all these candidates to stand up – not just to show that they deserve to be on the stage – but to show that they deserve to be the leader of the free world. That’s really the differentiator. People want someone that inspires them. Some charisma."

The first Republican presidential primary debate will feature 8 candidates on the stage.

The debate, which Fox News is hosting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will feature  North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Vivek Ramaswamy, the RNC has confirmed.

To make the stage, candidates were required to reach 1% in three national polls, or 1% in two national polls and two state-specific polls from the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

Additionally, to reach the debate stage, candidates were required to have 40,000 unique donors to their campaign committee (or exploratory committee), with "at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in 20+ states and/or territories," according to the RNC criteria.

The candidates were also required to sign a pledge agreeing to support the eventual Republican presidential nominee; agreeing not to participate in any non-RNC-sanctioned debates for the rest of the 2024 election cycle; and agreeing to data-sharing with the national party committee, the RNC noted.

Former President Donald Trump has refused to sign such a pledge, despite meeting the rest of the debate criteria.

As candidates take the debate stage on Wednesday evening, there is little question who the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination is -- former President Donald Trump.

But the question of who his greater opponent is is more nuanced, and yet to be decided.

The Fox News Power Rankings has Trump as the frontrunner, noting that he leads between 30-40 points in most national polling and has strong coverage in early states.

Following up as “contenders” the rankings put Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in second place as the only candidate to post double digit numbers nationally and across early states, with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as a distant third.

Other candidates are seen as “in the conversation” or “outsiders” and will be hoping to receive a boost from Wednesday’s debate and soon find themselves moving up the rankings as the field realigns in the post-debate days.

Presidential candidates often dedicate extensive time to prepare for the debate stage, but first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy apparently hasn’t done so.

Taking questions from Fox News Digital during a recent campaign stop in New Castle, New Hampshire, Ramaswamy said "one of the things I’m focused on is not being overly prepared. Think about my schedule. I’ll just walk you through my pre-debate schedule," Ramaswamy said. 

"We were in Michigan. We were in Chicago yesterday. Back to Ohio. Here in New Hampshire. Out to California. Texas. Atlanta. South Carolina. Then Ohio. And that will take me right to the doorstep of the debate. So that gives you a sense of maybe how I’m doing things a little bit differently than other candidates."

Ramaswamy’s campaign told Fox News that the candidate has been cramming in a lot of foreign policy briefings and spars with staff during flights to prepare himself for the initial showdown. But Ramaswamy is not partaking in any mock debates that some of his rivals are using to prepare for the prime-time showdown.

"I think this is going to be the first of many debates. I’ve already qualified for the September and likely October thresholds as well. And so, the truth is everybody else on that stage will have been in a primary debate before and a general election political debate before," Ramaswamy said. 

A number of women have appeared on the presidential debate stage in the past. This year, Nikki Haley is the only woman qualified to participate in the first Republican primary debate.

In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to participate in a vice presidential debate. She was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President, running alongside presidential candidate Walter Mondale.

In 2008, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin participated in the vice presidential debate. She ran alongside presidential candidate John McCain.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be a major party's nominee for President of the United States. She participated in the presidential debates against Republican candidate Donald Trump.

In 2019, Kamala Harris ran for president, participating in presidential primary debates for the Democratic Party. She became the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in 2020, running alongside presidential candidate Joe Biden. Kamala Harris also made history as the first woman of color to be on a major party's presidential ticket.

Other women who have graced the debate stage include Democratic candidates Marianne Williamson, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren during the 2020 cycle, Carly Fiorina in the 2016 cycle and Michelle Bachmann in the 2012 cycle.

These women have played significant roles in shaping the landscape of U.S. elections

Presidential debates are not typically open to the public. Specifically, the first GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is closed to general admission.

The debate will be held at Fiserv Forum, a multi-purpose arena in Wisconsin. Between 4,000-6,000 attendees are expected at the event, though the venue holds between 15,000-18,000 people for major events.

So, who is attending the event and is it possible to attend a presidential debate?

Participating candidates, including Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and others, are handling tickets to the first GOP debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle. Additionally, the RNC, Fox News, Rumble and Young America's Foundation are also distributing tickets. YAF is hosting a free block party to students, alumni and families ahead of the debate. Registration was available for students' admission inside Fiserv Forum ahead of the event.

The best way to attend a future presidential debate is to know someone distributing tickets.

Conservative groups across the country will host watch parties the evening of the debate locally in Milwaukee, around Texas, Colorado, California and more.

The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle will begin at 9pm E.T. on August 23, 2023. The event is hosted by Fox News Channel's Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The debate is expected to be around two hours in length. Candidates will be have one minute to answer questions from moderators Baier and MacCallum. Additionally, pre-recorded questions from student members of the Young America's Foundation are expected.

Candidates will receive 30 seconds for follow-up questions. The topics prepared by the co-moderators will vary and candidates may receive separate questions.

The candidates who qualified for the first primary debate include former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur and bestselling author Vivek Ramaswamy.

Fox News' flight team has provided an in depth look into the venue hosting tonight's Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin via drone footage.

The first look previewed this morning on "America's Newsroom," showing the live Fox studio setup from outside the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee, before zooming into the front entrance of the venue, past the refreshment and lobby area and into the massive 18,000 capacity debate hall.

You can watch tonight's debate coverage starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox News.

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel speaks about tonight's debate on "Special Report."

Former President Donald Trump may not be at the first Republican presidential primary debate, but that doesn’t bother North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

The multi-millionaire former software company CEO turned two-term governor who’s a dark horse for the 2024 GOP nomination said in a one-on-one interview earlier this month with Fox News Digital as he walked through the Iowa State Fair that "we’re looking forward to the debate. We’re excited to be there, and we’re excited regardless of who shows up." 

"It’s obviously an opportunity for us," Burgum said, "because…of the eight candidates who’ve made the stage, we’re the least well known. By definition that gives us the most upside. And part of that is – we’ve already defied the odds because when we launched people said he’ll never make the debate stage. People said you could never build a global software company in Fargo, North Dakota. People said we would never get elected governor when we were down 60 points six months before the primary. So, we like our position, and we are looking forward to the debate."

Burgum’s not well known outside his home state of North Dakota and has been running a positive campaign to date, as he introduces himself to voters.

 Asked if he’ll have to eventually throw some punches, the governor said "people don’t know who we are and I think people need to find out who we are, what we’ve done, what our vision is for the country. Presidential campaigns need to be about the future, not about the past. If it gets down to two people, then that would be the time to create differentiation but in the meantime, we’ve just got to keep telling our story."

When Republican presidential primary candidates take the debate stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Wednesday evening, candidates will be aware of the importance that such debates can have in determining who is the nominee.

While there are a number of debates in primary season, they are frequently the home of moments that can define, or doom, a presidential candidacy.

Then-candidate Donald Trump used the debate stage to upstage presumed-frontrunner Jeb Bush in the 2016 cycle, directly attacking him and other candidates to guide his surge to victory.

Meanwhile, other candidates have had moments that have been seen as having ended their campaigns. In the 2016 cycle, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,’s campaign was seen as having been mortally wounded by an exchange in a debate in New Hampshire with former NJ Gov. Chris Christie in which he repeated a talking point multiple times – which Christie pointed out in real time, flustering the Florida candidate.

Rubio, however, recently returned the moment in a tweet, saying that “any political reporter/commentator claiming Christie ‘ended’ my campaign in 2016 is lazy or dumb.”

“NH debate sucked because instead of hitting back when attacked like I wanted to, I listened to advice about ‘pivoting’ & not ‘punching down’ on a CC who was at 7% & about to drop out. But it didn’t end my campaign,” he said.

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his top rival for the Republican presidential nomination, didn't come face to face as they separately courted voters earlier this month at the Iowa State Fair. 

But DeSantis took aim at Trump, the commanding front-runner for their party's 2024 nomination, and supporters of the former president repeatedly heckled the Florida governor as he made his way around the fairgrounds, a necessary stop for White House hopefuls in the state that kicks off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

DeSantis — who's trying to change the narrative after a series of setbacks the past two months, which triggered weeks of negative stories spotlighting his campaign’s overspending, staff layoffs, change of leadership and other stumbles — had planned for a couple of weeks to campaign at the state fair.

DeSantis will be at the debate in Milwaukee, Wis. on Wednesday evening, taking center stage at the debate. Trump has said he will not attend any Republican debates and cited his lead in the polls.

Don’t miss: Sign up and watch the first Republican presidential primary debate at 9PM ET on FoxNews.com

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says comments from Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina – one of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination – that former President Donald Trump isn't responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol are "ridiculous."

And Christie, who's making his second White House bid after unsuccessfully running in the 2016 cycle, said he's going to target Trump at next month's first Republican presidential nomination debate whether "he’s on the stage or he’s not on the stage."

Scott, a rising star in the GOP and the only Black Republican in the Senate, has seen his poll numbers edge up in the latest surveys in Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that hold the first two contests in the GOP presidential nominating calendar. That's led some super PACs supporting rival candidates to start placing a bullseye on the senator's back.

In a recent interview with WMUR-TV in New Hampshire, Scott was asked about the storming of the U.S. Capitol two and a half years ago by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters who unsuccessfully attempted to halt congressional certification of President Biden's Electoral College victory over Trump in the 2020 election.

Scott said that "Jan. 6 was a dark day for our nation."

Christie, in a Fox News Digital interview argued that "Tim saying that Donald Trump’s not responsible for what happened on Jan. 6. It’s ridiculous."

Former Vice President Mike Pence signaled recently he will go on attack on abortion at the upcoming Republican presidential primary debate.

On a campaign visit to the Iowa State Fair, Pence told reporters he expects to call out former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for not supporting national abortion restrictions when the candidates meet on the debate stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, later this month. Pence has said he would sign a federal 15-week abortion ban into law if elected president.

"My former running mate, the governor of Florida and others are suggesting that the Supreme Court returned the question of abortion to the states," Pence said, referencing the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and ended federal protections for the procedure. 

"I truly do believe it’s vitally important that we seize the opportunity at the national level to advance protections for the right to life, and I’ll do so as president," he added. "This is a really big issue. It will be on the stage in Milwaukee."

Pence has called himself unapologetically pro-life and proposed a "minimum standard" of a 15-week national abortion ban if elected president. "That would align American law with most of the countries in Europe that literally ban abortion after 12 to 15 weeks," Pence said in June. "Our laws at the national level today are more aligned with North Korea, China and Iran than with other Western countries in Europe." Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., has also endorsed a 15-week ban. 

Trump's position that the legality of abortion should be determined by states, not the federal government, was sharply rebuked by top abortion opponents, including the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group. Trump's three Supreme Court nominees voted with the majority last year to overturn the 49-year-old decision that recognized a federal abortion right. 

As governor, DeSantis has signed legislation this year banning abortion in Florida at six weeks, but has not pressed for a national ban. That has also drawn criticism from the groups that rebuked Trump.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum shared a photo of himself using crutches Wednesday afternoon after he suffered a leg injury on the evening before the debate.

"I'm in," Burgum captioned the photo shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The photo, which showed Burgum also wearing a walking boot, came after Fox News confirmed Burgum would participate in Wednesday night's Republican debate.

Burgum suffered a leg injury in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Tuesday night while playing a game of pick-up basketball with his staff.

Burgum is one of eight presidential hopefuls set to appear tonight in the first Republican presidential primary debate hosted by Fox News at 9 p.m. ET.

Former Governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, is the daughter of legal immigrants and revealed her plan for immigration in March. She blames the border crisis on both Republicans and Democrats. Haley wants to hire 25,000 more border patrol agents, reinstate the Remain in Mexico program and Title 42 and more.

Tim Scott communicated earlier this month that he would finish the border wall Donald Trump started during his presidency if elected himself.

Vivek Ramaswamy, in an interview with Sean Hannity, said he believes the U.S. should use its own military to secure the southern border and that building a wall is not enough. 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is no stranger to pro-border security. In July, DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1718 which requires employers in Florida to use the E-Verify system for employees. Drivers licenses with limitations from Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Vermont will no longer be recognized in the Sunshine State.

In September 2022, DeSantis sent two planes of illegal immigrants to Martha's Vineyard as "part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations."

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is breaking with his party when it comes to the drug epidemic gripping communities across the nation by supporting the decriminalization, and eventual legalization, of certain hard drugs.

While on the campaign trail in recent weeks, Ramaswamy frequently addressed the issue surrounding the war on drugs and the tragic prevalence of fentanyl deaths, and has offered what he's called a "bold" willingness to cross boundaries to address the demand side of the drug market to prevent such tragedies.

"You don’t hear me talk about the war on drugs. I’m not a war on drugs person," Ramaswamy said while appearing at a Free State Project event in New Hampshire in June. At the event, Ramaswamy said he was "probably the only person in the modern history" of the Republican Party open to a conversation about providing "off ramps" for people to access certain hard drugs, such as "psychedelics, from ayahuasca to ketamine." Although he specifically mentioned veterans and those dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Ramaswamy suggested others could eventually have the same access to certain drugs, citing people who died as a result of ingesting fentanyl that he said could have survived if they had "an alternative path."

"I’m eyes wide open and willing to be bold in crossing boundaries we haven’t yet crossed to address the demand side of this as well," Ramaswamy said.

With less than five months to go until the start of the GOP presidential nominating calendar, the Republican White House contenders will face off for the first time on the debate stage Wednesday night.

And with millions of viewers from coast to coast expected to watch the Fox News hosted showdown in Milwaukee, either on TV or online, the debate is a massive opportunity for the candidates on stage to make a major impression.

"It means a lot for me and every other candidate. It’s going to be the biggest audience any of us have spoken before in a long time," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who's making his second run for the White House, told Fox News Digital recently. "It’s important for people to get to know you, to know who you are, what you want to do for the party and for the country."

Christie is one of eight candidates who will appear at the Republican National Committee organized debate.

The others are former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur and bestselling author Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

"It’s obviously an opportunity for us because… of the eight candidates who’ve made the stage, we’re the least well known. By definition that gives us the most upside," Burgum, who’s not well known outside North Dakota, highlighted in a recent Fox News Digital interview.

In April, Ron DeSantis signed a bill to ban abortion in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for victims of rape and incest. In August, DeSantis said in an NBC News interview he would not support punishments for women who violate abortion bans.

"I think a lot of these women, you know, are in very difficult circumstances. They don’t get any support from a lot of the fathers," DeSantis said in the interview.

In April, Tim Scott revealed his support for a 20-week federal ban on abortion and would potentially consider a 15-week limit.

In May, Nikki Haley vowed to sign a federal abortion ban if elected president. Haley acknowledged a ban of its kind would be difficult to pass without more Republicans elected into the Senate.

In June, Mike Pence vowed to push a national 15-week abortion ban if he is elected president.

Vivek Ramaswamy believes abortion laws should be left to the states to decide. Additionally, he believes states should adopt a "pro-life" stance.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley criticized two of her fellow primary contenders over comments they made about China just ahead of the first GOP debate in Milwaukee Wednesday night.

Haley, also a former U.N. ambassador, said a statement made by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — on only helping Taiwan until 2028 — points to a "complete lack of awareness" of its conflict with mainland China.

"It shows a complete lack of awareness of the breadth of the Chinese threat," Haley initially told the Washington Post’s Josh Rogin. Her campaign later confirmed her comments to Fox News Digital. "That’s the problem with people who don’t understand national security, and he proved that. We can’t have a novice going into the White House."

She also described South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s hesitancy to ban TikTok, an app that shares data with the Chinese government, as "someone who is unsure" in how he would deal with the feud.

"We can’t have someone who is unsure about where they stand on China policy," she said. "Banning TikTok is only the tip of the spear when it comes to defending against China."

Haley has made the global tension between the U.S. and China a major focus of her presidential campaign. She and former Vice President Mike Pence will be the only two candidates on Milwaukee’s debate stage with diplomatic experience.

Drawing a clear contrast to her contenders, Haley said: "We will do whatever we need to do to defend Taiwan, much like we have done what we needed to do to defend Ukraine."

Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this update.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will participate in Wednesday night's Republican debates after suffering a leg injury, Fox News can confirm.

Burgum suffered a leg injury in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Tuesday night while playing a game of pick-up basketball with his staff. He said he would decide whether to participate in Wednesday night's debates after a doctor visit.

Burgum is one of eight presidential hopefuls set to appear tonight in the first Republican presidential primary debate hosted by Fox News at 9 p.m. ET.

The first GOP presidential primary debate of the 2024 cycle will take place on Wednesday evening and will allow the top candidates hoping to pick up their party’s nomination for president to ramp up their efforts to win over primary voters.

While campaigning for the job of going head-to-head with President Biden in next year’s presidential election is already underway, Wednesday night’s debate -- live on Fox News Media platforms -- will give the candidates an opportunity to lay out their case to Republicans voters for why they would make the best choice for the nomination.

It will also allow the candidates to go head-to-head with one another, challenging other’s positions and records and contrasting them with their own. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence , Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will be on the stage for the debate.

Former President Donald Trump has said he will not appear on the debate stage, which will therefore give candidates a greater chance to step into the spotlight in a race that, so far, has often been dominated by the former president and current frontrunner.

The debate is taking place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson officially launched his campaign for president in April, becoming one of the first candidates to join the race for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Before serving two terms as Arkansas’ governor, Hutchinson served as a former federal attorney and member of Congress for two terms. He also served as Drug Enforcement Administration administrator and Department of Homeland Security undersecretary during former President George W. Bush’s administration.

Hutchinson, who steered the National Governors Association last year, had been mulling a 2024 White House run for months. He told Fox News Digital interview last summer that he wanted a role in helping to shape the future of the GOP and "that might lead to a presidential campaign down the road."

A vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, Hutchinson has argued the latter “disqualified himself” to serve as president again, pointing to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters aiming to upend congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory.

Hutchinson was one of the last candidates to qualify for tonight’s debate and is looked at as an “outsider” candidate according to Fox News’ Power Rankings.

The eight Republican presidential primary candidates taking the stage in Milwaukee Wednesday night are expected to present who they are to the American people — and where they stand on the most critical issues facing the nation.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have qualified for the first GOP debate and will take questions from Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

The candidates are expected to field questions related to the economy—specifically related to inflation, social security, and the deficit; national security—China and Beijing’s ambitions to take Taiwan, as well as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, issues related to NATO; immigration and border security; defense; social issues; the Biden presidency; and why they are best to tackle the issues for the American people. 

Republicans chose Milwaukee for its first debate—and for its Republican National Convention next summer — due to Wisconsin’s swing state status.

And Wisconsin is not just a focus for Republicans this cycle.

President Joe Biden visited Milwaukee last week, and his re-election campaign is running paid media ad buys in the state ahead of the first GOP debate in coordination with the Democratic National Committee.

Wisconsin could be one of the most competitive states in the 2024 presidential race. Four of the past six presidential races were decided by less than a percentage point in the state.

The debate will coincide with the RNC’s summer meeting, which is also being held in Milwaukee, 11 months ahead of next year’s convention.

The presidency is a job. It bears a job description, constitutionally and functionally. Voters in effect conduct the job interviews, winnow the field of applicants, and make a final choice. Direct democracy demands the type of access, argument, and accountability provided by official candidate forums. The Fox News debate Wednesday is the first true opportunity for voters to see and hear most of the declared Republican candidates, shoulder to shoulder, live, and facing tough questions from moderators, if not each other.

The temptation is to go viral; the task is to present oneself as a serious policymaker, unifier and visionary at a fraught time in America.

Here are six key things I will look and listen for in the debate:

-First, how will candidates handle the front-runner and former president, absent from the stage but hovering over the election and dominating in the national and state polls? 

-Second, what is each candidate’s five or ten-point plan to rescue and grow the economy?

-Third, can DeSantis survive the expected all-out assault to dislodge him in the number 2 spot and regain traction and which of the other candidate(s) will have a breakout moment? 

-Fourth, Republicans must be peacocks, not ostriches, on abortion, given the recent gains for life, and the unconscionable extremism of the Democrat position to allow abortion anyone anytime anywhere anyhow.

-Fifth, which candidates are willing to tackle issues that tend to appeal more to seniors, women, and youth, like education and health care? 

-Sixth, candidates must bring it on foreign policy.

The number of debates held each presidential election campaign cycle varies depending on a number of factors, including whether a sitting president is running for a second-term with no opposition from within their own party.

If that is the case, there are typically only primary debates held for the party currently not holding the White House. An example of this would be the 2020 presidential election when no Republican primary debates were held because then-President Donald Trump faced no serious challenge from another Republican. 

However, there were 11 debates over nine months between the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination that cycle.

In 2016, when neither party had a sitting president running for re-election, Republicans held 12 primary debates, and Democrats held nine.

There are typically three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate for the general election.

The most recent exception was in 2020, when there were only two presidential debates due to Trump testing positive for the coronavirus ahead of the debate and his decision not to appear remotely.

Don't miss Fox Nation's pre and post event coverage of the first Republican presidential primary debate.

Fox Nation will provide insight into the GOP presidential campaign trail up to this point, detail of each candidate and more at 3 p.m. ET.

At 8:30 p.m. ET, watch "FOX & Friends Weekend" co-host Pete Hegseth live from Milwaukee for pre-show analysis, candidate breakdowns and more ahead of the debate's 9 p.m. ET start time.

During commercials from the main stage, expect political analysis from Hegseth and his guest hosts, conservative radio host Tammy Bruce, "FOX & Friends Weekend" co-host Will Cain and former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy.

Subsequent to the GOP debate at 11 p.m. ET, Hegseth and team will pick winners, losers and break down major moments from the showdown.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have all qualified for center stage.

Participation in presidential debates is not mandatory for candidates. However, it is strategic for candidates to engage, introduce themselves to and appear in front of the American people. Candidates who are not polling well secure more attention on a big stage.

The prime-time showdown between candidates is an opportunity to discuss and argue for or against topics and issues concerning U.S. voters. Presidential candidates, both Republican and Democrat, leverage debate stages to define themselves, raise campaign funds and express stances on political, economic and social issues.

Though debates may be inconsequential for some American voters, they can certainly be influential for others.

To gain the support of American voters, candidates use political advertisements, appearances in swing states and rallies as alternative stops along the campaign trail. Maneuvers like these, combined with debates, influence the final names on a presidential ticket.

Republican presidential candidates will be addressed by moderators, Fox News Channel's Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 23.

Fox News' Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier caught up with Wisconsin Republican primary voters ahead of Wednesday night's GOP debate in Milwaukee. 

With months to go before a candidate is nominated to take on President Biden, many Republican voters are still undecided about who they support.

Jessie Cannizzaro, who owns a plumbing business, said she wants the eventual Republican nominee to address the need for more skilled workers. 

"I think we have to start leading from the top to let people know that the trades deserve just as much respect that any college degree job also deserves," Cannizzaro said. "Right now that message isn't being conveyed the way that we need it to. It's something that often gets lost or forgotten about."

Richard Gagliano is the director of apartment life at a student housing complex within the Milwaukee School of Engineering. A top issue for him is education at the high school and elementary level. He thinks schools need to do more to help students graduate and advance to higher education or skilled learning. 

Richard is undecided when it comes to who he will support for the presidency. He says candidates like Will Hurd, Mike Pence and Robert F Kennedy JR. have all piqued his interest, but he’s hoping a dark horse races forward to lead the pack. 

"I love dark horses. I think that's why none of my candidates ever won in the past," Gagliano said. 

Emilio De Torre never misses an election and is the executive director of a local civic group. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife and three kids. He often considers his family when deciding who to vote for. 

"School is very expensive," De Torre said. "We discuss what we're considering for issues together as a family. I've got my oldest who just started college. One's middle school, one's in high school. So life gets a little costly."

De Torre says health care and minimum wage are other top issues for him. He wants to hear from candidates that address those. 

"I think that's a strong economy and quality of life for our interdependence, and I think they should be co-equal goals," De Torre said. "For families choosing how they're going to ensure their loved ones in their family, what they have to knock off the table. That's a very costly option to weigh in when you're also taking a look at how much you're making per hour."

Sarah Grooms is also focused on economic issues. She works in finance and chairs the policy committee for the Waukesha County Business Alliance. 

Grooms says her background aligns closely with libertarian ideals. She plans to vote in the Republican primary for a candidate who could address her top issues. 

"There’s never a perfect candidate," Grooms said. "And so it really comes down to who can work with as many people as possible to get what America needs." 

Fox News' Bret Baier and Amy Munneke contributed to this update.

American voters will elect a president and vice president on November 5, 2024.

Republican presidential candidates include Former President Donald Trump, Former Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley, American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, American attorney, businessman, and politician Asa Hutchinson, political commentator and radio host Larry Elder, US Senator Tim Scott, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Former Vice President Mike Pence, Former Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum, Mayor of Miami Francis Suarez and American politician and former CIA clandestine officer Will Hurd.

Haley, Ramaswamy, Scott, DeSantis, Pence, Christie and Burgum will participate in the first GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 23.

Democratic presidential candidates include President Joe Biden, American writer Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The only third party candidate is American philosopher Cornel West.

On September 27, Fox Business will host the second Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

National Democrats are plastering Milwaukee with positive messages today about President Biden while also attacking the 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls just hours before their first primary debate.

The Wisconsin city is playing host to the event, moderated by Fox News’ Bret Baier and Martha McCallum, where eight GOP candidates will take the stage at 9 p.m. ET.

Before they go on, the Democratic National Committee coordinated with Biden’s re-election campaign to roll out several billboards across the city and its highways. 

The DNC is also having an airplane circle the area overhead from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. CT. 

"As 2024 Republican presidential candidates prepare for the first Republican primary debate tonight, the DNC is rolling out a series of billboards and a plane across Milwaukee hammering the most extreme slate of candidates in history," the DNC said on Wednesday morning.

"A plane will fly around Milwaukee on Wednesday with a banner reading: ‘GOP 2024: A Race for the Extreme MAGA Base.’ A mobile billboard will also circle the debate venue on Wednesday, introducing the MAGA field with details about each of the candidates’ extreme and out-of-touch agendas."

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this update.

In order to reach the prime-time debate stage, candidates must meet set requirements from polling and pledging to fundraising and more. 

Candidates must be eligible to run for president, have already announced their presidential bid and have an active FEC Form 2 and an active FEC Form 1, according to the GOP website.

Additionally, candidates must poll "at least 1% in three national polls OR 1% in two national polls and 1% in one early state poll from two separate “carve out” states (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina) recognized by the RNC." Polls must meet their own requirements which includes surveys of at least 800 registered likely Republicans.

Candidates must also retain a "minimum of 40,000 unique donors to candidate’s principal presidential campaign committee (or exploratory committee), with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in 20+ states and/or territories." Proof must be presented 48 hours before the first debate.

Criteria also includes a pledge to support the eventual party nominee.

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said the United States is in the middle of a "national identity crisis," telling Fox News Digital that Americans have a "real choice" in the GOP presidential primary – vote for "incremental reform from traditional Republicans" or "something of a revolution," telling Fox News Digital that he stands "on the side of revolution."

In an interview with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the first Republican presidential primary debate, Ramaswamy said the United States is turning into "something that is foreign to the Founding Fathers' vision in 1776."

"I do think the real choice we face in this primary is, do you want incremental reform from traditional Republicans? Or do you want something of a revolution?" he said. "I stand on the side of revolution, and I don’t apologize for that – that makes some other people nervous – but that’s the fact of the matter of who I am and what I stand for in this race."

He added: "And I have a feeling that’s what the people in this country are actually going to choose."

Wednesday’s GOP presidential debate is being moderated by Fox News’ Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier, who have the unique and challenging role of determining the questions to ask each of the candidates on the stage.

"One of the things that you really want to accomplish here is to give people a chance to share with the audience what they would do to make the country better," MacCallum said Monday when asked how she would decide which questions to ask.

"We really want people to walk away from the debate on Wednesday night feeling like they can have a better sense of all these people and maybe their eyes are open to one or two of them that they want to hear more from. I think that's honestly, that's the main goal, is to move this process forward in a way that people feel is edifying and that they are more interested in the morning after on Thursday,” she added.

MacCallum went on to say that, within her role as a moderator, it’s important that she listen to each candidate’s answers to determine whether or not they had dodged the question.

"I think a lot of times people really want to hear a yes or no answer," MacCallum said. "[We're] the person who's got to keep it on track and hold people to the question and make sure that the viewers and the voters, who are the most important part of the evening, are actually getting an answer to the question."

To watch the livestream online, register at FoxNews.com.

Candidates of a presidential debate do not receive questions ahead of time. While current events are surely expected as discussion topics, the precise questions are kept completely secret from candidates.

There has been speculation at times that some presidential candidates have caught wind of questions prior to the start of a debate, but debate moderators, hosting news organizations and politicians have denied it in every case.

So, how does a candidate prepare to answer unknown questions?

Abortion, immigration, Russia and Ukraine, inflation and student loans are issues Americans are prioritizing under the nose of the 2024 presidential race. Viewers should expect some, if not all, of these issues to rear their heads during the debate. Because these political issues are quintessential, the candidates will likely warm up responses during mock debates.

The way a candidate chooses to answer a question is solely up to them, though. Qualifiers may aim for vague replies to moderators, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, for questions they prefer to evade.

Fox News Anchor Martha MacCallum, who will moderate Wednesday’s debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with fellow Fox News anchor Brett Baier,  shed some light on her expected approach to the debate questions. 

"One of the things that you really want to accomplish here is to give people a chance to share with the audience what they would do to make the country better," MacCallum said. “And then you have to get at it from a political angle as well, because there's a lot of strategy that's involved in how one of these people is going to jockey themselves into being the contender, or one of maybe a couple of contenders who make it through the early stages of this process, starting with the debate, in order to get into that head-to-head position with the former president, Donald Trump."

MacCallum added, "We really want people to walk away from the debate on Wednesday night feeling like they can have a better sense of all these people and maybe their eyes are open to one or two of them that they want to hear more from. I think that's honestly, that's the main goal, is to move this process forward in a way that people feel is edifying and that they are more interested in the morning after on Thursday."

Nine candidates reached the polling and donor thresholds required by the Republican National Committee to qualify for the Milwaukee debate: Former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Trump said on his social media app Truth Social Sunday he will "not be doing the debates."

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this update.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is sweating for tonight's first Republican presidential debate, but not in the way you might think.

In an apparent nod to Democratic 2024 contender Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s viral pushup trend, Ramaswamy shared his own workout video dubbed part of his "debate prep" before taking on fellow GOP White House hopefuls during the first primary debate in Milwaukee Wednesday. 

"More debate prep this morning, with my favorite sparring partner," Ramaswamy wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, sharing a video of him and his wife Apoorva Ramaswamy doing burpees in a garage gym with the song "Bring Em Out," from artist T.I.’s 2004 album "Urban Legend," sounding off. 

A shirtless Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur and the youngest presidential candidate at age 38, was seen in another video shared to his X account Monday audibly volleying tennis balls on the court. "Three hours of solid debate prep this morning," he wrote, sharing an American flag. 

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Wednesday’s debate is the first of several primary debates where GOP candidates for president will answer questions, in this case from Fox News moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum about a wide variety of issues related to domestic and foreign policy issues.

To qualify for Wednesday’s debate, candidates needed to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the Republican National Committee: At least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.

Candidates were also required to sign a “loyalty pledge” promising to support the eventual GOP nominee no matter who it is. 

The debate will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and begins at 9 p.m. ET.

The next debate will be hosted by Fox Business and will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, California on September 27.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this update.

Presidential debates can be make-or-break for White House hopefuls, and Wednesday night's Republican primary showdown in Milwaukee is no different.

Much is at stake for the candidates, who each are looking for a breakout moment that will help them chip away at former President Donald Trump's commanding lead in primary polls.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox News Digital that he'll be ready on Wednesday night.

"We’ll be ready to do what we need to do to deliver our message, but we absolutely expect that, and we’ll be ready for it," DeSantis said in an interview this past weekend.

As the runner-up to Trump in most 2024 polls, DeSantis expects to be the number one target of his rivals on a debate stage that won't feature Trump, who snubbed the event.

Asked whether his debate strategy includes punching back at rivals on the stage, DeSantis answered, "Yes, that means defending ourselves, but more importantly, showing why we are the leader to get this country turned around."

The Florida governor is trying to change the narrative after a series of setbacks in the past two months, which triggered weeks of negative stories that spotlighted his campaign’s overspending, staff layoffs, change of leadership and other issues.

But he's not the only one with a lot to gain, or lose.

Former Vice President Mike Pence , a veteran of two vice presidential general election debates, has been preparing for the first showdown by taking part in mock debates. An adviser who is assisting with those and who asked to remain anonymous in order to speak more freely said Pence "will be very well-prepared."

Pence, by upholding his constitutional duties and overseeing congressional certification of President Biden's 2020 Electoral College victory over Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, amid the assault on the U.S. Capitol, has endured the wrath of the former president and plenty of Trump’s most devout loyalists and supporters.

The debate, which is expected to draw millions of TV and online viewers, gives Pence a chance to defend his actions and contrast his positions on other issues with the other GOP contenders.

"We’re ready," Pence senior adviser Marc Short said in a statement. "We’ve been waiting for this for a while."

Those rivals include South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, whose campaign says they've brought in people with "deep experience with past campaigns" to help him prepare.

"Tim Scott will share his positive, conservative message on the debate stage in Milwaukee," Scott's campaign told Fox News. "This debate is another opportunity to connect with millions of voters across the country and show why Tim has faith in America and why he is the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden."

Meanwhile, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie – who ran for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination – will be the only candidate on the stage with presidential primary debate experience.

"I'm incredibly relaxed. I've been there before," Christie told reporters this past weekend. "I'll be the only one on that stage that's ever done it before. So, hell, if I'm nervous, they should all be petrified."

Former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has been a staple on the campaign trail in the crucial early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire as well as her home state of South Carolina since launching her presidential campaign in February. She says that experience has helped her prepare for the debate.

"We have done dozens of town halls in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. We let them ask every question. That’s the best debate prep you can possibly get. So, we’re going to go up on that stage and have a good time," Haley said in a recent Fox News Digital interview.

But one candidate who isn't sweating too much is political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy.

In a Fox News Digital interview last week, Ramaswamy said that "one of the things I’m focused on is not being overly prepared."

Ramaswamy’s campaign told Fox News that the candidate has been cramming in a lot of foreign policy briefings and spars with staff during flights to prepare himself for the initial showdown. But they added that Ramaswamy was not partaking in any mock debates. And on Monday, he said he was getting ready for the debate by playing tennis – shirtless – for a couple of hours.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum are hoping a standout performance in Milwaukee will boost their national name recognition and spark life for their so-far fledgling campaigns.

However, it's unclear if Burgum will be able to attend the debate after being hospitalized Tuesday for an injury he suffered while playing basketball with his staff.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Sen. Tim Scott  said he has the "power of persuasion" and will present himself on the debate stage as the "only competent, qualified" candidate to run the country, telling Fox News Digital he will put forth "commonsense solutions from a conservative platform."

Scott, R-S.C., in an interview with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle, laid out his plan for Wednesday night.

"I have to make sure that the American people know that I am the candidate that has the power of persuasion," Scott said. "And when there is a contrast opportunity on the stage, you should present yourself as the only competent, qualified asset out there."

Scott said if elected, he will "focus on restoring hope, creating opportunities and protecting the America that we love."

"For me, protecting America means backing the blue. The Democrats wanted to defund the police; we want to re-fund the police," he said. "We’re gonna focus on closing the southern border… and finally, you have to stand toe-to-toe with China and protect America." 

The first Republican presidential primary debate begins at 9:00 p.m. ET and will air exclusively on Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, with more ways to watch than ever before! 

The two-hour long debate will be live streamed across all Fox News Media platforms, including Fox News Channel and Fox Business on TV, the Fox News app on mobile and tablet, and streaming services including Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

To watch the livestream online, register at FoxNews.com.

Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will moderate the debate, which will take place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

The eight confirmed candidates who will be on the debate stage, in alphabetical order, are North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Former President Donald Trump qualified for the debate but chose not to attend. 

Before becoming the 33rd governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum established himself as a successful businessman in the software industry. 

Burgum, 67, steered his one-time small business, Great Plains Software, into a $1 billion software company. His business — and its North Dakota-based workers — were eventually acquired by Microsoft, and Burgum stayed on board as a senior vice president.

In 2016, the then first-time candidate and long shot convincingly topped a favored GOP establishment contender to secure the Republican nomination in North Dakota before going on to a landslide victory in the gubernatorial general election in the solidly red state. Burgum was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2020 to a second term as governor.

"Governor Burgum is looking forward to sharing his focus on the economy, energy and national security at the August debate," Burgum campaign spokesman Lance Trover said last month. "In less than 7 weeks, Governor Burgum has exceeded all the requirements for the debate. As a Governor and business leader Doug knows how to fix the economy, unleash American energy and win the Cold War with China."  

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this update

The Republican National Committee has launched a nationwide effort to encourage voters to turn in ballots early ahead of Wednesday's first GOP presidential primary debate. 

The "Bank Your Vote" campaign seeks to motivate pre-Election Day balloting among Republicans ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The RNC effort aims to educate GOP voters on absentee voting, ballot collection and early in-person voting. 

The RNC ad blitz, shared first with Fox News Wednesday, includes a 30-second ad that will appear on the Rumble live stream of the debate, a Fox News-hosted showdown in Milwaukee.

The spot includes RNC chair Ronna McDaniel and other prominent Republicans encouraging GOP voters to cast ballots early next year.

"When Republicans vote early, we win," McDaniel emphasized in the ad.

The RNC also spotlights that the ad includes a Bank Your Vote contest. "If you pledge to bank your vote at BankYourVote.com on Aug. 23, you will be entered to win a chance to attend a future Republican presidential primary debate," the national party committee notes.

The RNC will also have a Bank Your Vote booth at the Convention Partner Fair in Milwaukee Wednesday. The RNC says people attending the debate, vendors and volunteers stopping by the booth can sign up to pledge to bank their vote.  

The committee also notes there will be absentee request forms for all 56 states and territories, with laws and fact sheets about each state and territory’s absentee rules.

The RNC showcases that it's hosting over 400 debate watch parties in all 50 states, where people attending will be encouraged to sign up online and pledge to bank their vote early.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update. 

Senator Tim Scott doubled down on his criticism of Florida's Black history curriculum in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, suggesting his GOP rival Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris are aligned on the issue.

Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris spearheaded attacks against the Sunshine State's new education guidance, saying it replaces "history with lies" and that students would be "told that enslaved people benefited from slavery."

In reality, the thorough curriculum, which was co-authored by a Black professor, details harsh conditions slaves endured and also explains that "slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit" both while enslaved and when they became free. 

At the time, Scott spoke out against the curriculum, saying "There is no silver lining in slavery" which sparked some criticism on the right accusing the 2024 hopeful of siding with Harris on the issue. 

Speaking with Fox News Digital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the sight of the first Republican presidential debate, the senator stood by his criticism, saying DeSantis and Harris "both signed off" on the "same curriculum." 

"All I've suggested is take the sentence out," Scott said. "Anyone who suggests that the nation founded on freedom, talking about the one industry slavery that deprives African Americans of their freedom is somehow going to defend any aspect of it whatsoever, it's just wrong." 

He continued, "There was not a redeeming quality in slavery. For us to have that conversation at all in 2023 is the wrong direction for this nation, and it's just an immoral, undeniably unethical industry that devastated Black families, mutilated Black people and raped Black women."

When asked to clarify what he meant when he said DeSantis and Harris "both signed off" on the "same curriculum," Scott's campaign pointed to Harris' past defense of the AP African American Studies course that the DeSantis administration rejected in January for its "woke" content. 

The course, which has since been revised, offered similar language that read, "In addition to agricultural work, enslaved people learned specialized trades and worked as painters, carpenters, tailors, musicians, and healers in the North and South. Once free, African Americans used these skills to provide for themselves and others."

DeSantis will have a chance to answer Scott's criticism at tonight's debate.

Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this update. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will remind voters of his "proven conservative record" and pitch his "vision to reverse America's decline" at Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate.  

DeSantis, who will stand center stage at the Fox News-hosted debate in Milwaukee, is the highest-polling candidate participating in the showdown. His campaign expects that popularity will draw attacks from the other GOP candidates, who are each trying to persuade voters they are the best choice to take on President Biden and the Democrats. 

"Gov. DeSantis will be the number one target on the stage," DeSantis’ Deputy Campaign Manager David Polyansky told Fox News Digital.

In the center of the stage, alongside DeSantis, will stand biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. On either side of DeSantis and Ramaswamy will be former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will stand in the number five and six positions, with former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum standing on the wings of the debate stage. 

Polyansky added that DeSantis will "receive the most incoming from many, if not all, of the candidates on the stage — and off — because they recognize it is a two-person race."

Former President Donald Trump is currently the leading the 2024 GOP presidential primary field but has chosen not to attend the debate Wednesday night, pointing to his large lead, with DeSantis standing in second place in most polls.

But the DeSantis team says Wednesday night will be an opportunity to discuss the future of America and to show GOP voters why the governor is the best person to lead the country.

"DeSantis in particular has a chance to explain to GOP voters why he deserves to be their nominee based on his proven conservative record and vision to reverse America’s decline," Polyansky told Fox News Digital. "And also why he feels that nobody is going to be handed this nomination."

"You are going to have to show up on the debate stage and make your pitch to Republican voters," he said. "Through all of the noise, this remains a two-person race."

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this update.

Former President Donald Trump pointed to his commanding lead over the rest of the large field of candidates for the GOP nomination as he announced on Sunday that he won't take part in the debate, a Fox News-hosted showdown Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A week earlier, Trump said he would not sign a Republican National Committee pledge to support the GOP’s eventual presidential nominee – regardless of who it is – nor commit to avoid any debate not sanctioned by the national party committee.

While Trump won't be on the stage with his rivals for the 2024 nomination, the former president and the multiple criminal indictments he’s battling will be firmly in the debate’s spotlight.

Hovering over the debate will be Trump's expected trip by the end of the week to Atlanta, Georgia, where he's under court orders to surrender on charges he conspired along with 18 co-defendants to overturn the 2020 election results.

"If he’s not there, he’ll still be there," said Fox News’ anchor Bret Baier, who along with fellow host Martha MacCallum are co-moderating the debate. "He’ll be a part of the questioning."

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

Former two-term New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie officially launched his second White House bid in June, joining a crowded field of presidential hopefuls vying for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Declaring his candidacy during a town hall event at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire — the state with the first GOP presidential primary — Christie said: "I can't guarantee you success in what I'm about to do. But I guarantee you that at the end of it, you will have no doubt in your mind who I am and what I stand for and whether I deserve it.”

In his speech, Christie railed against the division that he said has driven Americans into smaller groups, brought about by the likes of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He also touted America's role throughout its history in "fighting evil" across the world.

Christie focused a portion of his campaign announcement speech on taking jabs at former President Donald Trump, describing him as a "leader who won't admit any of his shortcomings" and referring to him as "Voldemort," the infamous villain in the "Harry Potter" novels.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Christie, held the highest office in the state from 2010 to 2018 and was the deep-blue state's last Republican governor, first ran for president in the 2016 cycle.

At the time, Christie placed all his chips in New Hampshire, but his campaign crashed and burned after a disappointing and distant sixth-place finish in New Hampshire, far behind Trump, who crushed the competition in the primary en route to the nomination and eventually the White House.

Christie became the first among the other GOP 2016 contenders to endorse Trump, and for years he was a top outside adviser to the then-president and chaired Trump’s high-profile commission on opioids. However, the two had a falling out after Trump’s unsuccessful attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to now-President Joe Biden . Over the past two years, Christie has become one of the most vocal Trump critics in the GOP.

A recent Fox News Poll found that Christie was the most favored Republican candidate among self-identified Democrat voters.

Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

Former Vice President Mike Pence filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to launch his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in early June.

Pence was serving as the governor of Indiana when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump named him his running mate in 2016. For four years, Pence served as the loyal vice president to Trump.

However, everything changed on Jan. 6, 2021, as demonstrators — including some chanting "hang Mike Pence" — stormed the U.S. Capitol aiming to upend congressional certification of President Biden’s Electoral College victory that was overseen by Pence.

In the more than two years since the end of the Trump administration, the former president and vice president have drifted further apart. Pence has repeatedly rebuked his former boss, calling him out by name while discussing Trump's claim that Pence could have overturned the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Pence has described the 2021 protest at the Capitol as "tragic,” insisting that "it dishonored the millions of people who had supported our cause around the country." He has emphasized that he did "the right thing" and performed his "duty under the Constitution." He has also noted a number of times that he and Trump may never "see eye to eye on that day."

Trump loyalists will likely never forgive Pence, whom they view as a traitor for refusing to reject the 2020 election results.

In announcing his campaign, Pence became the first running mate in eight decades to run against his former boss, since Vice President John Nance Garner unsuccessfully challenged President Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 election.

Born in Columbus, Indiana , Pence has touted the Trump-Pence administration’s policy successes in stump speeches but contrasts himself with the controversial former president in terms of tone and tenor.

"People around the country want us to see us restore a threshold of civility in our political debate," Pence emphasized. "You can disagree without being disagreeable. People that know me know I take very strong stands. I’m conservative, but I’m not in a bad mood about it."

He has stressed that "should we enter the fray in this campaign in the days ahead, we’re going to bring those principles, but we’re going to bring a commitment to civility that I think the American long to see."

Pundits had long viewed Pence as a likely 2024 contender, as he spent the past two years crisscrossing the country to campaign and help raise money for Republicans running in the 2022 elections. Those travels took Pence multiple times to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada — the first four states to vote in the Republican presidential nominating calendar — as he strengthened relationships in the early voting presidential primary and caucus states that usually precede the launch of a White House campaign.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott announced in May that he would seek the GOP nomination for president.

Known for his fundraising prowess, Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, entered the White House race with his campaign coffers well stocked. Scott reported nearly $22 million cash on hand at the end of last year — funds left over from the senator’s convincing 25-point re-election victory in November in reliably red South Carolina.

A pair of Scott-aligned super PACs started 2023 with roughly $16 million in the bank, thanks to contributors from numerous Republican mega-donors including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

"Here’s a kid that grew up in North Charleston, South Carolina, mired in poverty, in a single parent household. To think about one day being the President of the United States just tells me that the evolution of the American soul continues to move toward that more perfect union," Scott told Fox News in May.

Prior to his campaign announcement, Scott, who has served in the Senate since 2013 and was born in North Charleston, South Carolina, had been viewed by political pundits as a potential 2024 Republican presidential contender.

While the senator had repeatedly demurred when asked about a White House bid, he hinted last November at a possible future run during his re-election victory celebration by telling the story of how he took his grandfather to the polls in 2012, and that his grandfather proudly voted for him as well as for Democrat Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president.

"I wish he had lived long enough to see perhaps another man of color elected President of the United States," Scott said, before adding "but this time let it be a Republican."

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

Former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced in February that she would be running for president, seeking the Republican nomination for the 2024 election.

Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, Haley has long been viewed by political pundits as a potential GOP presidential contender.

Haley has crisscrossed the country the past two years through her political group Stand for America, helping fellow Republicans running in the 2022 elections. Her travels brought her numerous times to Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, which hold the first, second and fourth contests in the Republican presidential nominating calendar. Haley’s home state of South Carolina votes third in the GOP primary schedule.

“America is not past our prime, it's just that our politicians are past theirs," Haley said in her first campaign speech, as the crowd chanted "USA" and "Nikki."

Haley has called for years for the U.S. to be more aggressive in combating the threat from Beijing and in June called for a fundamental change in the U.S. outlook to the threat from the East.

In late July, Haley unveiled an extended plan to deal with the Chinese Communist Party. The plan includes a pledge to roll back Biden-era green energy mandates, which she says are a giveaway to Beijing.

While polls indicate Haley is an underdog compared to other candidates like former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Haley has a history of winning tough elections.

In 2004, she defeated the state’s longest-serving state House member in the GOP primary on her way to winning a state legislative seat. And six years later, she topped a congressman, the state’s lieutenant governor, and the attorney general in the Republican gubernatorial primary, ahead of her general election victory.

Haley is the daughter of immigrants from India who grew up to become South Carolina’s first female governor and the nation’s first female governor of Asian American heritage.

Following her tenure as governor of the Palmetto State, Haley served in Trump's administration as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, leaving at the end of 2018 on good terms with the then-president.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this update.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a health care and tech sector entrepreneur, conservative commentator and author who has become a crusader in the culture wars, declared his candidacy in the Republican presidential primary in February.

Born in Cincinnati, Ramaswamy quickly made a name for himself on the campaign trail.

Ramaswamy, who was dubbed "the CEO of Anti-Woke Inc." in a New Yorker magazine profile last year, said earlier this year that his campaign is "about the unapologetic pursuit of excellence in our country. It means you believe in merit; that you get ahead in this country not on the color of your skin but on the content of your character and your contributions."

In an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this month, Ramaswamy said that he wants to answer "the question of what it means to be American in the year 2023."

"I’m 37 years old. When you ask people my age and younger what it means to be American today, you get a blank stare," he said.

Ramaswamy has called for a "total decoupling" from Communist China , which he argues is a greater threat to America today than the Soviet Union was during the Cold War because China makes the "shoes on our feet and the phones in our pockets.”

As the son of Indian migrants who legally came through America's "front door," Ramaswamy is a strong supporter of merit-based immigration and would not grant leniency for those who broke the law when entering the country.

Other top priorities of his include "restoring free speech," which would involve making political expression a civil right and banning Big Tech censorship executed at the behest of the government, and "dismantling" affirmative action and the "new climate religion," which he calls a "cancer on the American soul."

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently told Fox News Digital he's "ready to do what we need to" in the first GOP debate to differentiate himself from the rest of the field.

DeSantis will try to establish himself as the top challenger to former President Donald Trump and change the narrative after a series of setbacks the past two months, which triggered weeks of negative stories spotlighting his campaign’s overspending, staff layoffs, change of leadership and other setbacks.

"I know from the military, when you’re over the target, that’s when you’re taking flak. And if you look really in the last six to nine months, I’ve been more attacked than anybody else. Biden, Harris, the media, the left, other Republican candidates," DeSantis said. "And there’s a reason for that, because people know that I’m the biggest threat. So we view it as positive feedback. We’ll be ready to do what we need to do to deliver our message, but we absolutely expect that, and we’ll be ready for it."

Asked whether his debate strategy includes punching back at rivals on the stage, DeSantis told Fox News, "Yes, that means defending ourselves but more importantly showing why we are the leader to get this country turned around."

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this update

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will stand center stage at Wednesday night's first GOP presidential nomination debate, according to a lineup released Tuesday by the Republican National Committee.

Standing alongside DeSantis and Ramaswamy at the debate – a Fox News-hosted showdown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – will be former Vice President Mike Pence and former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will stand in the number five and six positions. 

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will stand on the wings of the debate stage. 

An RNC release from early June stated that "qualified candidates will be placed on stage according to polling, with the highest polling candidate in the center."

National party committee chair Ronna McDaniel, in a statement on Monday night, spotlighted that "the RNC is excited to showcase our diverse candidate field and the conservative vision to beat Joe Biden on the debate stage Wednesday night."

Former President Donald Trump, the commanding front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination, on Sunday pointed to his large lead over his rivals in announcing that he would not take part in the debate.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has a blunt suggestion for some of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination that they likely don't want to hear.

Christie says that for the candidates who "haven’t made the stage" at the upcoming first GOP presidential primary debate, "it’s time to go."

Christie, in a Fox News Digital interview in New Hampshire emphasized that the debate "means a lot for me and every other candidate. It’s going to be the biggest audience any of us have spoken before in a long time. It’s important for people to get to know you, to know who you are, what you want to do for the party and for the country. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

But Christie, a master of in-your-face politics who's making his second White House run after an unsuccessful bid in 2016, stressed, "If you don’t make the debate stage, you should leave the field. I think it’s that simple. That’s the first winnowing process." 

Pointing to the RNC's polling and donor thresholds in order to qualify for the initial Fox News hosted debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Christie said, "I think these objectives were fair ones to reach, to be able to get on the stage. And if you haven’t made the stage, I think it’s time to go."

Dark horse candidate Doug Burgum sees an opportunity without GOP front-runner in first debate

Fox News Channel announced a plethora of special live programming surrounding its coverage of the first Republican presidential primary debate on August 23. 

Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will moderate the debate, which takes place in Milwaukee starting at 9 p.m. ET and will air across FOX News Media’s platforms.

A special 30-minute edition of "Jesse Watters Primetime" will air at 8 p.m. ET, followed by "Countdown to the Debate" anchored by Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer. Commentators including Harold Ford Jr., Brit Hume, Trey Gowdy, Karl Rove and Kellyanne Conway will provide analysis throughout the special program.

Following the two-hour debate, "Hannity" will air at 11 p.m. ET to offer post-debate analysis from host Sean Hannity and guests live from Milwaukee. At 12 p.m. ET, "FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher" will continue the network’s coverage of the critical first GOP debate. 

"FOX & Friends," "America’s Newsroom," and "The Five" will also have special broadcasts from Milwaukee, while White House correspondent Peter Doocy will cover the event from the White House and Fox News correspondents Alexis McAdams and Bill Melugin will update viewers on reaction across the country.

"The Ingraham Angle" with Laura Ingraham airs in its usual time slot at 7 p.m. ET. 

FOX Business will simulcast Fox News Channel’s special live coverage while Fox News Digital will offer nonstop coverage with a continuously updated live blog and reporters on the ground. 

FOX Business will host the second GOP presidential primary debate on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California. Additional details about the second debate will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.