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.
"We are extremely proud to have Bret and Martha moderating the first debate of the 2024 presidential election season as Americans learn more about the candidates ahead of exercising their constitutional right to vote," FOX News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace said earlier this year when the debate was announced.
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.
The first Republican presidential primary debate will feature eight candidates on the stage, the Republican National Committee announced.
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 entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have qualified.
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Leading up to the night of the debate, "The Story" and "Special Report" will be anchored live from the debate site in Milwaukee starting on Monday.
"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.
Baier and MacCallum have each played pivotal roles in the coverage of every major political event throughout their tenures at Fox News. They recently co-anchored special programming for President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address, the 2022 midterm elections, the 2020 presidential election and the 2018 midterms.
To make the stage for the first GOP primary debate, 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 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 last month.
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' Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
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