Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced he will attend the first Republican presidential debate, although it remains unclear who else will join him on the stage.
Former President Donald Trump has indicated he might skip the Aug. 23 event in Milwaukee, but on Thursday, DeSantis said he will make the event.
“I’ll be there regardless. I hope everybody who’s eligible comes,” DeSantis said during a Fox News interview, according to the New York Post. At one time, the super PAC supporting DeSantis indicated he might not join the debate if Trump does not attend.
Trump, DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have met the Republican National Committee’s goals for fundraising, which required 40,000 unique donors, 200 of whom must be unique to at least 20 states or territories, according to the New York Post.
Participants must also have at least 1 percent support in three independent national polls or two national polls and one independent poll from two of the four states that vote first: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
In addition to the five who have met the fundraising goals, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence have met the polling criteria.
There is one other condition. The RNC, which is sponsoring the debate, wants all of the candidates to sign a two-fold pledge that they will not participate in a debate unless the GOP sanctions it, and that they will support the eventual party nominee.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has not met either benchmark, criticized the rules.
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“If the outcome of all of these machinations is a very limited field and no Trump in the first debate, it’s hard to see how that can be successful,” Hutchinson said, according to the Associated Press.
He said he expects to make the qualifications.
“We’re not there yet. We’ve got a ways to go. And we fully intend to get there,” he said.
A Pence representative was also upbeat.
“Getting in late made it more difficult, but we’re confident we’ll get there,” Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley said.
As for Christie, Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s one-time White House communications director who now backs Christie, is calling for donations to help Christie make the stage.
“Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, whether you would vote for Chris or wouldn’t vote for Chris, we need someone onstage to tell the truth and put a stop to this nonsense,” he said.
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith has said it is “imperative to have Christie onstage for several reasons.”
“Christie’s presence will force both Trump and DeSantis to defend their positions in ways others may be unable to pull off,” he said.
As for the RNC’s pledge to support the nominee, Pence, Haley and Scott have agreed to sign it. Christie, Hutchinson and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd have not. Trump has said it will depend upon who is the nominee, according to the Post.
