The first Republican primary debate is less than one month away, and seven candidates are on track to take the stage in Milwaukee on August 23.

Update: Which Candidates Qualify for the Republican Primary Debate?

July 31, 2023

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The first Republican primary debate is less than one month away, and more than half of the GOP presidential hopefuls have met the requirements to participate. As it stands now, seven candidates will be taking the stage in Milwaukee on August 23.

To qualify for the debate, candidates must meet the criteria laid out by the Republican Party. First, they need at least 1% support in three national polls (or two national polls and an early state poll in two “carve out” states determined by the GOP). They are also required to have 40,000 unique donors, with at least 200 in each state, and must also sign an agreement to support the eventual nominee.

The qualifying candidates are as follows:

Former President Donald Trump, 54%
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 3%
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, 9%
Former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, 5%
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, 0%
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie 4%
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, 6%

But the other half of the GOP field is quickly running out of time. The candidates still to qualify for the first primary are:

Former Vice President Mike Pence, 3% but has not met the donor requirement
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, 6%
Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, 2%
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, 1%
Conservative commentator Larry Elder, 1%
Michigan Businessman Perry Johnson, 1%

As the debate approaches and former President Trump’s lead of the field holds strong, other candidates have been making great efforts to pull ahead of the competition—and few have gathered greater momentum than Vivek Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy, once relatively unknown in politics, exploded onto the scene earlier this year with bold plans to gut federal agencies, combat gender ideology, and even give back to his campaign supporters.

And now YOU have an opportunity to find out even more about this rising star in the Republican Party!

Join Vivek, Patrick Bet-David, and the rest of the Valuetainment Team at our studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday, August 4th at 7 pm for a town hall experience unlike any other.