DeSantis pledges to attend initial presidential debate.

OAN’s Roy Francis

11:08 AM – Friday, July 7, 2023

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is ready to make his mark in the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

During an appearance on Fox News Tonight, DeSantis (R-Fla.) emphasized the significance of the debates in the nomination process. He expressed his eagerness to be on the stage and introduce his candidacy, vision, and leadership to a wide audience. DeSantis hopes that all eligible candidates will participate.

“I’ll be there regardless. I hope everybody who’s eligible comes. I think it’s an important part of the process and I look forward to being able to be on the stage and introducing our candidacy and our vision and our leadership to a wide audience,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis’ announcement coincides with the Republican National Committee (RNC) facing resistance from candidates who criticize the requirements to qualify for the debate stage.

The RNC has set criteria including a loyalty pledge, a high donor threshold, and polling thresholds for candidates to qualify for the debates.

Candidates must poll at least at 1% in three national polls, or 1% in two national polls and 1% in one early state poll from two “carve out” states recognized by the RNC, which are Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. The polls must survey at least 800 registered Republican voters to count.

In addition to the voter threshold and the 40,000 unique donor threshold, the RNC requires candidates to pledge support for the eventual Republican nominee. So far, only former ambassador Nikki Haley and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott have made the vow, while other candidates have expressed reservations or remain undecided.

Despite trailing behind the former president by double digits, DeSantis remains confident in his campaign and the support he has been receiving.

“Did you just see the news today about the record fundraising haul we’ve had? Nobody’s been able to match that in the history of modern presidential politics,” he said. “We’ve got a huge amount of support to be able to take the case to the people. We really haven’t started that yet. We’re in the process of building out a great organization, and I think we’re going to be on the ground in all these early states.”

DeSantis and former President Donald Trump are currently the top two contenders for the GOP presidential nomination.

The first debate is scheduled for August 23.

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