Republican presidential debate: Start time, candidates, how to watch and stream

Republicans will hold their fourth presidential debate of the 2024 election Wednesday in Alabama, and once again former President Donald Trump won’t be on stage.

Trump, who faces 91 felony counts in four criminal cases, will instead be in Hallandale Beach, Fla., attending a fundraiser for the super PAC MAGA Inc. He also appeared in a pretaped town hall on Fox News Tuesday, after the network was forced to cut away from live coverage of his speech in Iowa on Saturday to correct “many untruths” about the results of the 2020 election.

The former president, who has yet to join a Republican debate stage, has said on the campaign trail that he would use the powers of government to punish his enemies if reelected. His hostile rhetoric and past refusal to honor election results have become increasingly alarming to political observers, historians, and some members of his own party.

“He’s told us what he will do,” former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney told CBS News Sunday. “People who say, ‘Well, if he’s elected, it’s not that dangerous because we have all of these checks and balances’ don’t fully understand the extent to which the Republicans in Congress today have been co-opted.”

It’s been hard for his 2024 opponents to gain traction against Trump, who is the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination ahead of next month’s Iowa caucuses. Some — such as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — have been reluctant to directly attack Trump, alluding to him instead with comments like “we cannot have four years of chaos, vendettas, and drama.”

Wednesday might be the last opportunity for Haley and her fellow Republican presidential candidates — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Vivek Ramaswamy — to make a case for themselves in front of a national audience before voters head to the polls. The Iowa caucuses are Jan. 15, and the Republican National Committee has not scheduled another debate.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the fourth Republican debate of the 2024 election cycle:

Wednesday’s Republican debate is scheduled to run from 8 to 10 p.m. at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The debate is hosted by NewsNation, the Washington Free Beacon, The Megyn Kelly Show on Sirius XM, and the conservative social media platform Rumble.

There are two options if you’re looking to watch on TV.

The debate will air live on the network’s TV channel (Channels 191/1116 on Xfinity and channels 86/568 on Fios) and its digital platforms. NewsNation also streams on most of the skinny cable bundles out there, including YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, and Sling TV.

Pre- and post-debate coverage will be anchored by former CNN host Chris Cuomo, who was fired in 2021 after helping his brother — then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — during a sexual harassment scandal. He joined NewsNation in August 2022, where he hosts the appropriately named Cuomo weeknights at 8 p.m.

In Philadelphia and along the Eastern and Central time zones, the debate will air live on The CW.

In addition to streaming on NewsNation’s platforms, the debate will be free to view on Rumble. It will also air on SiriusXM’s Triumph channel, which features Kelly and other conservative hosts, including Laura Schlessinger and Glenn Beck.

Five candidates qualified, including former President Donald Trump. Trump once again will skip the event. Here are the four candidates who will appear:

Earlier this week, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum — who failed to quality for the third Republican presidential debate last month — announced he was suspending his campaign. Burgum criticized the Republican National Committee for debate requirements that took the “power of democracy” away from voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott announced last month that he was ending his presidential bid during a Fox News appearance, a move that “surprised his donors and stunned his campaign staff,” according to the Associated Press.

Despite not making it to the debate stage for three straight events, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is continuing his longshot campaign. Hutchinson has been campaigning in Iowa, and is scheduled to appear at a town hall in Des Moines on Thursday.

Wednesday’s debate will feature three moderators:

We have a little more than a month until the first votes in the 2024 presidential election are cast in the Iowa caucuses.

Pennsylvania’s primary is scheduled for April 23. New Jersey Republicans won’t vote in the primary until June 4.

Super Tuesday, which includes primary elections in 15 states and features the largest number of Republican delegates up for grabs in a single day, will take place on March 5.

Here is a rundown of the early Republican contests:

It’s unclear how many debates the Republican National Committee will approve this cycle. In the 2016 election, there were 12 Republican debates.

CNN is holding town hall events with two Republican presidential candidates: DeSantis on Dec. 12 and Ramaswamy on Dec. 13.

To participate in Wednesday’s debate, candidates needed to reach 6% support in multiple polls and secure at least 80,000 donors, according to the Republican National Committee. Candidates were also required to pledge their support to whomever wins the Republican nomination, something Trump has declined to do.

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