At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, seven contenders will participate in the second Republican presidential debate. Former President Donald Trump will hold events in Michigan, while former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson did not make the cut this time. Two nationwide polls, or 3% in one national poll, and two polls from four early voting states (New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada) were required for candidates to qualify for the second debate. Candidates for the White House had to raise at least $5,000,000 from a minimum of 50,000 individual donors, with at least $200,000. They were also required to sign a promise pledging their loyalty to the Republican National Committee’s nominee.
The governor of Florida, Rick Scott, is Trump’s most prominent opponent, although he is behind the Republican frontrunner in both early state and national polls. The sum he has collected is remarkable. The South Carolina senator is seeking to make up for his lackluster performance in the first debate in Milwaukee by having a memorable moment on Wednesday. Scott proposed rearranging the candidates’ podium positioning in the party’s favor onstage.
Haley saw an increase in donations after the first debate, where she performed well as the sole woman running for the Republican nomination. Her campaign claimed a record-breaking $1 million was raised in 72 hours. Two recent South Carolina surveys showed that Haley, well behind Trump but ahead of other GOP opponents, was in second place.
At the outset of his campaign, the ex-governor of New Jersey portrayed himself as the only contender capable of challenging Trump, challenging the outgoing president to “show up at the debates and defend his record.” Burgum, a former software entrepreneur and current governor of North Dakota, nearly missed the first debate after he injured a tendon while playing basketball with his campaign crew. In Milwaukee, Pence clashed with several other contenders over some of the most divisive issues in the Republican primary.
