Thursday, Jul. 27, 2023
Do Republican presidential candidates participating in the Milwaukee debate have to pledge not to participate in debates the GOP doesn’t sanction?
Republican 2024 presidential candidates seeking to participate in the Milwaukee debate must pledge not to take part in any debate during the 2024 election cycle that is not sanctioned by the GOP.
The Milwaukee debate, the first for Republican presidential contenders, is scheduled for Aug. 23, 2023.
To participate, candidates must meet several requirements, including having 40,000 unique donors to their campaign and earning a minimum amount of support in polls. The candidates must also make several pledges, including to support the eventual Republican nominee.
In August 2022, the Republican National Committee quit the Commission on Presidential Debates, demanding a debate be held before early voting starts and prohibiting moderators who previously worked for a candidate.
The commission was established jointly by the Democratic and Republican parties in 1987 to ensure debates between the leading general election presidential candidates. The commission sponsored all presidential debates between 1988 and 2020.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Republican Party RNC Announces Criteria and Date for First Debate in Milwaukee
- Republican Party RNC Unanimously Votes to Withdraw from COmmission on Presidential Debates
- The Commission on Presidential Debates About CPD
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Is Wisconsin one of only six states with same-day voter registration?
Monday, Feb. 17, 2025
Do recent studies link water fluoridation with less dental decay in children?
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
Are airline flights the safest mode of transportation in the U.S.?
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025