COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) 鈥 A fourth Republican presidential debate has been set for next month, with heightened polling requirements that could make the stage less crowded than before.
The Republican 好色tv Committee said Thursday that the fourth debate would take place Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. NewsNation, The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM and the Washington Free Beacon will partner as hosts, with Kelly, NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas and Washington Free Beacon鈥檚 Eliana Johnson acting as moderators, according to the party.
鈥淚t will be the margarita of debates 鈥 spicy, fun and somewhat intoxicating," Kelly said, in a release. 鈥淟ooking forward to it.鈥
As with previous debates, the event will also be livestreamed on Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with some conservatives.
To make the stage, candidates must garner at least 6% in two approved national polls, or 6% in one poll from two separate early-voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
Participants also need to amass at least 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory, in 20 or more states.
Candidates have until 48 hours before the debate to satisfy the requirements.
The RNC has increased the necessary markers with each debate, an effort intended to winnow the once sprawling field.
Meeting some of the qualifications has been tough for some candidates, including former Arkansas Gov. who participated in the debut debate but hasn't met subsequent qualifications. Former Vice President on stage for the first two debates, after it appeared likely that he wouldn't qualify for the third.
That debate, which required campaigns to meet 4% in polls and notch 70,000 unique donors.
Florida Gov. former South Carolina Gov. biotech entrepreneur Sen. of South Carolina and former New Jersey Gov. were the five candidates to meet those markers.
As he did for the first two debates, former President 鈥 the GOP field's current front-runner 鈥 instead counterprogramming with a rally in Hialeah, Florida, about a half-hour drive from the debate site.
Trump's campaign has called for primary debates to be canceled, that the RNC must instead 鈥渞efocus its manpower鈥 on defeating Democrat next year.
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at
___
This story has been corrected to reflect that participation in the fourth debate requires at least 80,000 unique donors, not 800,000.
