If Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, seems too early for a presidential debate, that isn’t stopping the Republican Party from holding one in the city of Milwaukee and broadcasting it on multiple Fox News-affiliated outlets.
The debate is set to begin at 6 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday, with Fox News beginning its coverage at 5 p.m. and continuing past 9 p.m. — which on the East Coast is midnight, or that time when cable news channels morph from shiny carriages into not-so-shiny pumpkins until the news cycle begins anew the following morning.
The debate is sponsored by the Republican National Committee, and the wraparound coverage will be carried on:
The streaming service Rumble will also carry the contest.
The biggest news surrounding the debate concerns who will — and won’t — be there.
Donald Trump, the former president who faces four indictments, will not travel to Milwaukee. He has said, both on the stump and on social media, that he doesn’t need to debate due to his overwhelming lead among the GOP field.
In a Rasmussen Reports poll released Monday, 49% of likely Republican primary voters said they would vote for Trump. He was followed by businessman Vivik Ramaswamy at 11%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 10%, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 7%, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott at 4%, former Vice President Mike Pence and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, each at 3%, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and radio host Larry Elder each at 1%.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Texas businessman Ryan Binkley and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson each drew less than 1% in the Rasmussen poll.
As counter-programming, Trump recorded an interview with former Fox host Tucker Carlson that is slated to be broadcast on Twitter/X at the same time as the debate, according to sources.
If you’re keeping score, that’s one guy thumbing his nose at the RNC, the other at his former cable news…
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