Could the first Republican primary debate be utterly disappointing?

According to Politico, rules for the Fox News event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August could limit candidates’ access to the stage.

Less than half of the announced candidates may not make it due to low polling support and inability to recruit campaign donors.

According to Politico, the Republican National Committee is requiring candidates to receive contributions from 40,000 unique benefactors, including at least 200 in each of 20 states, in order to participate in the debate.

Only former President Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and Vivek Ramaswamy met the criteria for donors.

The criteria could exclude candidates such as Mike Pence, a former Republican vice president.

Candidates must also receive more than one percent of the vote in three recognized polls conducted after 1 July.

Candidates for the nomination must also pledge allegiance to the party’s eventual nominee, a requirement that some candidates have categorically rejected.

According to NBC News, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie harshly criticized the fealty pledge in a June interview. Trump’s erstwhile political ally has predicated his candidacy on harsh criticism of the former president.

According to The New York Times, Christie subsequently stated he would sign the pledge, while all but confessing he would not honor it if Trump gained the nomination.

“I will do what I need to do to be up on that stage,” Christie said.

“I’m going to take the pledge just as seriously as Donald Trump took it in 2016.”

More on this story via The Western Journal:

There’s no solid indication that the Republican elephant in the room will even show up for the event.

Trump — who leads polling in the primary contest significantly — has repeatedly questioned why he would even attend the debate. CONTINUE READING…