Republican Presidential Hopefuls Square Off in Unconventional Debate

Republican presidential candidates will appear in another debate next week in the race for the Republican nomination.

According to Reuters, candidates will meet at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for the fourth debate.

Unlike the first three debates, however, this one is notably not hosted by Fox News or NBC and instead hosted by subscription-based television network NewsNation, conservative political journal the Washington Free Beacon, The Megyn Kelly Show on Sirius XM, and Rumble, a video hosting service popular with conservatives.

Alabama is largely considered a Republican state, and its first early primary contest is in March.

Candidates expected to attend the debate include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley. Both are trying for second place in the primary race, while tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is on the verge of cutting.

Former President Donald Trump will not attend. National polls indicate he leads the Republican field by over 40 percentage points.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who qualified for the third debate, has dropped out. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who also appeared in the third debate, struggles to meet the polling threshold.

The Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the primary campaign, are set for Jan. 15.

This week, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and DeSantis met for a face-off between the two parties, dubbed “The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate.”

According to ABC, they battled over the economy, pandemic restrictions, and President Joe Biden’s administration.

Newsom, 56, has said he supports Biden for the 2024 presidential race. Political experts say he may make a run for the 2028 presidential election, but for now, he’s declined to challenge Biden.

“How’s that going for you, Ron? You’re down 41 points in your home state,” he said on Thursday. “Neither of us will be the nominee for a party in 2024.”

DeSantis called Newsom “a liberal bully.” Of DeSantis, Newsom said, “I don’t like how you demean and humiliate people you disagree with.”

Photo Courtesy: Screenshot: Newsom takes aim at DeSantis: ‘You’re down 41 points in your own home state’/Fox News via YouTube/12/1/23 @ 12:44pm

Video Courtesy: Fox News via YouTube

Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.

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