How to watch tonight's Republican debate: Channel, moderators, more
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Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will debate head-to-head for the first time Wednesday night on CNN, just five days before Iowans gather to decide who to support for the party’s 2024 nomination.
Here is everything you need to know about the showdown:
When and where is the debate?
The Republican primary debate will take place at 9 p.m. ET at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
How can I watch it?
The debate will air on CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International and CNN Max. Viewers without a cable login can watch on CNN.com, CNN-connected TV and mobile apps and on CNN Max (if you’re a Max subscriber).
Subscribers can also catch on-demand replays of the debate starting Jan. 11 on CNN.com, CNN apps, and cable operator platforms.
Who is moderating?
CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the debate. Tapper, 54, is the host of the afternoon weekday show “The Lead,” while Bash, 52, fronts the midday “Inside Politics” program.
Tapper and Bash have also co-hosted CNN’s Sunday public affairs program “State of the Union” since 2021.
This will be the third Republican primary debate moderated by Tapper, who oversaw two clashes during the 2016 cycle. Bash took part in three Republican debates during the 2016 cycle as a questioner, though her colleagues Tapper and Wolf Blitzer officially served as moderators.
Which candidates will be there?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will be the only candidates on stage and will attempt to make one of their final cases to voters before the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses.
How did they qualify?
Haley and DeSantis both met CNN’s polling threshold of 10% in three national and/or Iowa surveys. One of the polls had to be a CNN survey of likely Republican Iowa caucus-goers, and the window to qualify closed Jan. 2.
This is the first forum to be held since the Republican National Committee dropped its ban on candidates engaging in outside debates, and CNN was solely responsible for creating the qualifying criteria.
Where will Trump be?
The former president also met the qualifying criteria, but decided to skip out, as he has done for every other debate in the 2024 cycle.
Instead, Trump will be participating in a town hall on Fox News that will run in direct opposition to CNN’s debate.
The one-hour Des Moines event will air at 9 p.m. ET and will be moderated by Fox News chief political anchor and “Special Report” host Bret Baier and “The Story” host Martha MacCallum.
Both DeSantis and Haley have called on Trump to join them on the debate stage, but he continues to evade the lower-polling Republicans.
What about the other candidates?
No other GOP candidates qualified for the Iowa debate due to their low poling numbers.
Biotech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, who is polling in the single digits, will appear on a podcast with conservative host Tim Pool instead.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has focused his campaign on New Hampshire, and will not make any campaign stops in Iowa before the caucuses.
When is the next debate?
Christie will likely join Haley and DeSantis for two New Hampshire debates scheduled for Jan. 18 and 21, days before the state’s Jan. 23 primary.
The Jan. 18 debate will be hosted by ABC News at Saint Anselm College in Manchester and will require candidates to reach 10% in polls that match the network’s criteria.
CNN will host the Jan. 21 debate at the same location and will mandate similar qualifying thresholds, but will also invite the top three finishers of the Iowa caucuses — likely to be Trump, DeSantis and Haley in some order — to the New Hampshire forum.
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