Fox News to Host First Republican Primary Debate as GOP Field Continues to Fill Out

Fox News is expected to host the very first Republican primary debate, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel announced.

According to McDaniel, who made the announcement Wednesday, the debate will be available to watch on Rumble as well.

“We’re also going to partner with some pretty exciting partners,” McDaniel said during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “For the first time ever, we’re going to live stream on Rumble.”

“We’re getting away from Big Tech, YouTube’s owned by Google. We’re going to have an RNC channel on Rumble. And then the Young Americas Foundation, which is run by Scott Walker, to really reach out to young voters. They’re based in Wisconsin, so they’re going to be a partner as well,” she added.

The date, however, is not yet set, as the Republican primary field continues to fill out. Only a handful of individuals have formally jumped into the presidential race. After two years of anticipation, former President Donald Trump formally announced his bid during a speech at Mar-a-Lago in November, where he unveiled his “National Greatness Agenda.”

“We are here tonight to declare it does not have to be this way,” Trump said after laying out the disasters of the Biden administration. “Two years ago we were a great nation and soon we will be a great nation again.”

“The decline being forced upon us by Biden and the radical left lunatics driving us right here into the ground. This decline is not a fate we must accept. When given the choice boldly and clearly, I believe the American people will overwhelmingly reject the left’s path to national ruin and they will embrace our vision for national greatness and glory,” he added.

Months later, former South Carolina Governor and ex-U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley jumped into the presidential race, despite previously stating that she would not if Trump chose to run.

“I would not run if President Trump ran, and I would talk to him about it,” she said in 2021. “That’s something we’ll have a conversation about at some point, if that decision is something that has to be made.”

However, Trump indicated Haley called him and they discussed her decision.

“I talked to her for a little while. I said, ‘Look, you know, go by your heart if you want to run,’” Trump said. “She called me and said she’d like to consider it, and I said you should do it.”

Anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, 37, launched his White House bid that same month, asserting that the country is “in the middle of a national identity crisis today.”

This month, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) revealed he plans to run for president, and will make his formal announcement later this month.

“The reason is I’ve traveled the country for six months,” he said during an appearance on ABC’s This Week.

“I hear people talk about the leadership out of our country, and I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America and not simply appeal to our worst instincts. That inspires me when I see everyday Americans just saying, give us good leadership, give us common sense, consistent conservatism and optimism about our great country. That inspires me,” he said.

Most recently, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) publicly announced his intention to form a White House Exploratory Committee as speculation has continued to abound over the possibility of a presidential bid.

Meanwhile, all eyes remain on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has not revealed his 2024 intentions as Trump continues to dominate the GOP 2024 field.