RNC names Fox Business and Univision among partners for second GOP primary debate



The Republican National Committee has announced Fox Business and Univision as partners for the second GOP presidential primary debate, which will be held September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The facility is located in the notoriously liberal state of California.

"Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced FOX Business, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Univision, and Rumble as the partners for the second Republican presidential primary debate that will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on September 27, 2023. As with the first debate, Rumble will be the exclusive RNC livestream provider and the RNC's exclusive online home for the second debate," an RNC press release noted.

The first Republican presidential primary debate, scheduled for August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be moderated by Fox News Channel's Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the RNC is partnering with Rumble and Young America's Foundation for that event.

— (@)

Former President Donald Trump, who has been trouncing the entire Republican primary field, has been indicating that he could potentially skip the upcoming August debate.

Fox News has reported that so far, eight presidential hopefuls have met the polling and fundraising thresholds required to participate in the first debate, including Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The outlet also reported that former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has attained the polling requirements but has not yet reached the fundraising threshold required to compete in the first debate. And Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has met the fundraising threshold but not yet reached the required polling threshold, according to the Fox News. Candidates still have more time to reach those thresholds in order to qualify.

With Biden dominating the Democratic primary field, Americans could very likely see a Trump-Biden rematch in 2024.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

BREAKING: Second presidential debate to be held virtually — but President Trump says he's not doing it



The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Thursday that next week's presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will be virtual.

In an interview with Fox News, the president said he will not take part.

What are the details?

The debate, set for Oct. 15, will be held virtually following Trump's positive COVID-19 diagnosis, according to CNBC.

Following the diagnosis, Trump spent three days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment. He was released Monday and is reportedly on the mend.

"The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations," the commission said in an announcement.

The commission explained that it made the decision "in order to protect the health and safety of all involved."

C-SPAN's Steve Scully will remain the moderator for the second debate.

"The town meeting participants and the moderator, Steve Scully, Senior Executive Producer & Political Editor, C-SPAN Networks, will be located at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, Florida," a statement read. "The White House Pool will provide coverage of the second presidential debate."

'They're trying to protect Biden'

Trump told Fox Business that he has no plans to partake in a "ridiculous" virtual debate.

"The commission changed the debate style and that's not acceptable to us," Trump told Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning. "I beat him in the first debate, I beat him easily."

"I'm not going to do a virtual debate," Trump added. "I'm not going to waste my time at a virtual debate.

"They're trying to protect Biden," the president insisted. "Everybody is."

According to Fox News, the Biden campaign appeared to accept the format change Thursday morning.

The outlet reported that deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said, "Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump's failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression."

This story is breaking and will be updated as necessary.

Moderator for second presidential debate was an intern for Joe Biden and a staff assistant for Ted Kennedy



The Commission on Presidential Debates has chosen C-SPAN political editor and host of the network's "Washington Journal" call-in program, Steve Scully, to moderate the second presidential debate on Oct. 15 in Miami.

Scully is largely considered an old-school, unbiased journalist and was described as having a "famously calm demeanor" in a recent bio by Marie Claire. So one might think his presence at the debate would be a welcome addition after Tuesday night's testy, insult-laden contest.

Yet, as the Daily Wire reported Thursday, there are a some areas of Scully's background that are likely to raise eyebrows in conservative circles. Namely, that Scully worked as an intern for then-Sen. Joe Biden in college and later worked as a staff assistant in late liberal firebrand Sen. Ted Kennedy's communications office.

Gotta love the @VP at the Biden Beach Bash '16 https://t.co/Z9gdC6Cmi1
— Steve Scully (@Steve Scully)1465070347.0

In a 2011 interview with the Cable Center, Scully explained his career history and how it headed in the political direction after he interned for Biden.

"You know, it was pretty traditional," he said. "I came to school in Washington, D.C., went to American University and had a couple of internships. I worked for Joe Biden, senator from Delaware at the time, as an intern, so I had my first chance to really see politics up close in Washington, D.C.

"I worked for Senator Kennedy," he continued. "I was involved in his ill-fated campaign in 1980, which was interesting; having worked as a high school student in the Carter campaign in 1976, I saw from two different perspectives. I always knew I wanted to come back to Washington."

Now, being partisan doesn't preclude someone from being fair. But it's worth considering what the Democratic response would be if a former Trump employee were slated to moderate a debate.

Scully was a backup moderator for the 2016 presidential debates, and while his services weren't needed, he told Politico at the time that he was ready if called.

"I have the file with me," Scully said ahead of the first debate. "If they call me at 8:59 p.m., I'm ready to go, and if they do in the next three debates I'm ready to go as well."