CNN to host Republican presidential debate in Iowa

DES MOINES — CNN will host a Republican presidential debate in Iowa five days before the first-in-the-nation 2024 caucuses, the network announced Thursday.

The debate will be Jan. 10 at Drake University in Des Moines.

CNN also will host a debate in New Hampshire on Jan. 21, two days before that state’s primary.

The debate may be Iowa voters’ last time to see presidential candidates in a head-to-head matchup before they cast their vote for their party’s nominee for president in the Jan. 15 caucuses. Based on eligibility criteria, it also may be the smallest stage so far.

To qualify for the Iowa debate, a candidate must receive at least 10 percent in three separate national and/or Iowa polls, CNN announced. One of those polls must be an approved CNN poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers.

Based on current polling, that criteria would allow only former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Trump has skipped every GOP presidential debate so far and is not expected to attend future debates.

Trump leads the field of candidates, with more than 45 percent of support based on recent Iowa polling. DeSantis and Haley follow behind at a distant second and third place.

Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who were on the stage at the most recent debate on Wednesday, have not polled above 10 percent in Iowa or nationally.

Polling taken after Oct. 15 and Jan. 2 will count toward a candidate’s eligibility for the Iowa debate.

Unlike the first four debates, the Iowa and New Hampshire debates will not be organized by the Republican National Committee. CNN reported that the RNC is considering lifting its restriction \ on candidates participating in debates not sanctioned by the party.

When asked for a comment on the debate, Republican Party of Iowa spokesperson Kush Desai said the state party was focused on the caucuses.

DeSantis told reporters Thursday he was looking forward to the Iowa debate and he hoped Trump would participate.

"We had a good day in Tuscaloosa yesterday with the (RNC) debate, (and) looking forward to now be able to do a debate in Iowa in January, which I had been calling for for a long time," DeSantis said during a stop at a sports bar in Cedar Rapids for an event hosted by Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting his campaign.

"I would like to see Donald Trump come to that debate. I think he has a lot to say on his keyboard, but he should get on stage and stand up there for two hours and take the questions that everybody else does."

Tom Barton of the Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.