The Republican National Committee (RNC) has announced the four candidates who have qualified for the final GOP presidential primary debate.
The fourth, and last, debate will take place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at 8 p.m. on December 6.
On Monday evening, the RNC announced that Governor Chris Christie, Governor Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy have all made the cut.
"The fourth debate is another fantastic opportunity for our Republican candidates to share our winning agenda with the American people," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in the press release. "President Reagan was the first sitting president to visit the University of Alabama nearly 40 years ago, just before cruising to a landslide victory in 1984, and I’m thrilled to return our conservative message to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night."
Former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the nomination by a wide margin, will not be participating in the debate. Instead, he will be doing a town hall on Fox News with Sean Hannity.
Trump did not participate in a single primary debate, citing his overwhelming lead against the other candidates.
Timcast News previously reported that the RNC chairwoman was overheard trashing Ramaswamy during the debate in early November.
A source who was sitting near McDaniel said that she called him an "asshole" and declared that the party would not be giving him "a cent." The choice should be clear: We can elect a president who will keep us out of World War III or we can elect a Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels. Because there are two of them on stage with me tonight. @RonDeSantis @NikkiHaley pic.twitter.com/i21U4tErmU
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 9, 2023
"He's an asshole. Total asshole," McDaniel said. "He's desperate because he's doing bad in the polls. He won't be getting a cent from us."
She also loudly booed him during his exchange with Nikki Haley, according to the person sitting nearby.
"She was in complete MELTDOWN mode over Vivek," the source said. "This was in the middle of the audience, within ear shot of at least 50 people."
During the debate, Ramaswamy called out McDaniel for the record of losses since she took over as chairwoman of the RNC in 2017. Best debate opening we've ever seen.
Vivek comes out swinging at Ronna McDaniel.
Vivek invites RNC Ronna to resign on stage.
Vivek demands Kristin Welker and Lester Holt answer the damn question.pic.twitter.com/tPUIIxasmp
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 9, 2023
"We've become a party of losers," Ramaswamy declared. "Since Ronna McDaniel took over as chairwoman of the RNC in 2017, we lost in 2018, 2020, 2022. No red wave ever came. We got trounced last night in 2023."
Ramaswamy demanded that McDaniel come on stage and publicly resign for her failures.
"You think the Democrats would ever hire Greg Gutfeld to moderate a Democratic debate?" Ramaswamy asked.
McDaniel has repeatedly claimed to be "neutral" in the Republican primary.
