RNC confirms 7 candidates will appear in second debate

The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Monday confirmed the roster of Republican candidates who had qualified to attend its second primary debate.

Slated for Sept. 27, the debate will feature North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

"Wednesday’s debate is another opportunity for the RNC to share our diverse candidate field with the American people," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said. "The Republican Party is united around one common goal – Beating Biden – and there is no better place to showcase our conservative vision for the future than the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library."

The Wednesday debate will begin at 9 p.m. EST and will air on Fox business, Univision, and Rumble.

Former President Donald Trump does not plan to attend and will instead visit Michigan to address striking auto workers. He previously skipped the first debate in favor of releasing a prerecorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

He has cited his considerable lead in the polls as justification for not participating. Trump currently maintains an average 43.8% lead, according to RealClearPolitics.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.