RNC sets criteria for 2nd presidential debate; Trump leads in 'receipts'

Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The slate for the Republican presidential primaries is shaping up with the Republican National Committee on Wednesday setting requirements to make the stage for the second debate, to be held in California next month.

Candidates must have at least 50,000 unique donors to participate in the forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 27, as reported by Politico and confirmed by RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in a Fox News interview.

Candidates must also poll at minimum at 3% in at least one national poll and 3% in two polls from different early voting states. Early voting states are Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

The candidate must also have at least 200 unique donors each in 20 states or territories. The deadline to meet the criteria is 48 hours before the debate.

The bar for the second debate is relatively higher than the first debate, which takes place in Milwaukee on Aug. 23.

Several candidates have met the minimum requirements for that event with a couple weeks remaining before the Aug. 21 deadline. Candidates must have at least 40,000 unique donors and poll at 1% in at least three national polls or two national polls and one early-voting state poll.

Unique donations must be made between July 1 and Aug. 21 to qualify.

Former President Donald Trump, who was criminally indicted for the third time on Tuesday, leads the GOP field in total receipts. According to the Federal Elections Commission, receipts are anything of value, including goods, property and services, received by a campaign. Trump's campaign has tallied more than $35 million in total receipts, according to the FEC.

FEC documents show that Trump's campaign has received contributions from more than 300,000 individuals or entities. These figures were received on July 15 and are part of a quarterly report, not donations received after July 1.

Another requirement for both debates is that candidates must sign a pledge stating that they will support the Republican nominee, no matter who it is, and they will not participate in debates not sanctioned by the RNC.

Earlier this year, Trump said his support for a candidate other than himself would depend on who the candidate is.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Vice President Mike Pence have warned that Trump is unfit to represent the party in the 2024 election, citing his ongoing legal troubles.

"Today's indictment serves as an important reminder: Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States," Pence tweeted Tuesday, following Trump's indictment in Washington on charges that he conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

Seven candidates are eligible to appear in the first debate: Trump, Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former ambassador Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

Trump has not committed to appearing in either debate.

DeSantis trails behind Trump in receipts by about $15 million, according to the FEC. His campaign has reported $12 million in cash on hand and $8 million in disbursements after trimming staff in a cost-cutting move last month.

The Ramaswamy campaign has received an estimated $19 million, followed by Burgum with $11 million, Haley with $10 million and entrepreneur Perry Johnson with $8 million.

Pence and other candidates still have some time to meet the debate requirements after courting the Republican Party of Iowa for donations at a dinner last week. Pence has said he is confident he will be on the stage.

The FEC reports about $1.1 million in receipts for Pence as of June 30. He filed for candidacy on June 5 and did not announce the launch of his campaign until June 7.

Ramaswamy, Burgum and Johnson have offered donors special incentives to inspire donations. Burgum is offering gift cards and Ramaswamy has pledged a 10% incentive on donations brought in. During the Iowa GOP's Lincoln Dinner, Johnson said he will host a concert featuring country act Big and Rich in Iowa for his donors to attend for free.

The polling requirements for the debates are new ground for the RNC, according to Brian Schaffner, political science professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

"It's been used informally but never so formally to say here is the exact percentage you have to get and here's the kinds of polls that count," he told UPI. "It's also ironic given that Trump has spent so much time bashing polls in the last several years. It's kind of funny to see the party using this criteria now."