There May Be A Few Fewer People For Vivek To Shout Over Next Month

This is your TPM evening briefing.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 23: Republican presidential candidates (L-R), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambass... MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 23: Republican presidential candidates (L-R), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) participate in the first debate of the GOP primary season hosted by FOX News at the Fiserv Forum on August 23, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 8 presidential hopefuls squared off in the first Republican debate as former U.S. President Donald Trump, currently facing indictments in four locations, declined to participate in the event. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS

August 24, 2023 6:24 p.m.

Start your day with TPM.

We’re still going to have to stomach Vivek Ramaswamy’s slickly delivered anti-trans hate, Nikki Haley’s nauseating appeals to her bonafides and Mike Pence’s haircut during the next GOP primary debate in a month, but a couple of the candidates on stage last night may not qualify for the second Fox News ratings boost event of the season.

Trump will remain on stage only as an ominous, disembodied presence — he’s indicated the only person he will be debating this cycle is President Joe Biden — but North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson might be nixed if they don’t meet the Republican National Committee’s requirements for the second debate on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

For the second contest candidates must have at least 50,000 individual donors who have contributed to their campaigns and their polling must be above 3 percent either in two separate national polls or via one national poll and two early-voting state polls.

Burgum reached the donor requirement before Wednesday’s debate, but has not yet hit the polling qualifications. Hutchinson hasn’t yet met either requirement. Both also spent the least amount of time in the spotlight out of all of the candidates Wednesday night, but not making the audience’s ears ring like some on stage could prove to be an effective strategy.