Pence says he qualifies for first presidential debate
With two weeks to spare, the former vice president reports that he secured required number of donors.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday that he has qualified for the first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential cycle, securing the required number of donors with just two weeks until candidates gather in Milwaukee.
According to his campaign, Pence has amassed 40,000 unique donors, checking off the final debate requirement set by the Republican National Committee.
Pence becomes the eighth candidate to announce qualification for the first debate, joining former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Pence had long ago met the RNC’s polling requirements for the Aug. 23 debate — at least 1% in three highquality national polls or a mix of national and earlystate polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21 — but struggled to notch the mandated number of donors.
Pence and his advisors had expressed confidence that he would meet that qualification, but his fundraising appeals intensified as the prospect loomed that he might not make the stage.
He got a boost in attention last week in the form of a newly unsealed federal indictment that outlined criminal charges filed against Trump in connection with the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Highlighting Pence’s central role to the case, the indictment was informed, in part, by notes that the thenvice president kept of his conversations with Trump in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump tried to pressure Pence to go along with his attempt to keep the two men in power. At one point, Trump allegedly told Pence that he was “too honest” for rejecting Trump’s false claims that Pence had the power to stop congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
Marking a notable change in tone for a usually cautious candidate who has struggled to break through in a primary dominated by his former boss, Pence’s campaign seized on the opportunity, unveiling new Tshirts and baseball caps for sale featuring the phrase “Too Honest” in big red letters.
Trump, meanwhile, has questioned why he should participate in the debate given his commanding lead in polls.