The second Republican presidential debate is fast approaching, setting the stage for the GOP candidates preparing to go on stage and shoring up support for their campaigns.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) confirmed on Monday night that seven candidates were invited to the debate, which is scheduled for Wednesday. These individuals are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Second Republican Presidential Debate

The stage for the second Republican presidential debate represents a small winnowing from the first debate held last month. All seven candidates participated in August, but one hopeful that attended the last debate will not be seen in the second, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Hutchinson's absence in the second Republican presidential debate is because he did not have the required polling to qualify for the event. Additionally, former United States President Donald Trump is missing from the attendees list, as he will be in Michigan for a rally, as per Politico.

The Republican businessman is set to deliver a speech at the rally at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, one hour before the second Republican presidential debate. He would make his address in Clinton Township, a northern Detroit suburb in Macomb County, an important swing area in the general election.

The former president notably skipped the first Republican presidential debate held last month, counterprogramming the showdown with a pre-taped interview with Tucker Carlson. While Trump met the polling and donor requirements, he was not invited to the debate, presumably because he did not submit a handful of pledges to the party committee that he long said he would not be signing.

Fox Business, the Reagan Foundation, Univision, and the conservative streaming site Rumble sponsor the debate for this week. The event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, and will start at 9:00 p.m. ET.

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Raising the Standards

In a statement, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that the debate on Wednesday is another opportunity for the RNC to share its diverse candidate field with the American people. She noted that the GOP is united around one common goal, which is to beat President Joe Biden, according to Fox Business.

McDaniel said there was no better place to showcase the party's conservative vision for the future than the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The RNC set the requirements of the second debate to a minimum of 50,000 unique donors to each candidate's campaign or exploratory committee, which includes 200 donors in 20 or more states.

Additionally, the presidential hopefuls need to reach 3% support in two national polls or 3% in one national poll and 3% in two polls conducted in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina. These four states lead off the Republican presidential nominating calendar.

Some Republican presidential candidates have this second debate as their last chance to appear on the debate stage. This is because the RNC announced last week that it would be raising the qualifying standards for the third Republican presidential debate, which is set to be held on Nov. 8 in Miami, according to Yahoo News.

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