NewsNation to host fourth Republican primary debate next month

NewsNation is hosting the fourth Republican primary debate next month in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the network announced Thursday.

Driving the news: The debate is scheduled for Dec. 6 and will feature three moderators, including former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.

• NewNation's Elizabeth Vargas and The Washington Free Beacon's Eliana Johnson will also moderate the December debate.
• "It will be the margarita of debates – spicy, fun and somewhat intoxicating. Looking forward to it," Kelly, who hosts "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM, said in a statement.

Between the lines: NewsNation, which is owned by TV giant Nexstar, is seeking to create a 24-hour cable news network that doesn't have a political bent, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.

The big picture: The Republican National Committee raised its qualification criteria for the fourth debate, which could narrow the field of candidates on stage.

• Candidates will need to receive 6% support in at least two national polls, or 6% in one national poll and one statewide poll in four early primary states, Reuters reports.
• Candidates will also need 80,000 unique donors, and at least 200 donors from each of 20 or more states and territories.
• "With less than a year out from Election Day 2024, the fourth debate stage will showcase our winning Republican agenda against Biden's record of failure," RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said.

Zoom in: Five GOP candidates qualified for the third Republican primary debate in Miami, Fla., a winnowing of the field from the first two.

• Republican primary frontrunner former President Trump has not attended any of the GOP debates, and has urged the RNC to cancel all remaining primary debates.

How to watch: The debate will air on NewsNation.

• It will also be live-streamed on NewsNation's website and on the video streaming service Rumble.

Go deeper: "You're just scum": Key takeaways from a heated GOP debate