First Republican Debate Recap & How to Watch Next 2023 Event on Sling TV

It may still be 2023, but the 2024 Presidential election cycle is already in full swing.

On August 23, the first of three Republican Party debates took place, and we’re already just two weeks away from the second one.

In case you didn’t tune in, here’s what you missed:

Eight of 14 candidates appeared on the debate stage: former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Govs. Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Ron DeSantis of Florida, former Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Six candidates, including former President Donald Trump, were not invited to the debate because they didn’t meet all the participation criteria.

Criteria included filing a campaign with the FEC, signing a pledge that the candidate won’t participate in any non-GOP debates and will support the eventual nominee, proving that they have polled above 1% since July in three national polls (or two national polls and one state poll from any of four early primary states), and finally, proving that they have attracted donations from at least 40,000 individuals, with at least 200 from each of 20 states or territories.

One of the biggest stories of the first debate concerned Ramaswamy, who, at the time of publishing, is polling third behind Trump and DeSantis, respectively, per FiveThirtyEight.

The billionaire made a splash by repeatedly getting into verbal sparring matches with other candidates as he positioned himself as an outsider.

Ramaswamy then proclaimed, “The climate change agenda is a hoax,” and claimed: “I’m the only person on the stage who hasn’t [been] bought and paid for.”

Chris Christie fired back, saying, “I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing here.”

Candidates also clashed on their positions regarding former President Trump, who is running for a third time but wasn’t present and currently has four open criminal cases.

Overall, though, experts consulted by the New York Post concluded nothing that happened on the stage at Fiserv Forum was enough to significantly move the needle or change any dynamics on the campaign trail.

None of the candidates achieved the breakout moment they were hoping for, but there are still two more debates this year for candidates to try and make their mark.

When is The Second Republican Debate?

The second Republican Debate airs live on September 27 from 9 to 11 p.m. EDT.

How To Watch the Republican Debate on Sling TV:

The second Republican Debate is being hosted, in part, by Fox Business and Univision while being simulcast on Fox News. Live TV streaming service Sling TV carries Fox News, but you’ll need to subscribe to a base plan + an add-on to stream it.

First, you’ll need to sign up for a Sling TV Blue package, which starts at $40/month. New customers can take half off the first month’s bill for a limited time, bringing that as low as $20. Sling Blue comes with 45 total channels, including Fox News.

Just having Sling TV’s Blue base plan is enough to watch the debate. However, if you want to stream Fox Business following the debate, you’ll also need to purchase the Sling Blue News Extra add-on package for $6/month.

Who Qualified for the Second Republican Debate?

Seven of 14 candidates will appear on the debate stage: former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Govs. Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Ron DeSantis of Florida, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the only candidate from the first debate who failed to meet the party’s polling threshold and individual donor requirements.

The qualification criteria changed slightly, with 3% in polling and 50,000 donors now required to gain a spot on the debate stage.

Where is the Second Republican Debate Being Held?

The qualified candidates will debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Who is Moderating the Second Republican Debate?

Fox Business’ Stuart Varney, FOX News Channel anchor Dana Perino, and Univision host Ilia Calderón will moderate the second Republican debate.