How to watch the fourth Republican presidential debate

(NewsNation) — NewsNation hosted the fourth Republican National Committee presidential debate ahead of the 2024 primaries. You can watch the full debate by clicking on this link.

Although former President Donald Trump — the clear frontrunner in the polls — remained off the debate stage, several candidates continue to battle it out and hope to narrow the gap.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took the debate stage Wednesday.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson remains in the race but did not qualify for the fourth Republican debate. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ended his bid for the White House earlier this week.

Here’s what you need to know about the debate, hosted by NewsNation.

How to watch the Republican debate on TV

NewsNation aired the debate live at 8 p.m. ET and again at 9 p.m. PT. If you’re not sure how to find NewsNation on your TV, you can use our ChannelFinder app.

It will also be broadcast simultaneously in the eastern and central time zones on The CW.

You can also tune in to NewsNation’s special coverage after the two-hour debate, which will feature top analysts from across the political spectrum that will offer diverse perspectives throughout the evening.

Who, when, where

The fourth Republican National Committee debate took place at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 6 at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Elizabeth Vargas, the Peabody award-winning anchor of NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports,” Megyn Kelly, host of “The Megyn Kelly Show” on SiriusXM and Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of The Washington Free Beacon, moderated.

How to watch online for free

The debate was live-streamed online at NewsNation. You can watch the full fourth Republican presidential debate only on NewsNation here.

You can also download NewsNation’s app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store, depending on your device. Through the app, we will notify you when the debate begins and you can tune in on your phone. You will also be able to access all of NewsNation’s content for free and go deeper into the issues you care about and where your candidates stand on them.

What were the requirements to get a spot at the fourth Republican debate?

The Republican National Committee (RNC) upped its qualification criteria for candidates to get on the stage ahead of the fourth debate. White House hopefuls needed to be polling at 6% or higher in two national polls, or at 6% in one early state poll from two separate “carve out” states — listed as Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — to secure a podium, according to the RNC press release. 

The polls also need to survey at least 8,000 registered likely Republican voters, among other requirements. 

While the previous debate required at least 70,000 unique donors, candidates will need to bring in a minimum of 80,000 unique donors to their principal presidential campaign committee, with at least 200 unique donors in 20 or more states or territories each.