With the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses less than a week away, the Republican candidates for president are gearing up for one final debate on Thursday night before the polls open. The debate will be the second hosted by FOX News, and the fireworks are already exploding.
Front-runner Donald Trump claims that he will not be participating due to his ongoing feud with FOX's Megyn Kelly, who will return as a moderator for this seventh installment, according to Business Insider. Trump accused the network of targeting him and asking unfair questions after the Aug. 3 debate, the first hosted by FOX News, The Blaze reported.
Trump has threatened to boycott the network before only to go back on his word, but his spokesperson has said Trump is preparing to host a separate townhall-style event in Iowa. All that said, we may not know for certain whether he'll show until the debate starts, according to the Washington Post.
Minus the blustery billionaire business mogul, the debate may become the Ted Cruz show. Depending on which poll you read the Texas senator is either ahead or behind Trump in the critical battleground state. Cruz took advantage of Trump's withdrawal, challenging him to a one-on-one debate that would include Trump's choice in the role of moderator, according to Ben Jacobs of the Guardian.
Cruz says Trump can name his own moderator to a one on one debate
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) January 27, 2016
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also stand to benefit from a Trump-free debate.
The debate will feature sponsorship from Google to show real-time trends and insights on the candidates during the debate, according to FOX News.
Details
What: The seventh Republican debate, hosted by FOX News.
Where: The Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
Who: Moderators include Bret Baier, host of "Special Report"; Megyn Kelly, of "The Kelly File"; and Chris Wallace, from "FOX News Sunday."
Candidates
7 p.m. debate - The undercard debate will feature Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Jim Gilmore.
9 p.m. debate - The main debate stage appear as follows: Donald Trump (if he participates) and Ted Cruz will be center stage. To Trump's right: Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and John Kasich. To Cruz's left: Ben Carson, Chris Christie and Rand Paul.
Rules
To qualify, the candidates must be ranked in the top six nationally in the five most recent polls, or rank in the top five in Iowa or New Hampshire in those state's respective polls, according to Mic.
How To Watch
The debate will be hosted by FOX News, and will be live streamed on the network's website, with no cable subscription required.
Online: Follow HNGN's President and editorial director Michael Bullerdick (@mbullerdick) for his live tweets during both events!
Bullerdick's Predictions: If Trump remains a no-show, Cruz will be under attack from all sides, including from Fox News moderators whose network bosses seem to favor Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. Rubio gained ground in past debates with outright lies about Cruz's voting record and positions so expect more of the same. Bush – who is at the desperation point in his campaign – will follow suit and attack Cruz. He'll also take the fight to Rubio, his former protege in Florida. Outcome: Playing the long game, Trump will gain ground on his GOP rivals despite refusing to take debate the stage. Cruz wins the night and Iowa.
Drinking Games!
After a calculated, deep investigation, we found these sites' drinking games to be most exciting and fun for viewers, regardless of party affiliation. Or if you are solely watching to get drunk.
A word to the wise, though! Know your limit and drink in moderation, because as Surgeon General Vivek Murthy points out, "You simply can't drink every time one of these guys says something silly... It's just a formula for disaster."
These are only the seventh pair of debates of the 2016 presidential cycle. Five more are set to take place. Some have exact dates and sponsors already set, while others are still being planned. Check below to see all of the debates scheduled between now and election day 2016, courtesy of USPresidentialElectionNews.com.
Remaining Debate Schedule
February 6, 2016
ABC/IJReview Republican Debate
Aired On: ABC
Location: St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire
Sponsors: ABC News, IJReview.com (Press Release)
Candidates: To be determined
February 13, 2016
CBS News Republican Debate
Aired On: CBS
Location: South Carolina
Sponsors: CBS News
Candidates: To be determined
February 26, 2016
NBC/Telemundo Republican Debate
Aired On: NBC and Telemundo
Location: Texas
Sponsors:NBC/Telemundo, National Review
Candidates: To be determined
March, 2016*
Fox News Republican Debate
Aired On: Fox News Channel
Location: TBD
Sponsors: Fox News
Candidates: To be determined
March 10, 2016
CNN/Salem Republican Debate
Aired On: CNN
Location: Florida
Sponsors: CNN, Salem Media Group
Candidates: To be determined
