Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy earns spot on GOP primary debate stage

The RNC announced Friday that to be eligible for the first debate on August 21, a candidate must have donations from at least 40,000 unique campaign donors with at least 200 per state in 20+ states and/or territories. They also have to be polling at "1% in three national polls OR 1% in two national polls and 1% in one early state poll from two separate 'carve out' states."

"We are officially on the debate stage," Ramaswamy said. "In the month of May, we already actually had crossed the 40,000 number. And then they said 1% in three different national polls, frankly, they could have said 5% We'd still be over that. So we're well over the margin for meeting the debate stage criteria."

"I want to thank you guys for helping me get there," he continued, "Now we got to actually put our foot on the gas and actually get through not just on the debate stage, but get ourselves to the center of that debate stage and to the center of this presidential primary. I think we can do it."

He finished by saying, "If we're going to be saved. It's not going to be me or anyone else coming from on high to do it. If we're going to be saved, it's going to be because we save ourselves and I am so grateful for you guys doing everything that you've already done to get me at the center of that debate stage. Believe me, I will not let you down."

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement that the organization "is committed to putting on a fair, neutral, and transparent primary process and the qualifying criteria set forth will put our party and eventual nominee in the best position to take back the White House come November 2024.”

Former President Donald Trump announced on April 25 that he would not participate in the RNC debates. "I see that everybody is talking about the Republican Debates, but nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them," he wrote on Truth Social.