First Republican Debate

[8/6/15]  Minutes

New York Times analysis

Donald Trump's performance

8 takeaways

the 5pm debate (replay) / the prime time debate (replay)

[8/5/15] Fox News has announced the 10 candidates that will be on stage for the first Republican presidential debate later this week, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie narrowly making the cut.

Fox News’s decision to cap the prime-time debate at 10 candidates based on five previously-unspecified national polls led to weeks of intense speculation over who would be in and who would be out.

Recent polls showed a defined tier of eight candidates that appeared to be locks for the debate.

As expected, frontrunner Donald Trump will take center stage. Since launching his bid for the White House in mid-June, Trump has rocketed to the top of the national polls, with four recent surveys showing him with a double-digit lead over the next closest contender.

Joining him on stage will be former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who have been polling in second or third place nationally, depending on the survey.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Sens. Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul have also been invited to the main event.

Much of the drama in weeks leading up to Tuesday’s announcement centered around who fill the final two slots in ninth place and tenth place.

Christie and Kasich did just enough to improve their standing in the polls and secure their spots on stage, giving an early boost to both of their campaigns.

For Kasich, the prospect of getting left off the stage for a debate taking place in his home-state would have been an embarrassing slight.

For those who missed the prime-time cut, Fox News is holding a one-hour forum that will air at 5 p.m. on Thursday ahead of the 9 p.m. debate.

The forum was originally scheduled to be 90 minutes and take place at 1 p.m., but Fox has moved it closer to prime-time while cutting it down to one hour.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Sen. Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, Sen. Lindsey Graham, former New York Gov. George Pataki, and former Sen. Jim Gilmore have been invited to that event.