4th GOP debate airs tonight

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Four qualifying presidential candidates will face each other again, but the GOP’s lead contender will be nowhere near the debate stage.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will face off at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

“We’ve been preparing for days and days. We’ve had an entire team here working on all the research for weeks,” said debate moderator Elizabeth Vargas.

She points out its one of the candidates’ final chances to pitch themselves to a national audience before January’s Iowa caucus.

Looming above all four candidates on stage, former president Donald Trump, the GOP’s leading contender for the presidential nomination, who is again skipping a presidential debate, meaning more focus on those present.

Debate moderator Megan Kelly says, “Fewer candidates mean much higher stakes they’re not going to be able to give 30 second answers and move on they’re going to need to go below surface level every single topic.”

With topics ranging from the economy, inflation, border control and the wars in Israel and Ukraine, moderators say tonight will matter to primary voters especially any that are undecided.

Tonight’s debate airs on 24-hour cable network News Nation and your local CW station.

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