Five Republican candidates participate in the third debate in Miami

Five Republican presidential candidates participated in the third debate in Miami, but frontrunner Donald Trump was notably absent. The Republican Party set stricter criteria for candidates to qualify for the debate, resulting in a narrower field. The candidates aimed to solidify support before the upcoming Iowa caucus, considered the first significant contest in the Republican nomination process. To qualify for the debate stage, candidates needed at least 4% support in national polls or 4% in one national poll and two polls from early states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. Additionally, they were required to have 70,000 individual campaign donors and pledge support for the eventual Republican nominee. The Republican Party declared that five candidates met all the criteria, while seven candidates participated in the previous debate. Former Vice President Mike Pence dropped out, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum did not qualify this time around. Despite consistent statements refusing to debate his rivals, Trump hosted a rally nearby on the same night. The debate, held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, was moderated by NBC journalists Kristen Welker and Lester Holt, along with Salem radio host Hugh Hewitt. The Republican Jewish Coalition was one of the debate partners, and topics of discussion included the Middle East conflict, the economy, immigration, and Trump himself. Among the candidates, Nikki Haley stood out as the only woman in the race and the former ambassador to the UN under Trump. With extensive foreign policy experience, she positioned herself as a relative moderate. Ron DeSantis, who has refrained from attacking Trump, criticized the former president's absence from the debate. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy faced scrutiny for his lack of political experience, while Val Demings highlighted issues of race and criticized DeSantis' education policies. Chris Christie positioned himself as a staunch opponent of Trump, labeling him "Donald Duck." Despite their efforts, the challengers face significant obstacles and limited time to gain ground against Trump, who maintains a large lead in the polls. The fourth debate will take place in Alabama in December, with even stricter criteria requiring candidates to reach 6% in the polls to qualify.