The New York Times Workers prepare the stage for Tuesday’s Republican presidential debate at the Venetian Theater in Las Vegas, Dec. 14, 2015.
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The debate will air live exclusively on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español. This is the last GOP debate of the year, with U.S. Sen.
This is the first debate to use early-state polls as a criterion for being included in the main event. The long-stuggling candidate apparently avoided banishment to the undercard on account of one Fox News poll, released Sunday, which measured his support in Iowa at 5%.
Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida faced off on immigration and the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection program, while others on stage jumped right into the heated back-and-forth.
CNN’s coverage of the first debate will begin at 6:00 p.m. ET and coverage of the second debate will start at 8:30 p.m. ET.
For the forum that’s become known as the “happy hour” debate, George Pataki, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Lindsey Graham will square off. Huckabee participated in the first three prime-time debates, but missed the cut for the November 10 debate in Milwaukee and failed again to make the main stage for Tuesday’s Las Vegas debate.
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Questions: Wolf Blitzer will be moderating the debate, with CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash and Salem Radio Network talk show host Hugh Hewitt asking the questions.
