It’s only three weeks to the Iowa caucuses, the kick-off, as it were, for the 2016 presidential voting season. On Thursday, for one of the last times before those caucuses, the Republican candidates for president will meet again to debate.
As usual, attention is focused squarely on Donald Trump, who appears to have taken aim at front-runner Ted Cruz. Trump says he'll make Cruz's citizenship a key issue in the debate.
Here’s a quick guide to when the debate airs, what channel it is on, and who will be there.
When: Thursday, Jan. 14
Where: North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center in North Charleston, South Carolina.
What time: The first debate begins at 6 p.m. (ET); the "primetime" debate starts at 9 p.m. (ET)
Hosted by: Fox Business Network
Airs on: Fox Business Network - (DirecTV - channel 359); (Dish Network - channel 206); (ATT U-verse - channel 211) – or click here to check the channel finder for your area.
Debate coverage: Coverage of the debates begin at 5 p.m. (ET)
Live stream: The debates will also be streaming live at FoxBusiness.com or you can watch via the Fox News app. No authentication from a cable or satellite provider will be required.
Moderators: FBN's Sandra Smith and Trish Regan will moderate the 6 p.m. debate; FBN's Managing Editor of Business News Neil Cavuto and Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo will moderate the 9 p.m. debates.
Who can participate: For the 9 p.m. primetime debate, "a candidate needs to be either among the top six in an average of the five most recent national polls, or among the top five in an average of the five most recent Iowa or New Hampshire polls." For participation in the 6 p.m. debate, "candidates must have received a minimum 1 percent support as determined by at least one of the most recent national polls."
Who's in: Here are the candidates participating in the primetime debate and their website links.
Where they will stand
Trump will stand center-stage. Cruz, Carson and Bush will be to Trump's left, with Rubio, Christie and Kasich to Trump’s right.
Who is in the 6 p.m. debate (those polling at least 1 percent):
Rand Paul was invited to participate in the 6 p.m. debate, but he declined.
Likely issues
While we don't know for sure, the likely issues to be raised in the debate include:
1. The president’s State of the Union address
2. The “birther” issued between Trump and Cruz
3. Domestic policy issues
4. International policy issues
5. Health of the national economy
When's the next one
The next Republican debate is scheduled for Jan. 28, in Iowa. It will be hosted by Fox News and held at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
The next Democratic debate will be Sunday, and it will also be in Charleston, S.C. It’s sponsored by NBC News, the Congressional Black Caucus and the South Carolina Democratic Party
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