The Republican National Committee (R.N.C.) has announced the criteria for the second presidential primary debate, setting higher standards for candidates to qualify for the stage. As of now, only seven Republicans are averaging at least 3 percent support in national polls, according to FiveThirtyEight. Leading the pack is former President Donald J. Trump, who holds a commanding lead over Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida by more than 30 percentage points. Other candidates meeting the polling requirement include multimillionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former United Nations ambassador under Mr. Trump, and former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey.

In order to participate in the second debate, candidates must register at least 3 percent support in a minimum of two national polls recognized by the R.N.C. Additionally, organizers will consider a combination of one national poll and polls from two of the early nominating states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. The R.N.C. has also increased the fund-raising benchmarks, requiring candidates to receive financial support from 50,000 donors, including at least 200 donors in 20 or more states or territories.

Furthermore, candidates must sign a loyalty pledge promising to support the eventual Republican nominee. However, former President Trump has refused to sign this pledge, and he skipped the first debate. There are indications that he may also opt out of participating in the next debate. This decision has raised questions about his commitment to supporting the eventual nominee.

Two candidates, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Asa Hutchinson, the former Arkansas governor, are at risk of not qualifying for the second debate. Both candidates resorted to unconventional tactics to qualify for the first debate. Burgum offered $20 gift cards to anyone who donated at least $1 to his campaign, while Hutchinson reportedly paid college students for each person they persuaded to contribute.

Meanwhile, the third Republican presidential debate is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Miami. However, the dominant front-runner, Donald Trump, has once again decided to skip the debate. This debate will take place less than 70 miles from Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has also abstained from participating in the previous two debates.

The R.N.C. announced that five candidates have qualified for the third debate. Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former United Nations ambassador, is among the candidates who have met the qualifications. Candidates had two paths to qualify for the debate stage: either polling at 4 percent or more in two national polls or polling at 4 percent in one national poll and at 4 percent in two state polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina. The polls needed to survey at least 800 likely Republican voters and meet certain standards to reduce bias.

Candidates were also required to have a minimum of 70,000 campaign donors, including at least 200 donors from 20 states or territories. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who appeared at the first two debates, dropped out of the race last week as it became apparent he would not meet the requirements for this debate. Asa Hutchinson, a vocal Trump critic, qualified for the first debate but failed to meet the criteria for the second or third debates. Similarly, Doug Burgum of North Dakota struggled to reach the required polling threshold and did not qualify for the third debate.

As the debate stage narrows considerably from the first event held in August, the Republican candidates remaining must navigate the increasingly strict criteria set forth by the R.N.C. in order to secure a spot in future debates.