RNC Names Conservative Star as Moderator for Next Debate

The announcement came on Thursday from the RNC that the upcoming fourth GOP presidential debate on Dec. 6 will feature Megyn Kelly as a host, along with additional media figures.

The chosen co-hosting organizations for the forthcoming debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama include NewsNation, "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM, The Washington Free Beacon, and Rumble. The debate will be moderated by a team including Eliana Johnson, the Editor-In-Chief at Washington Free Beacon, Elizabeth Vargas from NewsNation, and Megyn Kelly.

Kelly described the upcoming debate with enthusiasm in a press release, calling it "the margarita of debates – spicy, fun and somewhat intoxicating," and expressed her anticipation.

It’s on! Can’t wait ⬇️ https://t.co/X14rQJiBKR

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) November 9, 2023

Previously, the first two debates were conducted by Fox News and Fox Business, in collaboration with YAF, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Univision, and Rumble. The second debate received critical feedback from influential figures in conservative media following Univision anchor Ilia Calderón's questions about racism and LGBTQ issues.

Kelly shared her disapproval of the second debate's tone with a tweet questioning if MSNBC held it.

In response to the critical feedback, the RNC partnered with NBC News, Salem Radio News, and the Republican Jewish Coalition for the third debate. This debate was noted for its lack of confrontational moments, focusing instead on the candidates’ presentations of their platforms.

David Bossie, who leads the RNC's Temporary Committee on Presidential Debates, had stated in a 2022 interview a commitment to diversify the media outlets hosting the debates, emphasizing a focus on elevating conservative media platforms.

This comes after 2024 hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy called for Elon Musk, Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson to moderate the debate.

“Think about who is moderating this debate. This should be Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk,” he exclaimed while claiming the event would have “ten times the viewership” with those three moderating. “You think the Democrats would actually hire Greg Gutfeld to host a Democratic debate?!” Ramaswamy continued.