Business Insider to host first GOP presidential primary debate on September 24
New York, NY (September 10, 2019) – Business Insider today announced that it will host the first debate among two candidates challenging President Donald Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh and former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld. Former South Carolina Governor. Congressman Mark Sanford has been invited to also participate. The debate will be held on September 24 and will appear on Business Insider Today, a popular daily news show on Facebook Watch.
President Trump was invited to participate but has not responded.
Business Insider will hold the debate at the NYC headquarters of its parent company, Insider Inc. The debate will be hosted by Henry Blodget, CEO, Insider Inc.; Anthony Fisher, politics editor, Insider (the sibling publication of Business Insider); and Linette Lopez, opinion columnist, Business Insider.
Nicholas Carlson, global editor-in-chief of Insider Inc., said, “The Fall presidential campaign season is heating up. But we should be paying attention to more than just the Democrats who are running for president. The political landscape has changed immeasurably since Donald Trump ran for and was elected President. It’s vitally important to have an honest conversation about what it means to be a Republican in the era of Trump; our debate will be a valuable part of that discussion.”
Walsh is a conservative radio host and former Illinois US Representative. He declared his candidacy on August 25. Weld, who ran for vice president on the 2016 Libertarian Party ticket headed by presidential nominee Gary Johnson, announced his Republican 2020 presidential campaign on April 15. Sanford became the third Republican to mount a primary challenge against the President when he announced his campaign on Sunday.
The Republican debate is the latest in a series of live 2020 campaign events hosted by Business Insider, following two town halls with Democratic candidates earlier this year.