Politics

Republican debate 2016 live stream: time, TV schedule, how to watch online

by Andrew Prokop

Updated Feb 7, 2016, 12:56 AM UTC

Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty

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Andrew Prokop is a senior politics correspondent at Vox, covering the White House, elections, and political scandals and investigations. He’s worked at Vox since the site’s launch in 2014, and before that, he worked as a research assistant at the New Yorker’s Washington, DC, bureau.

The next Republican presidential debate is tonight in Manchester, New Hampshire, and will air on ABC. The network has said that coverage of the debate will begin at 8 pm Eastern, though it is not clear if the debate will begin right then or a bit afterward. You’ll be able to view a live stream online at ABCNews.go.com.

After skipping out on the last GOP debate — and losing the Iowa caucuses — Donald Trump has announced that he will show up this time. He’ll be joined by Iowa winner Ted Cruz and Iowa “media winner” Marco Rubio, whose unexpectedly competitive performance in the caucuses has bolstered his prospects for winning the nomination in the eyes of political elites. Ben Carson, who finished a weak fourth in Iowa and whose candidacy has been in decline for months, will also be in attendance, though his campaign seems like it might not be going for too much longer.

Watch: Ted Cruz trolls Donald Trump in opening remarks of last Republican debate

Then there are three other candidates — Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Chris Christie — who are desperately hoping for a strong performance in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary to keep them in the race. Bush, Kasich, and Christie, who are all establishment-friendly candidates, are all considered rivals to Rubio, who did far better than them in Iowa. So expect them to make a last attempt at taking Rubio down at tonight’s debate.

Conversely, the debate gives Rubio a big opportunity to outshine those establishment rivals right before the New Hampshire primary. If Rubio outperforms Bush, Kasich, and Christie in the Granite State too, they’ll all likely drop out of the race soon — clearing the way for Rubio to be the mainstream Republican alternative to Trump and Cruz. If Rubio stumbles in New Hampshire, though, the race could remain muddled for a bit longer.

Since the GOP field has shrunk, there will be no undercard debate for candidates who aren’t polling as well this time around. But, much to her disappointment, Carly Fiorina missed ABC’s polling cutoff to qualify for this debate — she and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore are the two remaining candidates who will be left out.