Miami Mayor Francis Suarez claims he's qualified for GOP presidential debate, but RNC can't confirm

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez claimed on Friday that he has qualified for next week's Republican presidential debate and would become the ninth White House hopeful to meet the fundraising and polling thresholds required to participate in the opening face-off of the 2024 campaign.

But senior advisers with the Republican National Committee who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions said later that Suarez had not yet officially met the criteria.

Suarez, 45 and the only Hispanic in the field, would be perhaps the least-known Republican on the...