GOP presidential hopefuls meet at the debate in Miami tonight, sans Trump once more

Candidates vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination are meeting for a third debate in Miami tonight. NBC News is hosting the debate at the at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, which will air from 8pm to 10 pm ET,

This will be the smallest slate of candidates on stage yet. Just five candidates met the Republican National Committee's qualifying rules this time around: former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who was in the first two debates, did not qualify this time around. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who appeared in the first debate, hasn't qualified for these last two events. And former Vice President Mike Pence won't be on stage tonight after he recently dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.

This will also be the third debate in which the party's frontrunner for the nomination, former President Donald Trump, won't be in attendance.