Pence predicts he’ll meet donor threshold for debate in next 10 days

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday predicted he would meet the donor requirement to qualify for the first GOP presidential primary debate within the next 10 days.

Pence, asked on Fox News about his push to get on the debate stage, said his campaign is “closing hard” on the 40,000 donor requirement candidates must meet, along with a polling requirement, in order to qualify for the Aug. 23 event in Milwaukee.

Pence has already met the polling requirement, but he is still in need of additional donors.

“I think it’ll be about the next week to 10 days that we’ll have that support,” Pence said. “We’ve been averaging about 1,000 contributions a day, with stronger frankly over the weekend. But again, I‘m very humbled by the outpouring of support. We’re not using gimmicks. We’re just putting our record out there.”

Pence has taken thinly veiled swipes at other GOP candidates like Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum who had offered to pay fundraisers and give contributors gift cards, respectively.

So far, former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy and Burgum have said they have met the requirements to get on the stage in Wisconsin. Trump has indicated he may skip the debate, however.

The first debate will be hosted by Fox News.