Should the Republican Party Re-nominate Trump in 2020? Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Live, in NYC and Online March 28

As Americans gear up for the 2020 presidential election, Republicans have a choice: Should Donald Trump be their nominee? Such a decision would have some historical precedent, though no sitting president has been denied his party's nomination since the 1800s. On Thursday, March 28, nonpartisan debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. addresses this question with a live debate on the motion "The Republican Party Should Not Re-Nominate Trump."

Arguing that Republicans should look elsewhere for their nominee will be former Senator Jeff Flake and New York Times op-ed columnist Bret Stephens. Arguing against them will be former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who served on the Trump transition team, and Fox News columnist Liz Peek. A live audience vote will determine the debate's winners, based on which side changes the most minds.

The debate will be held at NYC's Kaye Playhouse and stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." On March 28, online viewers can tune in at IQ2US's website: https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/republican-party-should-not-re-nominate-trump

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "The Republican Party Should Not Re-Nominate Trump"

WHEN: Thursday, March 28 / 7:00-8:45 PM EDT

WHERE: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 115 E. 68th Street, New York, NY

TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ ID). To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

Arguing For the Motion

* Bret Stephens: Op-Ed Columnist, New York Times 

Bret Stephens is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who is currently an op-ed columnist for the New York Times and a senior political contributor at NBC. He previously worked at the Wall Street Journal, where he was the deputy editorial page editor, and before that was the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. Stephens has reported from around the world, interviewed scores of world leaders, and actively covered the 2016 presidential campaign. He is the author of "America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder.”

* Jeff Flake: Fmr. U.S. Senator, Arizona 

The Honorable Jeff Flake is the former U.S. Senator from Arizona, where he served from 2013 to 2019. Before that, he served six terms in the House of Representatives representing Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. Senator Flake is the author of the 2017 New York Times best-seller “Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle,” where he takes a stand for civility in an era of hyper-partisanship. He is currently a contributor to CBS News, a guest lecturer at Princeton, and a guest speaker at Yale.

Arguing Against the Motion

* Kris Kobach: Fmr. Secretary of State, Kansas

Kris W. Kobach is the former secretary of state for Kansas and former professor of constitutional law at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. He is currently an advisory board member of We Build the Wall Inc., a non-profit group aiming to fund and build a wall along America’s southern border. Kobach served on the Trump transition team and was co-chair, with Vice President Mike Pence, of the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity. He also served as counsel to Attorney General John Ashcroft during the Bush administration.

* Liz Peek: Fox News Contributor & Columnist 

Liz Peek is a Fox News contributor and a columnist for The Hill and FoxNews.com. She has written for the bipartisan FiscalTimes.com, the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Sun, and numerous other publications. Prior to becoming a journalist, Peek was a top-ranked research analyst covering oil field companies. She was the first female partner of Wertheim & Company and the first woman to become president of the National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)

A non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches over 30 million American households through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps on Roku and Apple TV. With over 150 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008.