Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was spotted on crutches hours before Wednesday night’s debate.
Burgum entered the emergency room Tuesday night after suffering a leg injury while playing a game of basketball. As questions arose as to whether he would attend the first Republican National Committee (RNC) debate, Burgum was spotted on crutches at a Fox News set.
A campaign spokesperson initially told the Daily Caller News Foundation it was “unclear” whether Burgum would be able to participate in the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The candidate’s appearance at the studio seemingly indicates he is well enough to participate. (RELATED: Trump Plans To Sit For Tucker Interview Over GOP Debate: REPORT)
Burgum met the RNC’s criteria to participate in the debate by exceeding 40,000 unique donors. He is set to be standing at the podium located farthest to the right of the eight candidates on the debate stage.
Burgum has garnered an average of 0.4% favorability in national polls as of Wednesday, according to FiveThirtyEight. Former President Donald Trump continues to hold a strong lead among potential Republican primary voters with 52.1% support and a RealClearPolitics average of 55.4%.
Trump announced he would be passing on Wednesday’s debate in a Truth Social post Aug. 20. “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more,” he wrote. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will stand in the center of the debate stage.