Top officials at the Republican National Committee will consider a proposal next week to allow candidates to participate in presidential debates that have not been approved by the national party, a potential shift in the nominating process rules as campaigning heats up in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
The decision to explore dropping the RNC’s exclusivity pledge — described by multiple people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations — comes as former president Donald Trump has been hammering the party to cancel all remaining official debates, while other candidates have criticized the party for not allowing candidates to confront each other in additional forums.
The party has not scheduled any additional debates after next week in Tuscaloosa, Ala., according to people familiar with the matter.