Now CNN announces two more Republican debates - despite no indication Trump will show up: DeSantis and Ramaswamy say they will attend as RNC mulls rule change that would allow for even more

CNN said Thursday that the network would host two more Republican primary debates - in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the first caucuses and primary early next year. 

The announcement comes as the Republican National Committee is mulling a rule change that would release the GOP candidates from appearing in only RNC-sanctioned debates.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Keith Schipper made clear on X Thursday that the two CNN gatherings are 'not RNC sanctioned debates.' 

While former President Donald Trump is expected to continue to be a no-show, at least two Republican presidential candidates have already expressed interest in participating. 

'Looking forward to debating in Iowa,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted to X, shortly after CNN's announcement was made. 

A spokesperson for Vivek Ramaswamy told DailyMail.com that the 38-year-old entrepreneur was 'up for it.' 

Unshackling the candidates from only participating in RNC-sanctioned debates could create a number of opportunities for the 2024 presidential hopefuls to debate one another as primary voting kicks off on January 15 with the Iowa caucuses. 

The New Hampshire Republican Party was already preparing its own backup plan if no sanctioned debates were scheduled before the Granite State primary, The Messenger reported Tuesday. 

'If the rules are suspended because the RNC is done doing debates, then we would do one,' Chris Ager, chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, told The Messenger, adding that he was 'very confident' that the state's ABC affiliate, WMUR-TV, would be a TV partner. 

A spokesperson for the New Hampshire Republican Party did not respond to a request for comment on whether those plans are still in motion with the CNN debate being announced. 

Campaign spokespeople for Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether they'd participate. 

CNN's Iowa debate is scheduled for January 10 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. 

The New Hampshire debate is scheduled on January 21 and will take place at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire two days before the state's first-in-the-nation Republican primary. 

To qualify for the Iowa debate, candidates must receive at least 10 percent support in three separate national and/or Iowa polls of Republican voters that meet the network's standards.

One of those polls must be an approved CNN poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers.  

If current polling trends hold, the only candidates averaging above 10 percent in Iowa and nationally are Trump, DeSantis and Haley. 

To earn a spot on the New Hampshire debate stage, candidates must also be above the 10 percent threshold, but in three New Hampshire or national polls that meet CNN's standards - and, again, one of the polls must be an approved CNN poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters. 

Additionally, candidates who finish in the top three spots in Iowa will be invited to attend. 

DeSantis has slipped below 10 percent support in New Hampshire, while Christie now averages 11.3 percent support, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average. 

Ramaswamy is polling in single digits in both early states. 

Polling cut-offs for the two debates will be January 2 and January 16 respectively. 

Trump, the far-and-away frontrunner, did not participate in any of the four RNC-sanctioned primary debates - and has expressed that he will skip future ones.

His campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the two CNN debates.