Donald Trump’s decision to skip the first debate in the Republican primaries appears to have paid off on Wednesday night, as the moderator called him the ‘elephant that’s not in the room’ and his rivals almost universally did. supported, even if found guilty.
The evening marked the first debate of the 2024 presidential campaign season – and, for the most part, eight challengers were shooting at each other and President Joe Biden.
But it seemed like most of the evening focused on Trump and his politics.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the newcomer to the scene, hailed Trump as “the greatest president of the 21st century”, while Mike Pence touted his accomplishments as Trump’s vice president.
Trump will be backed because no candidate has managed to dominate the field, with none of the contenders having managed to resoundingly win over commentators.
Perhaps the most impressive performance came from Ramaswamy, 38, little known until Wednesday night.
Here are the key takeaways from the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
Eight Republican contenders took the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
TARGETED RAMASWAMY
In his first political debate, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy set out to present himself to the national electorate and present himself as a forceful and fresh alternative to the establishment.
Ramaswamy, a businessman with no political experience who rose in some opinion polls, called his rivals “professional politicians” and “bought and paid”, and said he was “a patriot who says the truth”, promising to “stand up”. on the side of the revolution.
This prompted howls of protest from others on stage.
Ramaswamy called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a “PAC super puppet.”
DeSantis, criticized for his robotic behavior and embarrassed by the leak last week of his debate planning notes, was backed throughout his campaign by a deep-pocketed political action committee, Never Back Down.
Mike Pence, 64, tried to cut Ramaswamy down to size.
Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, waves to the crowd. He decided to come out to the crowd and present himself as a breath of fresh air.
Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley discuss foreign policy during the debate
Ramaswamy, DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence are seen exchanging spades on Wednesday night
Ramaswamy was the main target from the first hours of the debate
“We don’t need to bring in a rookie, we don’t need to bring in people with no experience,” Pence said.
When Ramaswamy tried to casually dismiss Pence’s policy, saying he didn’t understand it, Pence replied, “Let me explain it to you, Vivek, I’ll take it slower.”
Pence, repeatedly trying to argue that he was the most qualified candidate for the job, told Ramaswamy, “Now is not the time for on-the-job training. »
Pence’s criticism of the Ohio-born Indian-American prompted a cascade of boos from extremely vocal Ramaswamy supporters.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 60, has tried to finish off Ramaswamy – just as he ousted Sen. Marco Rubio during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“I’ve had enough of a guy that looks like ChatGPT standing here tonight,” Christie said..
“And the last person in one of those debates… who stood in the middle of the stage and said, ‘What’s a skinny guy with a weird last name doing here,’ was Barack Obama.
“And I’m afraid we’re dealing with the same type of amateur standing on stage tonight.”
“THE ELEPHANT NOT IN THE ROOM”
Not only did Trump ignore the debate, he counter-scheduled it.
The 77-year-old sat down with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson for a pre-recorded interview that was posted on Twitter just as the debate began.
Donald Trump had his own counter-programming in the form of an interview with Tucker Carlson
The eight contestants are spotted Wednesday night on stage in Milwaukee
Trump told Carlson he decided not to participate in the debate because he saw no point in being “harassed” by rivals who were so far behind him in the polls.
Debate moderator Bret Baier of Fox News called Trump “the elephant that’s not in the room.”
When asked to raise their hands if they would still support Trump even if he were found guilty, all but Asa Hutchinson did.
As the debate entered its second hour, the candidates on stage were asked about Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Pence defended the certification of the electoral vote in the United States Congress despite pressure from Trump.
Christie, Trump’s most persistent critic, said his conduct fell short of “the office of president.”
DeSantis argued that the party needed to focus on the future.
Ron DeSantis scratches his head during a commercial break in the debate
Trump had a staunch defender in Ramaswamy, who called him “the best president of the 21st century” and promised to pardon him if he was convicted of federal crimes.
Ramaswamy then spoke out against US support for Ukraine in its war on Russia – a key point in Trump’s speech that separates him from many in the party.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, however, sought to speak candidly to the millions of Republicans watching at home.
“We have to take into account that three-quarters of Americans don’t want a rematch between Trump and Biden,” Haley, 51, said.
“And we have to recognize that Trump is America’s most hated politician. We cannot win general elections this way.
TO AGREE ABOUT ABORTION
The debate left the candidates wondering how best to approach abortion as a political issue.
Even though most on stage supported restrictions of one form or another, this issue has proven to be a deep vulnerability for the party in the recent general election.
Haley, who has come out as a strong opponent of abortion, appeared to be trying to find a better way to address moderate voters on the subject.
Haley sought a middle ground on abortion, saying she was pro-life but didn’t want to put women in jail for having abortions.
“Can’t we all agree that we’re not going to put a woman in jail or give her the death penalty if she has an abortion?” said Haley, the only woman on the debate stage.
“Let’s treat this as a respectful matter, humanize the situation and stop demonizing it.”
DeSantis was pressed to support Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which he signed into law in April, a measure some wealthy supporters deemed too extreme.
When asked if he would support a six-week federal ban, DeSantis was evasive, suggesting that was a matter best left to the states, but also saying he would support “the cause of life”.
Pence accused Haley of being too lenient on the matter.
“Consensus is the opposite of leadership,” he told her. “This is not a question that only concerns states. It is a moral question.
Pence said he has made pro-life politics a part of his politics for decades.
Haley countered by saying Pence was not being honest with voters, arguing there wouldn’t be enough support in Congress for a federal ban.
“Don’t make women feel like they have to decide on this issue,” she said.
LINE UP TO ATTACK BIDEN AND “BIDENOMICS”
The eight candidates were asked what they would do about the economy: all said they had spoken to ordinary Americans who were suffering from high inflation and the cost of groceries and fuel.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Pence chat during a commercial break
Pence, DeSantis, Ramaswamy and Haley are introduced to the crowd ahead of the first Republican debate ahead of the 2024 primaries
The debate’s first question gave Republicans a free chance to criticize so-called “bidenomics,” the nickname given to Joe Biden’s economic policy.
It was a topic DeSantis had been waiting for.
He increasingly raises the issue of affordability as he revamps his campaign message in an attempt to gain traction on Trump. And he was ready with a line.
“If you work hard and can’t afford groceries, a car or a new house when Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars on ugly paint, that’s wrong,” he said. DeSantis, referring to the president’s son.
Many Americans who voted for Biden in 2020 say they think the economy has done poorly under his leadership and they may not vote for him in the 2024 election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released. this month.
Forty-two percent of Biden voters in 2020 said the economy was “worse” than it was in 2020, compared to 33% who said it was “better.”
Almost a quarter, or 24 percent, said it was “about the same”.
