Donald Trump’s decision to skip the first Republican primary debate appeared to have paid off Wednesday night, with the moderator dubbing him “the elephant that’s not in the room,” and his rivals almost unanimously supporting him, even when condemned.
The evening marked the first debate for the 2024 presidential campaign season – and in which mostly eight challengers fired on each other and on President Joe Biden.
But it seemed like most of the evening focused on Trump and his politics.
Vivek Ramaswamy, 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 receive a boost after no candidate has managed to dominate the field and all candidates have failed to convincingly win over commentators.
Perhaps the most impressive performance came from 38-year-old Ramaswamy, who was little known until Wednesday night.
Here are the key takeaways from the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
Eight Republican candidates took the stage in Milwaukee Wednesday night
RAMASWAMY TARGETS
In his first political debate, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy set out to introduce himself to the national electorate and present himself as a vigorous, fresh alternative to the establishment.
Ramaswamy, a businessman with no political experience who is rising in some opinion polls, branded his rivals “career politicians” and “bought and paid for” and said he was “a truth-telling patriot” and vowed to “stand in line.” “. the side of the revolution.’
This sparked protests from others on stage.
Ramaswamy called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a “super PAC puppet.”
DeSantis, who has been criticized for his robotic demeanor and marred by the release of his debate planning notes last week, has been backed throughout his tenure by a well-funded “Never Back Down” political action committee.
Mike Pence, 64, attempted to trim Ramaswamy.
Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, waves to the crowd. He set about introducing himself to the crowd and presenting himself as a breath of fresh air
Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley argue during foreign policy debate
Ramaswamy, DeSantis and Pence can be seen exchanging barbs on Wednesday night
Ramaswamy was the biggest target at the start of the debate
“We don’t have to hire a freshman, we don’t have to hire people with no experience,” Pence said.
When Ramaswamy tried to flatly dismiss Pence’s policies, saying he didn’t understand them, Pence replied, “Let me explain, Vivek – I’ll slow down.”
Pence kept trying to prove he was the most qualified candidate for the job, telling Ramaswamy, “Now is not the time for on-the-job training.”
Pence’s criticism of the Ohio-born Native American triggered a cascade of boos from Ramaswamy’s hyper-vocal supporters.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 60, tried to take down Ramaswamy – similar to how he famously defeated Senator Marco Rubio in the 2016 presidential campaign.
“I’ve had enough of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up 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 up here?’ was Barack Obama.
“And I’m afraid we’re dealing with the same kind of amateur that’s on stage tonight.”
“ELEPHANT NOT IN THE ROOM”
Trump not only skipped the debate, he counter-programmed it.
The 77-year-old sat down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for a pre-taped interview that was posted to Twitter just as the debate began.
Donald Trump had his own counter-program in the form of an interview with Tucker Carlson
The eight candidates can be seen on the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday evening
Trump told Carlson that he decided not to take part in the debate because he saw no point in being “harassed” by rivals who were so far behind him in the polls.
The debate’s moderator, Fox News’ Bret Baier, called Trump “the elephant that’s not in the room.”
All but Asa Hutchinson were asked to raise their hands if they would support Trump even if he were convicted.
As the debate entered the second hour, candidates on stage were asked about Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Pence defended the confirmation of the US Congress vote despite pressure from Trump.
Christie, Trump’s most persistent critic, said his behavior was under “the office of the President.”
DeSantis argued the party needed to focus on the future.
Ron DeSantis scratches his head during a commercial break of the debate
Trump had an impassioned defender in Ramaswamy, who called him “the best president of the 21st century” and promised to pardon him if convicted of federal crimes.
Ramaswamy later argued against US support for Ukraine in the war against Russia – a key talking point of Trump’s that sets him apart from many in the party.
However, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tried to speak candidly to the millions of Republicans watching at home.
“We have to consider the fact that three-quarters of Americans don’t want a rematch between Trump and Biden,” said Haley, 51.
“And we have to face the fact that Trump is the most unpopular politician in America.” “We can’t win a general election that way.”
In an abortion dispute
In the debate, the candidates wrestled with how best to approach abortion as a political issue.
While most on the stage favored some form of restrictions, the issue has proved to be a major weak point for the party in the recent general election.
Haley, who said she was firmly against abortion, appeared to be trying to find a better way to speak to moderate voters on the issue.
Striking a middle ground on abortion, Nikki Haley said she is pro-life but doesn’t want to put women in jail for having an abortion
“Can’t we all agree that if a woman has an abortion, we won’t put him in jail or give her the death penalty?” said Haley, the only woman on the debate stage.
“Let’s treat this as a respectful issue, humanize the situation and stop demonizing it.”
DeSantis was pressured to support Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which he signed into law in April, a move some wealthy supporters felt was too extreme.
When asked if he would support a six-week federal ban, DeSantis was evasive, implying that it was an issue best left to states, but also saying he would support “the cause of life.”
Pence accused Haley of being too soft on the matter.
“Consensus is the opposite of leadership,” he told her. “It’s not just a matter of states.” It’s a moral issue.’
Pence said he made pro-life politics a cornerstone of his policies for decades.
Haley countered that Pence was not being honest with voters, arguing that there was not 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”.
When asked what they would do for the economy, the eight candidates all said they had spoken to ordinary Americans struggling with high inflation and the cost of food and fuel.
Chris Christie and Mike Pence chat during a commercial break
Former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Ambassador Nikki Haley on the debate stage
The first question of the debate gave Republicans a free hand to criticize so-called “bidenomics,” the nickname for Joe Biden’s economic policies.
It was a topic DeSantis had been waiting for.
He has increasingly raised the issue of affordability as he reframed his campaign message to gain ground on Trump. And he had a line ready.
“If you work hard and can’t afford groceries, a car, or a new home while Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars doing crappy paintings, that’s wrong,” DeSantis said, referring to the president’s son.
According to a Portal/Ipsos poll released this month, many Americans who voted for Biden in 2020 say they believe the economy has fared badly under his leadership and they might not vote for him in the 2024 election.
Forty-two percent of 2020 Biden voters in the poll said the economy was “worse” than it was in 2020, compared with 33 percent who said it was “better.”
Almost a quarter, 24 percent, said it was “about the same.”