Who's Who In The First Republican Presidential Debate

Despite Donald Trump’s dominance, the Republican primary for the 2024 presidential election is a very crowded field. More than a dozen candidates are in the running for the White House, but most have no chance of winning. Of those candidates, eight met the donor and election eligibility requirements to participate in Wednesday’s first Republican presidential debate. While Trump has walked out of the debate, these eight presidential candidates will all attend the event, which will be televised on Fox News.

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The nearly two-hour debate will take place in Milwaukee at the Fiserv Forum, home of Giannis Antetokoumpo’s basketball team, the Milwaukee Bucks. Here’s a look at the eight candidates who will take the stage.

Ron DeSantis, at a campaign event in Newport, New Hampshire last week. BRIAN SNYDER (Portal)

Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is Trump’s main rival in the primary, but lags far behind the former president. The 44-year-old politician, who is married with three children, appeared to be the Republican Party’s big hope after his overwhelming re-election as governor in November 2020. But he waited too long before making his White House announcement. His campaign got off to a bad start and it’s only gotten worse since then. His first act was a botched Twitter forum starring the eccentric Elon Musk, who was completely baffled by technical issues. The Trump campaign went on the offensive, releasing a barrage of ads critical of DeSantis. The goal was to stop the governor from gaining ground, and with the help of DeSantis’ own missteps, it succeeded.

DeSantis has failed to find a consistent tone for his campaign. He is torn between defending Trump over his charges and criticizing him. Meanwhile, the former president pokes fun at him for not only changing his rhetoric but also the way he pronounces his last name. The governor’s most recent blunder was not in criticizing Trump, but in criticizing Trump’s supporters, suggesting they are a herd blindly following their leader. The problem is that DeSantis needs many of their votes if he wants to win the Republican presidential nomination.

DeSantis’ strategy is to argue that Trump has no chance of winning against Joe Biden as he is largely rejected by moderate and independent voters. The governor says Trump is a loser, reflected in his defeat in the 2020 presidential election and his candidates’ poor showing in the 2022 midterm election. In contrast, DeSantis points to his big win in Florida, a state previously split equally between Democrats and Republicans. However, DeSantis is very conservative himself and is viewed with suspicion by moderate voters. Moreover, his campaign blunders have taken their toll. The gap between him and Trump has widened, with the governor even threatening to fall to third place. According to the FiveThirtyEight average of large polls, DeSantis is 15.2%, compared to 52.5% for Trump.

But as if he hadn’t already started at a disadvantage, the New York Times recently published campaign strategy documents, including a memo with recommendations for the debate: “1. Attack Joe Biden and the media 3-5 times. 2. State GRDs [Governor Ron DeSantis] positive vision 2-3 times. 3. Hammer Vivek Ramaswamy in response. 4. Defend Donald Trump in absentia in response to a Chris Christie attack.” Will he stick to the script?

Mike Pence, last week, at a political conference in Atlanta, Georgia. CHENEY ORR (Portal)

Mike Pence

Mike Pence, 64, has been Trump’s loyal vice president throughout his tenure. Until Trump asked him to break the law and undermine the election results to prevent Joe Biden’s presidential victory from being confirmed by Congress. At that pivotal moment, Pence decided to remain loyal to the Constitution. And Trump supporters have not forgiven him.

Pence says his differences with Trump extend well beyond what happened on the day the Capitol was attacked. He is a traditional conservative, evangelical and anti-abortion advocate. His firm beliefs contrast with the former president’s moral relativism.

Pence is both Trump’s rival and a witness in the electoral subversion case against him. He refused to testify, but in the end the former vice president had no choice. Prosecutors also had access to the contemporary records Pence kept of pressure from Trump on him to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Given the small number of his donors, Pence struggled to even qualify for the debate. It’s currently around 5% in the polls.

Vivek Ramaswamy, in a file image. EDUARDO MUNOZ (Portal)

Vivek Ramaswamy

Ramaswamy is the biggest surprise of the Republican primary. The 38-year-old, son of Indian immigrants, presents himself as a sort of millennial trump, billionaire businessman, successful biotechnology investor and advocate of the free market. He is also known for his fight against the so-called “wake ideology” by speaking out against progressive ideas on climate change, diversity and equality. He is against companies that speak out on social issues. And with his quick tongue, money, and fierce defense of Trump, he’s gained ground in the polls. He’s 9.2% on the FiveThirtyEight average, meaning he’s well ahead of Pence and just behind DeSantis. Ramaswamy is not the type to bite his tongue, so he should be one of the most entertaining candidates in the debate.

Nikki Haley, this month, at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa. SCOTT MORGAN (Portal)

Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the UN and former South Carolina governor, is among those who firmly believe Republicans should back away from Trumpism, but she is also very cautious in her criticism of the former president. She was one of the first to attempt to break away from the crowd. Early in her campaign, she made headlines by calling for cognitive testing for presidential candidates over 75 (read Biden and Trump). In response, CNN’s star morning anchor Don Lemon said that at 51, she’s not at her best. Due to the backlash caused by the comment and his low ratings, Lemon was fired from the network.

Haley, the only woman among the eight candidates, failed to get her campaign off the ground. According to the survey average, it is 3.5%. Like Ramaswamy, she is the daughter of Indian immigrants. Her original name is Nimarata Nikki Randhawa, but she goes by her middle name and her husband’s last name: soldier Michael Haley.

Chris Christie, at a political conference in Atlanta, Georgia last week. CHENEY ORR (Portal)

Chris Christie

During the 2016 campaign, Chris Christie, a 60-year-old former New Jersey governor, helped Trump prepare for the debates after he dropped out of the race. Now he is likely to be Trump’s harshest critic in the Fox debate. He has called Trump a “coward” for not participating in the debate, but more importantly, he openly questions the former president.

Christie broke with Trump after Trump refused to accept defeat in the 2020 election. Christie believes the former president kidnapped the Republican Party with his megalomania and personal interests. “I’m running because he let us down,” Christie said at a recent political rally held by an influential evangelical group. “He let us down because he’s not willing to take responsibility for the mistakes that have been made, the mistakes he has made and the things he has done and that’s not for everyone . This is a failure of leadership,” he added. It’s a position not very popular with Republicans. He was booed at the event and is currently only 3.5% in the polls.

Tim Scott campaigning in Des Moines, Iowa this month. SCOTT MORGAN (Portal)

Tim Scott

Tim Scott is the only black Senator in the Republican Party. The 57-year-old is known for his oratory skills. He is a deeply religious and conservative candidate who has frequently quoted the Bible at campaign events and has advocated a federal law banning abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The South Carolina senator is the grandson of a laborer in the cotton fields of the Deep South. He sells his personal success story after overcoming adversity – he was raised by a divorced mother who worked long hours as a nursing assistant to support him and his brother – as alleged proof that racism does not exist in the United States, and argues that anyone who works hard can be successful. The survey average is 3.4%.

Asa Hutchinson, at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa last week. SCOTT MORGAN (Portal)

Asa Hutchinson

Next to Christie, Hutchinson is likely to be the loudest Trump critic in the debate. The 72-year-old was the last to qualify for the debate, scoring just 0.7% in the polls. The former Arkansas governor believes nominating Trump would be a huge mistake that would ultimately help Democrats get Biden reelected.

“Donald Trump is not running for President to make America great again […] “Donald Trump is running to stay out of jail,” he said at a campaign rally in Iowa, where he was greeted with loud boos.

Doug Burgum campaigning in Des Moines, Iowa this month. EVELYN HOCKSTEIN (Portal)

Doug Burgum

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum pulled out his checkbook to ensure he had enough donors to qualify for the debate. He offered 50,000 $20 gift cards to anyone who donated a dollar, well above the 40,000 donation threshold required to enter.

Burgum, a 67-year-old billionaire, won the election for governor of North Dakota, a heavily Republican state. But outside of North Dakota, Burgum is largely unknown. His presence in the election campaign is marginal. The survey average is only 0.7%.