Eight of Donald Trump’s challengers fought for second place Wednesday night because the former president skipped the opening Republican presidential primary debate for 2024. The majority of these men were sporting ties that looked like the bright red one that he frequently wore.
Alongside Florida Gov. The focus of the evening was on Vivek Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old entrepreneur and first-time candidate, who shared the platform with Ron DeSantis. Ramaswamy had disagreements regarding experience with former Vice President Mike Pence, foreign policy with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Trump with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and more.
Ramaswamy has positioned himself as a Trump supporter, so at times he has served as a substitute for the former president, who temporarily left the spotlight Wednesday night but will reclaim it on Thursday when he surrenders to authorities at the Fulton County jail in Georgia after being charged with election subversion.
The discussion felt like the undercard despite all the fireworks in the two-hour clash. Despite his legal issues, Trump has maintained a sizable lead in the polls, and nothing that occurred on Wednesday night is likely to change the outcome of the contest.
The Republican Debate: Candidates target Ramaswamy
Since Trump was not there for the discussion on Wednesday, most of the attendees did not criticise DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, or any other candidate who has ever run for public office. It was Ramaswamy, a rookie to politics. Pence launched the first dig at the businessman from Ohio: “Vivek, you recently said a president can’t do everything. Well, Vivek, I have some news for you. In the hallway I was. I once visited the West Wing. Every problem that affects the United States must be addressed by the president.
The two candidates engaged in an intense back-and-forth with light name-calling as a result. Former governor of New Jersey Chris Christie later compared Ramaswamy’s responses to anything produced by ChatGPT at the first portion of the debate. Then, Christie seized on Ramaswamy’s rhetorical question, “What is a little-known guy with a funny name doing on the debate stage?” He pointed out how uncannily similar the statement was to Barack Obama’s previous campaign slogan, “a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him.”
Unexpectedly, Ramaswamy was the target of a pile-on. He is a rookie in politics. Meanwhile, recent polls have shown him to be ahead of rivals who have, in some cases, spent decades in electoral politics. This is intended to stop Ramaswamy from gaining any momentum, according to his opponents.
DeSantis failed to stand out
He didn’t technically speak the most. Although DeSantis’ campaign implied that his Republican rivals would have their “knives out” for him, he didn’t face many assaults. And at a crucial point, when asked to show their support for Trump if he were found guilty in court, DeSantis first glanced around the stage to see how everyone else had responded before he halfheartedly raised his right palm.
DeSantis, who was given centre stage, seemed satisfied to leave Milwaukee without jeopardizing his position as the front-runner in the polls. He also didn’t do much to change the polling-confirmed perception that he is in the middle of the pack rather than in Trump’s or his own tier.
DeSantis frequently relied on lines from his prepared remarks that had been used before in recent months. He began the discussion by stating, as he does on the campaign trail, that “Our country is in decline” and that “We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement.” When he visits states with early voting, he regularly makes jokes about Hunter Biden’s paintings. He reiterated a vow he has been making for weeks: that anyone who enter the country illegally will die “stone cold dead” under a DeSantis administration.
Christie’s failed attack
If there was one candidate who was predicted to have a knockout moment on Wednesday night, it was Christie. The Florida senator’s propensity of repeating statements caused the former governor to embarrass Marco Rubio during the final debate prior to the New Hampshire primary over eight years ago. Even while Rubio received more votes than Christie in the Granite State, where he finished fifth to Christie’s sixth, the senator found it difficult to shake the perception that he was robotic.
Christie appeared ready to treat Ramaswamy similarly. While Christie’s “Chat GPT” comment was reminiscent of his last debate performance, the Ohio businessman seemed unaffected by it. Ramaswamy, however, continued to criticize him for his criticism of Trump.
