Summary:
- The first 2024 GOP presidential debate saw eight Republican candidates spar over policy and substance.
- Florida governor Rhonda Santis took center stage, but Vivek Ramaswamy, a rising entrepreneur, stole the spotlight.
- Candidates debated hot-button issues like climate change and abortion, with varying positions on these topics.
- The absence of former president Donald Trump was a major topic of discussion, with some candidates expressing a willingness to confront him.
- Trump's legal troubles, including multiple indictments, are casting a shadow over the 2024 election race.
- With uncertainty in the race, it remains to be seen which candidate will gain momentum among GOP primary voters.
Sparks were flying tonight at the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle eight Republican candidates sparring with each other Each hoping to gain ground on the GOP frontrunner who wasn't on stage But former president Trump's shadow was still looming ABC's Rachel Scott is in Milwaukee
Unofficial Kickoff to the Republican Primary
The first debate is considered the unofficial kickoff to the Republican primary and these candidates came out swinging not on this stage tonight. The frontrunner in this race former president Donald Trump, but this was hardly a debate about the former president. In fact, it took roughly an hour for the moderators even to turn to the former president and the multiple investigations that he is facing. This was really a debate over policy over substance.
Rising Star Takes Center Stage
While Florida governor Rhonda Santis was bracing for an onslaught of attacks, he was center stage. He was not the center of the attacks. In fact, it was the candidate right next to him, the vague Rama Swami, the 38-year-old entrepreneur that has risen in the polls in the last several weeks. He was sparring with candidates on everything from foreign policy to domestic policy. In the end, with such a crowded debate stage, you still had very many candidates that still struggled to break through here and Trump's hold on the party still very clear with a 40-point lead in most polls.
Hot Button Issues
So which candidates threw punches and what issues did they tackle? It was a night of pointed attacks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a critical swing state in a fiery debate hosted by the Fox News Channel as the 2024 presidential race heats up. Now is not the time for on-the-job training. We don't need to bring in a rookie. The real choice we face in this primary is this: do you want a super PAC puppet or do you want a patriot who speaks the truth?
Climate Change and Abortion
The candidates sparred over hot-button issues like climate change. 'Climate change is a First of all, yes, is climate change real? Yes, it is. But if you want to go and really change the environment, then we need to start telling China and India that they have to lower their emissions. That's where our problem is,' said one candidate. Abortion was also a key topic. 'We must have a president of the United States who will advocate and fight for at the minimum a 15-week limit? I'm a hundred percent pro-life. Conservative, let's treat this like the like a respectful issue that it is and humanize the situation and stop demonizing the situation,' another candidate emphasized.
Taking on Trump
One of the most theatrical moments was addressing the candidate who wasn't even there, former president Donald Trump. The candidates were asked if they would still support Trump if he is convicted in a court of law. Some candidates, like former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, expressed their willingness to take on the former president, while others agreed. The debate featured former vice president Mike Pence, who separated himself from Trump and discussed the president's request to reject or return votes unilaterally.
Legal Troubles Looming
Rather than taking the stage in Milwaukee, Trump appeared in a pre-recorded interview with Tucker Carlson, just minutes before the debate began. Trump faces a slew of legal troubles, including four indictments and surrendering himself to various jurisdictions. His lawyer and longtime friend Rudy Giuliani has also been indicted. With 14 months to go until the election, the political calendar is filling up, but so too are Trump's court dates with at least six trials set to take place in the next year.
Uncertainty in the Race
Next November is a long way away, and there are a lot of known unknowns about what could happen between now and then. Of course, there's all the things we don't know about whether any of these candidates will actually find momentum with GOP primary voters against Donald Trump between now and Iowa.
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