Eight contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination participated in the party’s first debate, while front-runner Donald Trump skipped the event. The debate had several key moments worth noting. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been losing ground to Trump in polls, did not face many attacks from his fellow candidates. DeSantis’ campaign believed that he only needed to “hold serve” to reverse his downward momentum, but it remains to be seen if he made a strong enough case to voters. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer, was expected to be a wildcard and criticized his rivals as “bought and paid for.” Despite criticism from candidates like Mike Pence and Chris Christie, Ramaswamy’s words seemed to resonate with some members of the audience. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley attacked Ramaswamy’s lack of foreign policy experience. Trump’s absence from the debate and his pending court appearance on racketeering charges made the event feel like an undercard in boxing, with the candidates vying for a chance to take on the champ. The candidates had differing opinions on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The debate also saw the candidates grappling with the issue of abortion, with Haley suggesting a more respectful conversation and DeSantis evading questions about supporting a federal ban.
Eight contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination participated in the party’s first debate, while front-runner Donald Trump skipped the event. The debate had several key moments worth noting. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been losing ground to Trump in polls, did not face many attacks from his fellow candidates. DeSantis’ campaign believed that he only needed to “hold serve” to reverse his downward momentum, but it remains to be seen if he made a strong enough case to voters. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer, was expected to be a wildcard and criticized his rivals as “bought and paid for.” Despite criticism from candidates like Mike Pence and Chris Christie, Ramaswamy’s words seemed to resonate with some members of the audience. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley attacked Ramaswamy’s lack of foreign policy experience. Trump’s absence from the debate and his pending court appearance on racketeering charges made the event feel like an undercard in boxing, with the candidates vying for a chance to take on the champ. The candidates had differing opinions on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The debate also saw the candidates grappling with the issue of abortion, with Haley suggesting a more respectful conversation and DeSantis evading questions about supporting a federal ban.
Eight contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination participated in the party’s first debate, while front-runner Donald Trump skipped the event. The debate had several key moments worth noting. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been losing ground to Trump in polls, did not face many attacks from his fellow candidates. DeSantis’ campaign believed that he only needed to “hold serve” to reverse his downward momentum, but it remains to be seen if he made a strong enough case to voters. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer, was expected to be a wildcard and criticized his rivals as “bought and paid for.” Despite criticism from candidates like Mike Pence and Chris Christie, Ramaswamy’s words seemed to resonate with some members of the audience. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley attacked Ramaswamy’s lack of foreign policy experience. Trump’s absence from the debate and his pending court appearance on racketeering charges made the event feel like an undercard in boxing, with the candidates vying for a chance to take on the champ. The candidates had differing opinions on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The debate also saw the candidates grappling with the issue of abortion, with Haley suggesting a more respectful conversation and DeSantis evading questions about supporting a federal ban.
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