Key takeaways from the first Republican debate: Vivek Ramaswamy is TARGETED, ‘elephant not in the room’ Trump dominates questions and all gang together to bash Biden

Donald Trump’s decision to skip the first Republican primary debate appeared to have paid off Wednesday night, as the moderator called him “not the elephant in the room,” and his rivals almost universally supported him, even if they were convicted .

The evening marked the first debate for the 2024 presidential campaign season — and for the most part, it featured eight challengers firing at each other and at President Joe Biden.

But it seemed most of the evening was focused on Trump and his policies.

Vivek Ramaswamy, the newcomer to the scene, praised Trump as “the greatest president of the 21st century,” while Mike Pence praised his achievements as Trump’s vice president.

Trump will be happy if no candidate manages to dominate the field, and all contenders fail 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:

RAMASWAMY DIRECTED

In his first political debate, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy wanted to introduce himself to the national electorate and present himself as an energetic, fresh alternative to the establishment.

Ramaswamy, a businessman with no political experience who has shown a rise in some polls, branded his rivals “professional politicians” and “bought and paid for”, saying he was “a patriot who speaks the truth”, and promised “on to stand’. the side of the revolution.’

That brought howls of protest from others on stage.

Ramaswamy called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a “super PAC puppet.”

DeSantis, criticized for his robotic demeanor and hampered by the leak of his debate planning notes last week, was supported throughout his run by an entrenched never back down political action committee.

Mike Pence, 64, tried to tailor Ramaswamy.

“We don’t need to bring in a rookie, we don’t need to bring in people with no experience,” Pence said.

When Ramaswamy tried to glibly dismiss Pence’s policy, saying he didn’t understand, Pence replied, “Let me explain to you, Vivek—I’ll slow down.”

Pence, who repeatedly tried to make it clear that he was the most qualified candidate for the job, told Ramaswamy, “Now is not the time for on-the-job training.”

Pence’s critique of the Ohio-born Native American provoked an outpouring of boos from Ramaswamy’s extraordinarily vocal supporters.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 60, tried to finish off Ramaswamy just as he famously took down Senator Marco Rubio during the 2016 presidential campaign.

“I’m fed up with a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing here tonight,” Christie said.

“And the last person in one of these debates…to stand in the middle of the stage and say, ‘What’s a skinny guy with a strange last name doing here,'” was Barack Obama.

“And I’m afraid we’re dealing with the same type of amateur on stage tonight.”

‘ELEPHANT NOT IN THE ROOM’

Not only did Trump skip the debate, he counterprogrammed it.

The 77-year-old sat down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for a pre-recorded interview that was posted to Twitter just as the debate began.

Trump told Carlson he had decided not to participate in the debate because he saw no point in being “bothered” by rivals who were so far behind him in the polls.

Fox News debate moderator Bret Baier called Trump “the elephant that’s not in the room.”

Asked to raise their hands if they would still support Trump even if he were convicted, all but Asa Hutchinson did.

As the debate entered its second hour, candidates on stage were asked about Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Pence defended the certification of the election vote in the US Congress despite pressure from Trump.

Christie, Trump’s most persistent critic, said his behavior fell below “the office of president.”

DeSantis argued that the party should focus on the future.

Trump had a fierce defender in Ramaswamy, calling him “the best president of the 21st century” and promising to pardon him if convicted of federal crimes.

Ramaswamy later argued against US support for Ukraine in its war against Russia — a key Trump talking point that sets him apart from many in the party.

However, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley tried to speak candidly to the millions of Republicans watching at home.

“We have to look at 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 hated politician in America. We can’t win a general election that way.’

IN DISTINCTION ABOUT ABORTION

The debate revealed that the candidates struggled with how best to approach abortion as a political issue.

While most people on the podium supported restrictions in some form, the issue has proven to be a major vulnerability for the party in the recent general election.

Haley, who said she was strongly against abortion, seemed to be trying to find a better way to talk to moderate voters about the issue.

“Can’t we all agree that we’re not going to put a woman in prison or give her the death penalty if she has an abortion?” said Haley, the only woman on the debate stage.

“Let’s treat this as a respectful issue and humanize the situation and stop demonizing that situation.”

DeSantis was pressured for his support for Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which he signed into law in April, a measure some wealthy supporters felt was too extreme.

When asked if he would support a six-week federal ban, DeSantis replied evasively. He suggested it was an issue best left to the states, but also said 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 had made pro-life policy a cornerstone of his politics for decades.

Haley responded by saying that Pence was not fair to voters, arguing that there would not be enough support in Congress for a federal ban.

“Don’t make women feel like they have to decide on this issue,” she said.

IN THE LIST TO ATTACK BIDEN AND ‘BIDENOMICS’

The eight candidates were asked what they would do about the economy: all said they had spoken to ordinary Americans who were struggling with high inflation and the cost of groceries and fuel.

The first question of the debate gave Republicans a free chance to criticize the so-called “Bidenomics,” the nickname given to Joe Biden’s economic policies.

It was a topic DeSantis had been waiting for.

He has increasingly brought up the issue of affordability as he reshaped his campaign message in an effort to gain ground on Trump. And he was ready with a line.

“If you work hard and can’t afford groceries or a car or a new house when Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars from worthless paintings, that’s wrong,” DeSantis said, referring to the president’s son.

Many Americans who voted for Biden in 2020 say they believe the economy has fared poorly under his leadership and they may not vote for him in the 2024 election, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week shows. month is published.

Forty-two percent of 2020 Biden voters said in the poll that the economy was “worse” than in 2020, compared to 33 percent who said it was “better.”

Nearly a quarter, 24 percent, say it’s “about the same.”