The SECOND Republican debate kicks off: Seven candidates take the stage for the second presidential debate – with Ron DeSantis needing a star performance
- Seven Republican contenders took the stage for the debate Wednesday evening at the Ronald Reagan Library in California
Candidates are hoping for a breathtaking performance at the second Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, as many still view the event as a race for second place.
Political strategists tell DailyMail.com that Ron DeSantis needs to make sure he is a star on the debate stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Others say Vivek Ramaswamy needs another breakout moment.
Seven candidates qualified for the debate stage: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy; former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley; Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina; former Vice President Mike Pence; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie; and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Seven GOP candidates took the stage Wednesday evening during the second Republican primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California
But with all the candidates so far still backing Trump, many still view the debate as part of the race for second place.
Meanwhile, Trump skipped the event Wednesday night for remarks to union auto industry workers in suburban Detroit, Michigan — specifically to kick off an hour before the GOP debate.
Democrats stormed the event with a plane circling the library carrying a banner that read: “GOP 2024: A Race for the Extreme MAGA Base.”
Trump set a precedent last month by skipping the first primary debate with eight contenders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Instead, he sat down for a wide-ranging interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who once again tried to elevate the debate by airing just five minutes before the debate started.
Trump has suggested he could bypass all primary debates, noting that the events are beneath his level as no candidate can reach his voting level.
On Monday, during a campaign stop in Summerville, South Carolina, the ex-president called the Republican primary debates “stupid.”
‘It’s actually a job interview. Look at the debates, it’s a job interview, and so far I’m not that interested,” he said at a campaign field office.
President of the Reagan Foundation & Institute David Trulio expressed to DailyMail.com his disappointment that Trump will not participate in the debate.
“We would like to see every candidate who meets the RNC qualifications here, and that obviously includes President Trump,” Trulio said. “He chose not to sign the pledge, as I understand it, which prevents him from getting on stage, but he complied with the other requirements of the RNC.”
Democrats dominated the debate with a plane circling the library trailing a banner that read: “GOP 2024: A Race for the Extreme MAGA Base.”