US: Republican candidates face off as Trump skips presidential debate
The first Republican primary debate for the 2024 United States (US) presidential elections began in Milwaukee on Wednesday, where eight candidates vied to steal the spotlight from frontrunner Donald Trump, who declined to participate in the debate. The debate revolved around the US economy, with candidates trying to introduce themselves to millions of voters who have just started paying attention to the presidential race.
Why does this story matter?
Former President Trump remains the most popular Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential election, with 47% votes in opinion polls. Meanwhile, his legal jeopardy is escalating as he is set to surrender in Atlanta on Thursday after being charged with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential elections. However, most Republicans believe the charges are politically motivated, leaving other candidates scrambling for public support.
8 contenders square off before Iowa caucus
The debate took place four months before the first Republican presidential nominating contest in Iowa, and 14 months before the election. The debate featured eight participants—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
DeSantis, Ramaswamy vie for outsider status
The candidates pushed to counter President Joe Biden's "Bidenomics" and improve the prospects of middle-class families. DeSantis, a distant second behind Trump with 13% votes, aimed to reverse his decline in the opinion polls. However, he faced competition from rising contenders like Scott and Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy touted himself as an outsider, asking voters if they preferred "incremental reform or a revolution."
Ramaswamy becomes 'most Googled candidate during debate'
While DeSantis is the most popular candidate after Trump, he has been mired in controversy for approving a new history syllabus for public schools in Florida that teaches that African-Americans benefited from slavery as it taught them "life skills." Meanwhile, Ramaswamy became the "most Googled candidate during the debate," receiving a search interest three times that of DeSantis or Haley, ABC News reported.
Trump posted interview with Tucker Carlson before debate
Trump, on the other hand, snubbed the debate saying, "I have bigger things to focus on than debating candidates who are polling at 1%." Instead, he posted his pre-recorded interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson on X, previously Twitter, before the debate. With Trump persisting at the top of the chart, the rest of the Republican candidates are left contesting for the second spot.
