The second debate between seven Republican presidential candidates did not please anyone except absent favorite Donald Trump. He will be strengthened in his idea that it is better to ignore these meetings. The two-hour debate in California was chaotic and at many times no one could be heard due to interruptions. Crucial topics such as abortion and support for Ukraine were hardly discussed.
While the first debate in August was an interesting introduction to the promises and debating skills of more and less well-known Republicans, the second was mainly a cacophony in which candidates excelled in not answering the questions asked by the moderators. New ideas were scarce, the personal attacks heavy.
The realization seems to have dawned that no one will overtake Donald Trump, who, according to polls, has more than half of Republican voters behind him. He is avoiding the debates for the primaries that start in January and was on Wednesday evening in Michigan, where car factory employees have been on strike for two weeks. Although his candidacy remains unpredictable due to his legal problems with four lawsuits. What and who stood out?
1. Only female candidate Haley stands out
Former governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, the only female candidate, made a solid impression and had one-liners that stuck more than the rehearsed texts of her opponents. For example, she believed that all members of Congress in Washington, where a government shutdown is looming, should receive cuts themselves if they cannot make agreements. She wants “no budget, no salary” for the politicians. She also received applause for her argument for banning education about racism and diversity and tackling high healthcare costs, pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies. She also did not shy away from personal attacks. “Really, every time I hear you talk I feel a little dumber,” she said to tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
2. More personal attacks
Ramaswamy, the most unknown participant who had deftly taken control of the first debate, was expected to receive more attacks from his opponents. And not just about his lack of experience. Senator Tim Scott emphasized that he had done business in China “with the communist party and the same people who paid Hunter Biden millions.” Mike Pence attacked him on the fact that he never voted in elections until a few years ago, which would make him unfit to vote. Other candidates were also fiercely opposed. For example, Tim Scott accused Nikki Haley (both from South Carolina) of ordering $50,000 curtains as UN ambassador – which she denied.
3. More criticism of Trump
While in the first debate everyone except former governor and Trump advisor Chris Christie avoided the former president as a topic of discussion, there was now more criticism. On his absence, on the growth of the national debt under his administration and on his failure to build a wall on the border with Mexico. According to Christie, “he is hiding behind the walls of his golf course.” Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, said Trump owed voters to answer on stage for his policies “that laid the foundation for today’s inflation.” No one talked about how he tried to overturn the 2020 election results and other accusations from the criminal cases in which he is involved.
4. The southern border as the most important theme
The debate was organized by Fox Business, in collaboration with the Spanish-language channel Univision. That raised a lot of questions about immigration and Latinos. They featured Ronald Reagan, who during his presidency advocated an amnesty scheme for the many undocumented immigrants in the US. None of the candidates wanted that now. “Only if we fix the immigration system and secure the border will we ever be able to spend money on something like this,” Haley said. She wants migrants captured and deported.
The others also used the topic to criticize President Joe Biden and outdo each other in their aggressive plans to close the border with Mexico. In recent weeks, the number of illegal border crossings has increased sharply again. Vivek Ramaswamy wants to send the army across the border and no longer grant American citizenship to “a child of an illegal migrant who has broken the law” if he or she was born in the US.
Also read: Republican candidates clash in rowdy debate without Trump
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