GOP debate recap: Who won and who lost in second Republican showdown

Debate descends into chaos as moderators lose control over candidates far behind Trump in the polls

Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis call out Trump for not showing up to debate

The second Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, descended into chaos on several occasions with candidates speaking over each other.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum all took part.

Much like in the first debate, Mr Ramaswamy quickly became the focus of the attacks of the other candidates on Wednesday night as he was slammed for his voting record and alleged business connections to China.

Several candidates called out former President Donald Trump for not attending the showdown to instead speaking to auto workers in Michigan, where he said none of those running would be his VP candidate.

Several shouting matches broke out during the roughly two hours of debating on Fox Business as the moderators lost control while the candidates appeared desperate to get their lines in.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called out Mr Trump directly to the camera and was later mocked for calling him “Donald Duck” for ducking the debate.

Key Points

• Winners and losers of the second Republican debate
• Awkward laughter as Mike Pence makes sex joke at Republican debate
• DeSantis says he rejects notion ‘pro-lifers are to blame for midterm defeats'
• Chris Christie mocked for ‘Donald Duck’ nickname for Trump: ‘New levels of cringe’
• GOP debate turns chaotic as candidates turn on Ramaswamy over China, voting and border

[28 September 2023 16:47 · Oliver O'Connell]

‘Every time I hear you I feel a little bit dumber’: Haley roasts Ramaswamy

Nikki Haley delivered one of the most brutal moments of the second GOP debate as she told Vivek Ramaswamy she feels “dumber” every time she hears him.

The former UN ambassador’s scathing rebuke came as she attacked Mr Ramaswamy’s stance on TikTok during the Republican presidential showdown on Wednesday night.

“This is infuriating because TikTok is one of the most dangerous social media apps that we could have,” said Ms Haley.

“And… honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,” she added, prompting cheers from the audience.

Martha McHardy reports.

[28 September 2023 17:00 · Eric Garcia]

Who were the winners and losers of the second Republican debate?

Former President Donald Trump may not have been present at the second Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, but plenty of the Republican candidates took swipes at the former president as much as they attacked each other on the debate stage.

Despite the sunny disposition of the library’s namesake, the debate often devolved into a slugfest, with the candidates talking over each other with very little that could be heard. Similarly, since the debate moderators could not question Mr Trump, the candidates often attacked each other on their records.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump holds what might be an insurmountable lead in the polls as he held a rally in Detroit instead of joining the other candidates onstage.

Here are our winners and losers:

[28 September 2023 17:20 · Martha McHardy]

Newsom gives ‘masterful’ comeback to DeSantis’ claims on California crime

California Governor Gavin Newsom gave a “masterful” comeback to Ron DeSantis’ claims about crime rates in the Golden State.

“He may may want to familiarise himself with Miami, Florida and his homicide rates,” Mr Newsom fired back.

In the GOP presidential debate on Wednesday night, Florida Governor Mr DeSantis claimed that Los Angeles and San Francisco are not safe places to live.

“We can’t be successful as a country if people aren’t even safe to live in places like Los Angeles and San Francisco,” Mr DeSantis said.

“Just being in Southern California over the last couple of days, my wife and I have met three people who have been mugged on the street, and that would have never happened 10 or 20 years ago.”

Read on...

[28 September 2023 17:40 · Alex Woodward]

DeSantis wants to use DOJ to bring civil rights cases against prosecutors

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has vowed to use the US Department of Justice to file civil rights cases against reform-minded prosecutors, if he is elected president, escalating his threats against progressive prosecutors as he faces widespread criticism after removing elected officials in his home state from office.

During a debate among seven candidates for the 2024 Republican nomination for president on 28 September, Mr DeSantis invoked philanthropist and right-wing bogeyman George Soros in his pledge to use the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to target “left-wing” prosecutors across the US.

The governor has previously criticised what he called the “weaponisation” of the Justice Department over the prosecution of his rival Donald Trump, but he now appears ready to use the executive office to remove his own political opponents, if elected.

Continued...

[28 September 2023 18:00 · Graeme Massie]

Trump says he won’t pick any 2024 GOP rival as running mate

Donald Trump says he will not pick any of the Republicans running against him for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination to be his running mate if wins the primary.

The former president skipped the second GOP debate and poked fun at the “job candidates” taking part during his own competing speech at a Michigan auto parts factory.

“We are competing with the job candidates, they are all running for a job. They are all job candidates. They will do anything, secretary of something, they even say VP. Has anyone seen a VP in that group? I don’t think so,” Mr Trump told the crowd at Drake Enterprises, an automotive manufacturing plant in Clinton Township.

More...

[28 September 2023 18:20 · Ariana Baio]

Scott attacked Haley over expensive curtains... but there’s a bit more to the story

Among the numerous heated arguments that transpired between Republican presidential candidates on the debate stage, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and South Carolina senator Tim Scott got into a particularly frivolous argument over expensive curtains.

While addressing government spending, Mr Scott claimed Ms Haley was “someone who has never seen a federal dollar she doesn’t like”, opening the door for the two to verbally spar.

With a coy smile, Ms Haley welcomed Mr Scott’s accusations, saying: “Bring it, Tim.”

Read more...

[28 September 2023 18:40 · Andrew Feinberg]

GOP candidates in angry holding pattern as Trump spoiler highlights their irrelevance

Republican presidential candidates spent two hours on live television late on Wednesday hurling insults and shouting at each other — often through switched-off microphones — at a presidential debate that was most notable for the continued absence of the candidate who currently leads the field, former president Donald Trump.

The seven-person field, consisting of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and former Vice President Mike Pence, took to the stage for a 120-minute session hosted by Fox Business Network and Univision, roughly a month after the first primary debate in Milwaukee.

Mr Trump, who most polling shows to have a commanding lead over the entire field, skipped the televised session to deliver prepared remarks to a group of non-union auto workers in Michigan.

[28 September 2023 19:20 · John Bowden]

Key takeaways from the second GOP debate: Goading Trump, hating Vivek, fighting everyone

Another Republican debate is in the books, and the race is still very much divided between Donald Trump and the Everyone Else mob.

While the former president was absent for another matchup of the 2024 Republican field, his rivals tore each other to shreds with a vigour that seemed to have grown since their last meeting. Also growing: the field’s exasperation with Mr Trump’s total lack of interest in meeting them head-on.

Here’s what we learned as a field full of Republicans gathered a second time for a chaotic, aggressive and at times very personal brawl.

[28 September 2023 20:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

AOC blasts GOP candidates over ‘disgusting and misogynistic’ joke about first lady

Member of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday slammed Republicans for taking misogynist potshots at Jill Biden at the second of the GOP’s primary debate.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie took a swipe at the first lady’s status as a teacher at the debate, arguing that the public school system was run by “teachers unions in this country” instead of the public.

Dr Biden is a member of the National Education Association and vowed to continue her work as a community college professor.

“Right now, we have a president who is sleeping with a member of the teachers’ union, there is no chance that you can take the stranglehold away from the teachers’ union every day,” Mr Christie said on Wednesday.

Read on...

[28 September 2023 20:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

DeSantis stands firm when confronted with stark reality of poll numbers

Ron DeSantis has refused to throw in the towel on his campaign to be the Republican pick for the next election, despite being given a sober look at the current polling numbers.

The governor of Florida was informed by Laura Ingraham on the right-wing Fox News network that he faces a 37-point deficit to Donald Trump in one early primary state.

On her show, Ms Ingraham said: “Now, governor, the latest CBS poll out of New Hampshire shows that you’re in second, albeit a distant second behind Trump ... You’re at 13 per cent, he’s at 50 per cent.”

Despite the charges against him and his loss in the 2020 vote, Mr Trump is the heavy favourite to be the GOP nominee, but Mr DeSantis says he has not given up hope.