The first Republican debate: discussions about the economy, Trump, Jan. 6 and many spicy exchanges

The Republican primaries have officially begun. Eight presidential candidates qualified for the first debate of the cycle, which was hosted by Fox News and broadcast live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With Donald Trump's absence leaving a gaping void, the rest of the participants did their best to woo Republican voters nationwide.

Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Doug Burgum, Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson all managed to meet the requirements set by the Republican National Committee (RNC), which granted them the right to take the stage. Although the former president also met the criteria, he chose not to participate and instead appeared in an interview with Tucker Carlson on X.

"The RNC is thrilled to present our diverse candidates and conservative vision to beat Joe Biden in Wednesday night's debate," RNC Chairman Ronna McDaniel said in the days leading up to the event.

According to Voz Media, the lesser-known candidates will seek to make themselves familiar to voters, while those in the middle will try to shake DeSantis, the participant with the best performance in the polls. Specifically, Scott, Haley, Pence and Ramaswamy will try to present themselves as serious candidates for second place.

The live debate

The event began with an emotional rendition of the national anthem, courtesy of Natalie Grant, and then led to a video presentation on the importance of Republicans winning Wisconsin in 2024. After the short video, the moderators began by each taking a turn to talk.

Economy

The first issue the candidates debated was the economy. In this field, the first to speak was Ron DeSantis, who said that the United States is going through a period of decline. However, he clarified that "This decline is not inevitable, it's a choice. We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline."

The second to speak was Chris Christie, who emphasized that he was elected as a "conservative governor" in a blue state. In his first speech, he called on political leadership to reduce public spending. Seconds later, it was Tim Scott's turn, who was the first to invoke Donald Trump. In particular, he highlighted the achievements of his administration, such as tax cuts, low unemployment and 2% annual inflation. "With Joe Biden, we've seen the opposite," he said.

Vivek Ramaswamy paraphrased James Stcokdale in the 1992 vice presidential debate and opened with a question: "Who the hell is this skinny guy with a funny last name and what the hell is he doing in the middle of this debate?"

Nikki Haley was the first to criticize Trump, particularly for the fiscal deficit. "You have Ron DeSantis, you've got Tim Scott, you've got Mike Pence ... they all voted to raise the debt, and Donald Trump added $8 trillion to our debt and our kids are never going to forgive us for this. You can't fix Washington's spending crisis with the same people who created the crisis in the first place."

"That's exactly why Margaret Thatcher said if you want something to be said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman," the former ambassador to the United Nations added.

Mike Pence opened his mouth to affirm that he is the best prepared and most experienced candidate to be president, thus distancing himself from Ramaswamy, whom he described as a "rookie."

It didn't take long for the former New Jersey governor to join the criticism against the author of "Woke, Inc.," "I've had enough tonight from a guy who sounds like ChatGPT," he said, later comparing him to Barack Obama. Ramaswamy then asked him if he wanted to hug him, as he did with the former Democratic president at the time.

Asa Hutchinson backed his record as governor, precisely the surplus left by his successor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and the shrinking of Arkansas' state government. He also highlighted his experience in several government branches, such as the DEA. "That's what we need in Washington DC," he continued.

Doug Burgum began by joking about the injury he suffered in the afternoon while playing basketball. "I think I took it too literally when they said 'go to Milwaukee and break your leg,'" he said before criticizing the Biden administration for curtailing U.S. energy independence.

Climate change

The second topic of the night was climate change. Here, the one who stood firm was Ramaswamy: "I'm the only person on stage who isn't bought or paid, so I can say this. The climate change agenda is a hoax." This statement sparked an initial murmur for the first part, which triggered Pence's reaction.

"This isn't that complicated, guys. Unleash American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear power. (...) For me, it's pretty simple. That is something that a president of the United States can do with concentration and I will fulfill it, "added the businessman.

"Vivek: I was in a hallway, I was in the west wing. A president of the United States has to face all the crises that America faces," Pence replied.

Abortion

The second topic of the night was abortion, an issue that moderators say has hurt Republicans at the ballot box since the Supreme Court struck down—Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The dilemma for candidates is whether to push a federal law from the White House or allow states to enact their laws.

For example, DeSantis declined to comment on whether he would sign a six-week ban and said he was "on the side of life," while criticizing Democrats for allowing "abortion up to the moment of birth."

Burgum exemplified his stance with a pocket constitution. "I support that we shouldn't have a federal ban on abortion. We shouldn't do it, and the reason we shouldn't is very simple. It's the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution," he said. In the same vein, Hutchinson stressed that the Supreme Court ruling gave power back to voters, so a federal law is unnecessary.

Seconds later, Pence and Haley clashed over the former South Carolina governor's call for a "consensus." "Consensus is the opposite of leadership," the former vice president responded, referring to a ban after 15 weeks, pushed by some anti-abortion activists.

"Don't make women feel like they have to decide on this issue when you know we don't have 60 votes in the Senate," Haley continued.

By the time everyone finished their turn, only Pence and Scott had come out in favor of a nationwide ban. "We can't leave it to Illinois. We can't leave it in Minnesota's hands," the senator argued.

January 6

One of the most anticipated topics of the night began with DeSantis breaking the ice and passing over the issue by claiming that the date of fundamental importance is January 20, 2025, when a new president takes office.

When everyone was talking simultaneously, Mike Pence asked for the floor. He assured that it all began in January 2017, when he swore on Ronald Reagan's bible as vice president, at which time he committed himself to the United States and to God. According to him, he fulfilled that promise on January 6, 2021.

"I think the American people deserve to know if everyone on this stage agrees that I took my oath to the Constitution that day," he continued.

Christie quickly flattered the former vice president and, in one of the few sweeter moments of the night, said he deserved to be recognized for his actions.

Would they support a doomed Trump?

Everyone except Asa Hutchinson and Chris Christie raised their hands to that question. "Someone has to stop normalizing this behavior," the former New Jersey governor concluded.

Who can beat Joe Biden?

Of course, everyone present swore from the rooftops that they were the only ones who could defeat the current president in an eventual general election. However, some made it clear who cannot. "We have to face the fact that Trump is the most disliked politician in America. We cannot win a general election that way," Haley said.

Ramaswamy, who came across as one of the closest to the former president, disagreed and claimed that Trump was the most successful president of the century.

Ukraine and foreign policy

Again, the businessman was the only one who raised his hand when asked who would stop U.S. aid to Ukraine. "I think it's disastrous that we're protecting an invasion across someone else's border when we should be using those same military assets to prevent the invasion of our own southern border," he said.

Foreign policy was the cause of one of the most tense moments of the night between Nikki Haley and Ramaswamy. The former governor accused Ramaswamy of wanting to ally with the enemies of the United States and abandon their historical allies.

"He wants to hand Ukraine over to Russia, he wants to let China eat Taiwan, he wants to stop funding Israel. You don't do that to friends. Instead, what you do is have the support of your friends," she said. "You don't have foreign policy experience and it shows," Haley said.

When the discussion turned to China, Burgum cited Ronald Reagan's slogan, "peace through strength," and then criticized Biden for not prioritizing U.S. security and instead worrying about the IRS having more employees.

Again on Ukraine, DeSantis called for more cooperation from Europe and ruled out sending troops during a potential presidency, then revolved the debate around the border and fentanyl.

Fentanyl

Tim Scott said he would finish the border wall to "stop the flow of fentanyl and save 70,000 Americans a year." "That should be the priority of this administration and, as the next president of the United States, I will complete that border wall," he said.

Christie went further and claimed that fentanyl originates in China, so the Asian country is "engaging in an act of war against us, killing our citizens."

Closing

At closing time, each stuck to their initial strategies. The moderators asked them to clarify why they were the right ones to lead the nation into a better future.

Doug Burgum: The first to speak, he referred to his life story, in which he almost always had to shower after returning from work. In addition, he referred to the horizon he sees when he goes horseback riding in North Dakota, which shows him that there is nothing that the United States cannot achieve.

Asa Hutchinson: For the former governor of Arkansas, the solution to the current scenario of the United States is not to be found in Joe Biden or Donald Trump, but through a new leadership that can bring out the best in each American, channeling Ronald Reagan.

Tim Scott: True to his hopeful rhetoric, he repeated the common sense message he used in his ads. "If you are able, you work. If you ask for a loan, you pay it back. If you commit a violent crime, you go to jail. And if you're a man, play sports against men," he said.

Chris Christie: He said he could replicate what he did in New Jersey at the White House while promising to win if he were the nominee.

Nikki Haley: Full of promise, including beating Joe Biden, securing the border and defeating inflation, she ended with the hope of restoring pride to the United States.

Mike Pence: Again, he highlighted his faith and experience in government to anoint himself as the candidate capable of reversing the direction in which the country is headed. "God is not done with America yet," he said.

Vivek Ramaswamy: After listing his political platform, he thanked the audience for allowing him to appear before them during the debate.

Ron DeSantis: In the last reference to Ronald Reagan, he indicated that the country is in a "time to choose." He said Florida was the role model for American prosperity and that he would not disappoint if elected.

Republican debate highlights