Insider Insights: Key Highlights from the Second Republican Presidential Debate

The second Republican presidential primary debate of 2024 concluded in the same way it began, with former President Donald Trump - who has yet to make an appearance alongside his competitors on stage - emerging as the leading candidate for the party.

During the showdown at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, the seven GOP contenders created several noteworthy moments. One of these occurred when former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley expressed her accumulated frustration towards entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

"She expressed, 'Honestly, every time I listen to you, I feel a slight decline in my intelligence from the things you say,'" she remarked to him at a particular moment.

Additionally, two contenders also condemned Trump's absence. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated that he had been "missing in action," while former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie labeled the former president as "Donald Duck" and accused him of "evading accountability by retreating to his golf clubs" instead of defending his achievements on stage.

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Chris Christie takes up debate time to send Trump a clear message

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The GOP candidates also criticized President Joe Biden during the debate. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina suggested that Biden should be at the southern border instead of supporting the striking auto workers in Michigan. Former Vice President Mike Pence said Biden should be unemployed. Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota accused Biden of interfering with free markets.

However, the debate, which was hosted by Fox Business Network and Univision, is unlikely to impact the ongoing dominance of Donald Trump in the national and early-state polls within the GOP race.

And the frequently messy, hard-to-track crosstalk could have led many viewers to tune out entirely.

Here are takeaways from the second GOP primary debate:

Trumps safe approach appears to pay off

Trump might have played it safe by skipping the debates and taking a running-as-an-incumbent approach to the 2024 GOP primary.

It is difficult to determine if he will face any significant consequences from the party's voters for not participating in Wednesday night's chaotic event. Trump's opponents criticized him, with DeSantis highlighting his deficit spending and Christie mocking him by referring to him as "Donald Duck" for skipping the debate. In his closing remarks, Christie expressed his intention to vote Trump out of the GOP.

"This individual has not only caused a division within our party, but he has also caused divisions within families throughout the nation. Additionally, he has created rifts amongst friends all across the country," stated Christie. "It is imperative that he is removed from the equation and excluded from this decision-making process."

Nevertheless, Trump managed to avoid facing significant scrutiny during his four-year tenure as President, despite a plethora of opponents seeking the support of voters who generally hold positive opinions about his presidency.

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Candidates pile on Ramaswamy

Some of the candidates on stage were determined to avoid a repeat of the initial debate, where Ramaswamy had managed to distinguish himself as a skilled debater and performer.

At the beginning of Wednesday's debate, Scott targeted the tech entrepreneur, accusing him of having connections to the Chinese Communist Party and suggesting financial involvement with Hunter Biden. Ramaswamy, visibly irritated, switched gears from praising the other candidates on stage to defending his business record. However, this led to both Scott and Ramaswamy talking over each other.

A short time later, Pence initiated a response by criticizing Ramaswamy, expressing satisfaction over Vivek's withdrawal from his business arrangement in China. In a different instance, following Ramaswamy's answer regarding his use of TikTok, Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, interjected and stated, "Every time I listen to you, I find myself becoming slightly less intelligent due to your remarks," and continued by asserting, "We cannot place our trust in you." While Ramaswamy attempted to regain a unifying tone, Scott could be heard attempting to interrupt him.

DeSantis, Pence duck health care questions while Haley pounces

DeSantis and Pence faced difficulty in defending their healthcare records despite the moderators' attempts to hold them accountable. When questioned about the Trump administration's inability to fulfill their promise of repealing the Affordable Care Act, Pence evaded by addressing a different topic, specifically mass gun violence. Even when prompted by Fox host Dana Perino to clarify why Obamacare is still intact and well-liked, the former vice president chose to evade the question once again.

Fox's Stuart Varney also questioned DeSantis about the 2.5 million Floridians who lack health insurance.

DeSantis attributed the issue to inflation, drawing on a common Republican argument. However, Varney challenged this explanation, pointing out that Florida still has one of the highest rates of uninsurance in the nation. DeSantis struggled to provide a meaningful response.

DeSantis highlighted the dynamic nature of our states, citing Florida's rapid population growth and relatively low welfare benefits. However, Haley was inclined to discuss healthcare, advocating for price transparency to diminish the influence of insurance companies and providers, as well as revamping lawsuit regulations to create more challenges in suing doctors.

"How can we be the best country in the world and have the most expensive health care in the world?" Haley said.

A messy first hour

The initial hour of the second GOP primary debate was marred by frequent interruptions, overlapping conversations, and lengthy disputes between the candidates and moderators regarding speaking time. This creates difficulty for viewers attempting to comprehend the proceedings, but proves even more detrimental for these candidates as they strive to establish themselves as credible alternatives to the absent Trump.

Complicating matters further, candidates DeSantis and Haley, who were leading in the polls, showed little interest in engaging in the heated discussion during the initial hour. The moderators constantly attempted to include the Florida governor, who was notably absent from the conversation for the first 15 minutes.

Ramaswamy performed relatively better, speaking with more volume and speed compared to his competitors. However, he too encountered difficulties when faced with conflicting opinions from candidates like Scott, leading to moments of being overwhelmed.

DeSantis keeps up recent attacks on Trump

The moderator group is expected to face criticism for their inability to maintain control of the room in the initial thirty minutes. Nevertheless, even though the debate may be chaotic, it provides voters with insights into the individuals involved.

Ahead of the initial debate in Milwaukee, a high-ranking strategist for a pro-DeSantis super PAC informed donors that a significant majority, 79% to be precise, would tune out of the debate after a mere 19 minutes.

Adhering to this prediction, the governor of Florida successfully managed to seize the opportunity to speak at precisely the 16-minute mark during Wednesday night's debate. Once given the chance to contribute, he persisted in his strategy of launching more scathing attacks on the leading contender within the Republican Party, as he had been foreshadowing in recent weeks.

DeSantis compared Trump's absence in California to Biden, criticizing Biden for lacking leadership in the economy and holding him responsible for inflation and the autoworkers strike.

DeSantis added, "Another person missing in action is Donald Trump. He ought to be here tonight, standing on this stage. He has a responsibility to defend his track record, and he owes it to you."

DeSantis criticized Trump for contributing to a $7.8 trillion debt that ultimately led to the current inflation. By the first commercial break, which occurred 35 minutes into the event, Christie was the sole candidate present who had expressed any disapproval of Trump.

Despite taking a shot at the person off the stage, DeSantis criticized other candidates for engaging in infighting instead of addressing important issues and discussing Biden. This incident, along with numerous other exchanges, largely went unnoticed as the candidates talked over each other.

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