Unveiling the Buzz: Must-Watch Highlights of the Next 2024 GOP Presidential Debate

Seven Republican contenders in the 2024 race, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, are scheduled to participate in their second primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California on Wednesday night. Despite the absence of former President Donald Trump, who will be holding a rally in Michigan, these candidates may still choose to make him the central figure in their debate.

The GOP debate, set for 9 p.m. ET and co-hosted by Fox Business and Univision, signifies a new chapter in the race as the number of candidates decreases from eight in the previous Milwaukee debate to seven, with former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson being excluded. More stringent qualification criteria and additional eliminations are on the horizon for the third face-off in November.

Here are six key aspects to observe during Wednesday's debate:

Trumps where?

Despite Christie's utmost endeavors to entice Trump to Simi Valley, urging him to "make an appearance" and "cease being fearful," the past president will once again be missing on Wednesday night. Instead, he has chosen to deliver a prime-time address to present and past union members in Michigan, rather than interact with his main opponents.

Trump's decision to counterprogram highlights his belief, shared by many, that the ongoing GOP race offers little benefit for him to participate alongside the other candidates. It is evident that he considers the competition to be in his favor, making it a risk to engage with his fellow Republicans.

During his visit to South Carolina, the former president openly criticized the debates, deeming them as "stupid." Instead of targeting his fellow Republicans, his focus was directed towards President Joe Biden. This was manifested when Trump chose to direct his attacks towards Biden during the latter's visit to Wayne County, Michigan, where he commiserated with the striking members of the United Auto Workers union.

Trump's speech is unlikely to overshadow the GOP debate, however, Mike Murphy, a veteran Republican strategist and a critic of Trump, told CNN this week that the former president has little to worry about.

"What works in Trump's favor is that none of his opponents are implementing a strategy to defeat him," Murphy stated. "None of the prominent ones are doing anything more than imitating Trump."

Major divides on abortion

With his recent criticism of strict anti-abortion measures in GOP-led states, Trump opened what could be the partys most significant policy fissure.

Trump's appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices contributed to the potential reversal of Roe v. Wade. However, he will not be present to defend his recent statements to NBC News, where he criticized the ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy implemented by Florida under DeSantis, stating that such bans are "terrible." Furthermore, he also expressed his belief that some conservatives "speak very inarticulately" on the topic. Nevertheless, these remarks have provided an opportunity for his rivals to critique the former president from a conservative standpoint, and they have wasted no time in doing so.

"This individual is not the same person who ran in 2016. He is currently criticizing the pro-life movement and specifically targeting states that have implemented pro-life regulations with popular support," stated DeSantis during a radio show in eastern Iowa on Tuesday morning.

Additionally, this argument is being used as a tool by certain socially conservative candidates such as Pence and Scott, who both endorse 15-week federal abortion bans. They have indicated their potential use of this strategy against other participants on the debate stage, possibly including Haley. She has expressed skepticism regarding the practicality of new federal abortion restrictions.

The outcome of the 2022 midterms, along with abortion-related measures in conservative states and off-year races like the Wisconsin Supreme Court election this spring, indicate that if Republicans shift too far right on the issue of abortion, they may risk alienating a significant portion of the electorate in November 2024. However, for candidates vying to become the strongest alternative to Trump in the primaries, adopting a more conservative stance on abortion could attract the support of social conservatives, who are influential in the Iowa caucuses. These caucuses mark the beginning of the GOP presidential nomination process in January.

Whither Ron DeSantis?

Just a few months ago, numerous Republicans considered the Florida governor to be their party's strongest contender in challenging Trump's position.

However, with the first primary votes approaching, DeSantis has now slipped back into the same level as Haley, Ramaswamy, and Christie in a recent CNN/University of New Hampshire primary poll of the Granite State.

At last month's first GOP debate, DeSantis remained inconspicuous even with Trump absent, raising concerns about his political skills and his ability to leverage conservative support in Florida on a national platform.

However, in California on Wednesday, DeSantis will once again take the spotlight and face close scrutiny from concerned donors. Similar to the Milwaukee debate, the absence of Trump provides the governor with an opportunity to differentiate himself without the risk of being overshadowed or targeted by the former president.

If its not "now or never" for DeSantis, its getting awfully close.

Ramaswamy against the world – again?

Ramaswamy emerged as the ultimate beneficiary of Trump's absence from the initial debate. With a captivating showmanship and a spirited demeanor, he easily established himself as the focal point of the evening, engaging in lively discussions with Christie, Pence, and Haley, who all directed their criticism towards the youngest contender among them.

Remarkably, Ramaswamy emerged unscathed from these exchanges, positioning himself as the surrogate for Trump - a distinctive voice amidst a lineup of mainly conventional speakers.

Who else will dare to challenge the Ohio businessman tonight?

With Christie's reputation for annihilating weaker opponents on the debate stage, other candidates may be wary of attempting the same against Ramaswamy. However, Ramaswamy is expected to eagerly seek a confrontation and seize the opportunity to control the narrative in the aftermath of the debate.

Haley turns focus to Trump

Trying to diminish the appeal of tech entrepreneurs and secure the support of the MAGA constituency, DeSantis has a vested interest in countering their influence. However, the question remains as to whether he possesses the agility required to emerge victorious in a direct confrontation.

Haley is targeting Trump's conservative credentials, focusing on differentiating herself from him rather than criticizing his behavior. As she strives to solidify her position as a prominent contender against the former president, she carries a small wave of momentum from the initial debate in Milwaukee to California, where she confronts a new challenge in elevating her performance.

Haley, who clashed with Ramaswamy on foreign policy and had a lively disagreement with Pence on abortion policies during the last debate, has now turned her attention towards discussing Trump. As a former US ambassador to the United Nations under his administration, Haley has shifted from criticizing his fiscal and spending policies to evaluating his capability to hold office.

In recent town hall meetings, the former South Carolina governor has been testing out some of these anti-Trump statements. Just last week, she described Trump as someone who is sensitive to criticism and easily loses focus. Furthermore, she mentioned that he showed weakness when dealing with Ukraine.

The shadow of Reagan

The Wednesday debate will be held at the legendary Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Previously, this library has been the venue for GOP presidential debates in 2008, 2012, and 2016. In the absence of Trump, numerous candidates might aim to leverage the magnificent library's grandeur to capture some of the Reagan's allure.

Haley has been acquainting herself with some of Reagan's memorable quotes.

Scott, who faced challenges in conveying his positive message during the intense first debate, sent a fundraising email to his supporters. In this email, he explicitly compared himself to Reagan. The opening line - "America is at a crossroads" - echoed Reagan's 1964 speech in support of GOP candidate Barry Goldwater, which propelled the former actor to national prominence.

It is unclear whether invoking Reagan still influences voters in a party that has strayed from many of his principles in recent times. Pence, who has long emphasized how Reagan influenced his conservatism, reaffirmed his comparison of Trump to Reagan in a recent interview with CNN.

"He said that when he selected me, someone who had been involved in the conservative movement dating back to the time of Ronald Reagan, it demonstrated his genuine intentions," he remarked. Nevertheless, Pence asserted that the ex-president has deviated from those principles since then, advocating for the party to distance itself from populist "copycats."