And Then There Were Five (and Trump)

The Story

The GOP candidates' stances on the issues are the same, same but different.

Last night’s GOP debate?

Yup, the third of four, this one moderated by NBC in Florida. Here’s what GOP candidates(other than former President Trump) had to say about:

Foreign policy: took center stage. The Israel-Hamas war is entering its second month. The Russia-Ukraine war is coming up on two years. Security concerns around China and Iran are top of mind. Most of the candidates said the answer is obvious: the US needs to bolster its military presence. Then there’s entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. He criticized “war hawks” and Ukraine aid. He also appeared to call Ukraine’s president “a Nazi,” something his team is now walking back. However, he did hop on the latest GOP TikTok trend — indicating he’d ban it. Former SC Gov. Nikki Haley said Russia and China would be “salivating” at having someone like Ramaswamy as president. She also said, “America can never be so arrogant to think we don’t need friends.”

Abortion: After a string of electoral losses for Republicans on abortion, candidates were asked to share their approach to abortion policy. Haley, who described herself as pro-life, would support “anything that would pass” but said she doesn’t “judge” or want to divide Americans. Sen. Tim Scott (SC) wants a national 15-week limit on abortion, an approach that didn’t seem to win voters in Virginia. Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie is for states’ rights, even if he finds late-term abortion “morally reprehensible.” Meanwhile, Ramaswamy pointed to paternity tests and “sexual responsibility” for men as a solution for preventing abortion.

Other domestic issues: Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL) wants to rip up Bidenomics and put it in the trash. Haley and Christie said they’d be open to raising the retirement age for Social Security — but didn’t give a number. Scott wants to close the southern border. Ramaswamy suggested a wall along the northern border with Canada, adding he’d “smoke the terrorists” on the southern border. Meanwhile, the candidates decried antisemitism with DeSantis and Scott calling for some students to have their visas revoked. DeSantis dismissed Islamophobia, calling it “so-called.” Haley said DeSantis is a “liberal” when it comes to the environment because of his stance against fracking in the Florida Everglades.

Anything else?

Ramaswamy wished he had different moderators and different GOP leadership and generally wanted to stand out. Haley told Ramaswamy to keep her daughter’s social media life “out of your voice,” telling him: “you’re just scum.” They also went head-to-head on foreign policy, with Ramaswamy seeming to describe DeSantis and Haley as “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels.” To that, Haley responded that she wears five-inch heels. But not “unless you can run in them.” As for former President Trump, he skipped again, held a rally, and reportedly called the debate “unwatchable.”

theSkimm

The Iowa caucuses are two months away, as the GOP’s frontrunner faces both civil and criminal trials. Now, as Haley gains in the polls and DeSantis falls behind, the pressure is on any candidate to show they can earn voters’ trust and mount a serious challenge to Trump.