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
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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.
DeSantis hits out at Trump for not attending GOP debate: ‘Missing in action’
Florida governor Ron DeSantis tore into Donald Trump on Wednesday for skipping the second Republican debate, complaining the former president was “missing in action.”
“Where’s Joe Biden,” he said. “He’s completely missing in action from leadership. You know who else is missing in action? Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight.”
“He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8tn to the debt,” he added. “That set the stage for the inflation we have now.”
Chris Christie goes after Trump for skipping debates again: ‘Donald Duck'
Mr Christie called out Mr Trump directly on Wednesday night.
“I want to look at that camera right now,” he said. “Donald, I know you're watching. You can't help yourself. I know you're watching. Okay, and you're not here tonight. Not because of polls, and not because of your indictments. You're not here tonight, because you're afraid of being on the stage and defending your record. You're ducking these things.”
“And let me tell you what's going to happen. You keep doing that. No one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We're gonna call you a Donald Duck,” he added.
Debate gets underway in pictures
Pence calls for faster death penalty after mass shootings
Former Vice President Mike Pence called for a faster death penalty for anyone involved in a mass shooting.
“I am sick and tired of these mass shootings happening in the United States of America,” he said. “And if I'm President of the United States, I'm going to go to the Congress of the United States. And we're going to pass a federal expedited death penalty for anyone involved in a mass shooting so that they meet their fate in months, not years.”
“It is unconscionable that the Parkland shooter run is actually going to spend the rest of his life behind bars in Florida. That's not justice. We have to mete out justice and send a message to these would-be killers that you are not going to live out your days behind bars. You're gonna meet justice,” he added.
Trump declares he won’t pick any Republican vying for nomination 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.
And he added: “They don’t have a crowd like we have, thousands of people outside who couldn’t get in.”
Haley says she feels ‘dumber’ after listening to Ramaswamy
Nikki Haley slammed Vivek Ramaswamy, saying that she “feels a little bit dumber” the more he talks.
“We can’t trust you,” she said as a shouting match ensued over the use of the social media app TikTok.
GOP debate turns chaotic as candidates turn on Ramaswamy over China, voting and border
The knives were out for Vivek Ramaswamy at the second Republican presidential debate.
Wednesday evening’s contest descended into chaos at one point, with the businessman at the centre of a barrage of attacks coming from all directions. His rivals, apparently responding to his fiery and attention-grabbing performance at the first contest, were ready with prepared attacks. Mr Ramaswamy never saw it coming.
In the span of just a few minutes, the Republican hopeful endured deep cuts from at least three candidates. It was begun byTim Scott, who looked at the cameras as his rivals spoke at each other and quipped: “We should have a debate between Vivek and Vivek” — a reference to his rival’s reversals on the issue of doing business with China and his past criticism of Donald Trump.
Ramaswamy goes on another rant against trans rights
Vivek Ramaswamy called “transgenderism” a “mental health disorder” and that he would “ban genital mutilation or chemical castration under the age of 18”.
Biden campaign trolls Trump event by buying up ads on Fox News
President Joe Biden’s campaign sought to troll Donald Trump and the Republican party, after buying up advertising space on major US television networks before and during Wednesday night’s GOP candidate debate.
The two 30-second ads, one of which takes aim at Mr Trump and the other targeting voters in the Latino community, will be shown simultaneously on Fox News and Univision from 9pm eastern time.
The Daily Beast was first to report on the strategic placement of the advertisments.
The debate saw seven Republican hopefuls, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Tim Scott, and Doug Bergum, take the stage.
Former president Trump again chose to skip the public debate and instead addressed workers in Michigan at a non-union automotive parts manufacturer.
Chris Christie mocked for ‘Donald Duck’ nickname for Trump: ‘New levels of cringe’
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie was mocked online on Wednesday evening after he attempted during the second presidential debate to give Donald Trump a new nickname: “Donald Duck.”
“I want to look in that camera now and tell you, Donald, I know you’re watching, you can’t help yourself.,” Mr Christie said. “You’re not here tonight, not because of polls and not because of your indictments. You’re not here tonight because you’re afraid of being on this stage and defending your record. You’re ducking these things.”
“Let me tell you what’s going to happen,” he continued. “You keep doing that, and no one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We’re gunna call you Donald Duck.”
The comments, met with a mix of cheers and boos in the debate hall, were mocked online.
Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly opined on X that the “’Donald Duck’ line was lame.”
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