Former New Jersey Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chris-christie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Christie</a> criticized former President Donald Trump during the second Republican Party primary debate on Wednesday night.
Christie made the remarks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
&#8220;And I want to look at camera right now tell you, Donald, I know you&#8217;re watching,&#8221; Christie said. &#8220;You can&#8217;t help yourself. I know you&#8217;re watching, okay? And you&#8217;re not here tonight — not because of polls and not because of your indictments — you&#8217;re not here tonight because you&#8217;re afraid of being on the stage and defending your record.&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;re ducking these things,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And let me tell you what&#8217;s going to happen. You keep doing that, no one up here is gonna call you Donald Trump anymore. We&#8217;re gonna call you Donald Duck.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I know <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> is watching. 
You’re not here because you’re afraid. 
You keep ducking these things, we’re going to start calling you Donald Duck. <a href="https://t.co/JaiMPb1BXJ">pic.twitter.com/JaiMPb1BXJ</a>
&mdash; Chris Christie (@GovChristie) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/1707211934213304363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Second Republican Primary Debate Held At Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Christie Goes After Trump: If You Keep Skipping Debates, ‘We’re Gonna Call You Donald Duck’

Christie Goes After Trump: If You Keep Skipping Debates, 'We're Gonna Call You Donald Duck'

2024 Election

Chris Christie

Donald Trump

Elections

Politics

The second 2024 Republican presidential debate is here. Seven candidates, including a cadre of governors and former governors, are facing off for the second time at a debate moderated by Fox News hosts Stuart Varney and Dana Perino alongside UNIVISION’s Ilia Calderón. The debate is being held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Candidates participating in the debate include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP frontrunner, will not participate, choosing to appear in Michigan to give a speech to striking autoworkers. Follow The Daily Wire’s Republican presidential debate live blog here: Refresh for updates.
<hr />
Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom attends debate as surrogate for Biden
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) was spotted at the Reagan Presidential Library, entering the spin zone, where he will be a surrogate for President Joe Biden. Newsom declared the president the &#8220;clear&#8221; winner of the debate before it even started.
&#8220;The winner of tonight’s debate is clear, it’s Joe Biden. It’s the Biden presidency and the extraordinary job he’s done over the years,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;It’s been a masterclass, the success of the Biden-Harris administration.”
Tim Scott: Biden shouldn&#8217;t be on the picket line but on the southern border 
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) called out President Joe Biden for joining striking autoworkers in Michigan earlier this week. &#8220;Joe Biden should not be on the picket line; he should be on the southern border working to close our southern border because it is unsafe, wide open, and insecure.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If you don’t control your back door, it&#39;s not your house. And if we don&#39;t control our border, it’s not our country.
Every single American deserves safe streets, drug-free neighborhoods, and secure borders. And when I’m in the White House, they’ll get them. <a href="https://t.co/4c4Iue7X2v">pic.twitter.com/4c4Iue7X2v</a>
&mdash; Tim Scott (@votetimscott) <a href="https://twitter.com/votetimscott/status/1707202918225445298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<div class="liveblog-entry-main">
<div class="liveblog-entry-social">
<div class="SocialMediaShareButton SocialMediaShareButton--email" tabindex="0" role="button" aria-label="email">
<div>Ramaswamy doesn’t have patience for union bosses but does have sympathy for the workers</div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text" data-qa="message-text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
<div></div>
<div class="p-rich_text_section">The tech entrepreneur said that workers should “go picket in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. That’s really where the protest needs to be.” Ramaswamy added that the Biden administration&#8217;s policies have been a disaster and that federal regulations are hampering the economy.</div>
Chris Christie calls out Trump for adding to the national debt
Former Trump ally and Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie criticized the Trump administration for adding trillions of dollars to the national debt during the former president&#8217;s four years in office and called on him to defend his record on the debate stage.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t get any answers because Joe Biden hides in his basement and won&#8217;t answer as to why he&#8217;s raising the debt the way he&#8217;s done, and Donald Trump hides behind the walls of his golf clubs and won&#8217;t show up &#8230; he put $7 trillion on the debt. He should be here in this room to answer those questions.&#8221;
DeSantis calls out Trump for not being at the debate, criticizes the former president for signing large spending bills
“You know who else is missing in action? Donald Trump is missing in action,&#8221; the Florida governor said. &#8220;He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt that set the stage for the inflation that we have.&#8221; DeSantis said he will veto bloated spending bills.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Where is Joe Biden? He’s missing in action.
You know who else is missing in action? Donald Trump.
DC politicians are shutting down the American Dream with their reckless spending.
As your President, when they send me a bloated spending bill, I will take out my pen and veto it. <a href="https://t.co/FzhRJZco19">pic.twitter.com/FzhRJZco19</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1707205112567902481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Christie says that America wants more immigrants to come legally
&#8220;If you come here illegally, we will apprehend you and send you back across the border from whence you came.”
DeSantis tries to steer debate back to issues after Scott and Ramaswamy trade barbs
After Sen. Tim Scott called out Vivek Ramaswamy for criticizing his GOP opponents in the last debate and calling them &#8220;bought and paid for,&#8221; Gov. DeSantis tried to get the participants to &#8220;get back to the issues that matter.&#8221;
&#8220;Let&#8217;s focus on holding Joe Biden accountable,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;That&#8217;s who we need to be focusing on.&#8221;
Pence asked about supporting a pathway for illegal immigrants allowed to stay in America under Obama and Biden’s DACA program, which was recently ruled illegal
The former vice president pointed to the Trump administration’s actions to secure the border and said he has negotiated change in Congress before.
DeSantis says that crime is a sign of “decaying” American culture, lays out his plan to go after Soros-backed DAs
The Florida governor pointed to his removal of two woke prosecutors in Florida and said that he will authorize the Department of Justice to bring civil rights cases against George Soros-backed prosecutors who are weak on prosecuting crime.
Pence calls for &#8220;expedited death penalty&#8221; for mass shooters
&#8220;I&#8217;m someone that believes that justice delayed is justice denied, and as a father of three, as a grandfather of three beautiful little girls, I am sick and tired of these mass shootings happening in the United States of America, and if I&#8217;m president of the United States, I will go to the Congress of the United States, and we&#8217;re going to pass a federal expedited death penalty for anyone involved in a mass shooting so they will meet their fate in months, not years.&#8221;
Ramaswamy says that part of dealing with the fentanyl crisis is cracking down on demand in the country
Ramaswamy said that the country needs to turn to faith-based mental health solutions and crack down on addictive social media platforms.
Haley addresses the broken health care system
Nikki Haley said that, as president, she will break down the American healthcare system as it currently stands and will bring competition and transparency to the industry.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
When I am president we will make health care costs transparent. We will put the patient in the driver seat and costs will go down.
&mdash; Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1707212149687218519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Burgum blames the federal government for rising medical costs
When asked about how he would address the rising costs of health care, Doug Burgum pinned the blame on the federal government. He said that whenever the government gets involved, it picks winners and losers, which doesn’t work out well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Every time the federal government gets involved in something, whether it’s education, energy or health care, things get more expensive and less efficient. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOPDebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOPDebate</a>
&mdash; Doug Burgum (Text &quot;DOUG&quot; to 70177) (@DougBurgum) <a href="https://twitter.com/DougBurgum/status/1707213027899011490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Haley says parents have to get involved with kids&#8217; education, calls for transparency and an end to spending on DEI, CRT
Nikki Haley said parents need to get involved and public schools need to be more transparent with them. &#8220;We&#8217;ve got to make sure we catch our kids up &#8230; we need complete transparency in the classroom &#8230; we need school choice.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to quit spending time on DEI and CRT,&#8221; Haley added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;We&#39;ve got to make sure we catch our kids up &#8230; we need complete transparency in the classroom &#8230; we need school choice.&quot; 
&quot;We&#39;ve got to quit spending time on DEI and CRT.&quot; — Gov. Nikki Haley
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1707213933378261253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Scott takes aim at Democrat welfare programs
Tim Scott said that black Americans survived all of the hardships of slavery, but were devastated by welfare programs in the 1960s. “What was hard to survive was Johnson’s Great Society where they decided to take the black father out of the household to get a check in the mail and you can now measure that in unemployment, crime, and devastation. If you want to restore hope, you need to restore the family,” he said.
Ramaswamy: Transgenderism is a mental health disorder
After being asked about parental notification laws for public schools, Vivek Ramaswamy said, &#8220;Transgenderism, especially in kids, is a mental health disorder,&#8221; adding that &#8220;it is not compassionate to confirm a child&#8217;s delusion.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
VIVEK: &quot;Transgenderism, especially in kids, is a mental health disorder!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GmweqbuyRk">pic.twitter.com/GmweqbuyRk</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1707215970366894097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DeSantis says the U.S. must defend the American people before worrying about Ukraine
When asked if it was in America&#8217;s best interest to fund Ukraine&#8217;s defense, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it is in America&#8217;s interest &#8220;to end&#8221; the war in Ukraine. &#8220;We are not going to have a blank check. We will not have U.S. troops [in Ukraine].&#8221;
&#8220;We have to defend the American people,&#8221; DeSantis added, saying the U.S. needs to focus on the southern border.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;It is in our interest to end this war,&quot; Gov. DeSantis says we will not send American troops to Ukraine. 
&quot;We have to defend the American people,&quot; DeSantis charges, stating that we need to focus on the southern border.
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1707218460147908887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Tim Scott: Opposing Russia in Ukraine is in America&#8217;s best interest
When asked about continued assistance to Ukraine, which Scott has consistently voted in favor of, the senator said, &#8220;Our national interest is in degrading the Russian military.&#8221;
Haley and Ramaswamy squabble over TikTok
Ramaswamy said that he would ban TikTok for those under 16 before Haley jumped in to attack him over downloading the app himself. Haley said that TikTok was a security liability and would allow China access to American voting. Ramaswamy said that having TikTok was necessary to reach out to the next generation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH:
Vivek and Haley Clash Over TikTok/China &#8211; Haley says ‘We can’t trust you.’ <a href="https://t.co/rC3zKs2Fqd">pic.twitter.com/rC3zKs2Fqd</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1707221767029227577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Burgum: “We’re in a Cold War with China”
Burgum called out Biden&#8217;s foreign policy approach, saying that Biden invited more kidnappings of Americans with recent negotiations that gave billions to Iran in exchange for imprisoned Americans. He added that Ukraine should not fall to Russia and Taiwan should not fall to China.
Haley goes after DeSantis on energy
Nikki Haley attacked Gov. Ron DeSantis for his record on fracking, accusing DeSantis of issuing executive orders after taking office banning fracking and offshore drilling in the state.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
On his second day in office as governor, Ron issued executive orders BANNING fracking and offshore drilling in Florida—a page straight from Joe Biden’s playbook.
&mdash; Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1707223212784841122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DeSantis responded to Haley, saying her claims are &#8220;not true&#8221; and pointed to a Florida constitutional amendment that bans offshore drilling.
&#8220;That&#8217;s just wrong,&#8221; the governor said of Haley&#8217;s attack. &#8220;And let&#8217;s just get real here: my plan will get the job done. We are going to be energy dominant.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonDeSantis</a> pledges to champion &quot;American energy dominance: We&#39;re going to choose Midland over Moscow, we&#39;re going to choose the Marcellas over the Mullahs, and we&#39;re going to choose Bakken over Beijing, and we&#39;re going to lower your gas prices.&quot; BAM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOPDebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOPDebate</a> <a href="https://t.co/87nzLXZw8y">pic.twitter.com/87nzLXZw8y</a>
&mdash; Tyler O&#39;Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tyler2ONeil/status/1707227589142573190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DeSantis says being pro-life is not a liability for elections
“I reject this idea that pro-lifers are to blame for midterm defeats,” DeSantis said, adding that Trump should be at the debate to explain why he has been critical of pro-life activists. “We’re better off when everyone counts,” he added, saying Republicans should go after Democrats pushing extreme late-term abortion policies.
Candidates asked who they would vote &#8220;off the island&#8221;
Fox News host Dana Perino asked candidates to write down what candidate they would want to “vote off the island” but candidates refused with DeSantis calling the question disrespectful. Other candidates agreed and Perino moved on before Christie explained that he would want Trump “off the island.”
Ramaswamy: &#8220;America First agenda does not belong to one man&#8221;
With the final comment of the debate, Vivek Ramaswamy said he &#8220;respects&#8221; former President Trump&#8217;s &#8220;legacy,&#8221; but added that the America First agenda that Trump governed by &#8220;does not belong to one man.&#8221;
&#8220;It does not belong to Donald Trump. It doesn&#8217;t belong to me. It belongs to you, the people of this country. And the question is who is going to unite this country and take the America First agenda to the next level.&#8221;
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

2024 Primary Debate

2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: Live Updates As 7 Republicans Face Off At Reagan Library

2024 Primaries

Debates

Doug Burgum

Mike Pence

Nikki Haley

Ron DeSantis

Tim Scott

Vivek Ramaswamy

More polls on the early primary state of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-hampshire">New Hampshire</a> were released over the past week, showing how Republican candidates stack up in the state with an impressive track record of choosing the eventual nominee. 
The New Hampshire primary, along with the Iowa caucuses, act as the launching pad for the presidential election, and Republicans who won the Granite State primary in the last three competitive election cycles (2016, 2012, and 2008) all went on to win the nomination. The state also represents a slightly <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/24/politics/new-hampshire-republican-primary-trump/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">better chance</a> for a Republican candidate to knock off the GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, as Trump consistently polls lower in New Hampshire than he does nationally. 
According to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/nh/2024_new_hampshire_republican_presidential_primary-7396.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real Clear Politics average</a> as of Wednesday, Trump leads the pack in New Hampshire at 44%, 31 points ahead of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley at 13%. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is in second place nationally, comes in third place in the state at 10.5%, followed closely by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 9.8%. Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (8%), South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (4.8%), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (2.5%), and former Vice President Mike Pence (1.5%) round out the polling of those who came in above 1%. 
The most recent poll, conducted by CBS News from September 15-24, has Trump at 50%, DeSantis in second at 13%, and Haley in third at 11%. The CBS poll was an 11-point difference for Trump compared to a CNN/UNH poll conducted two weeks ago that put the former president at 39%.
The last four polls of New Hampshire showed a significant rise for Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN during the Trump administration. Haley polled as high as 15% in a St. Anselm poll conducted last week, a 10-point rise for the South Carolinian since the previous St. Anselm poll conducted in June. Meanwhile, DeSantis dropped eight points between the two St. Anselm polls as the governor struggles to gain momentum since the launch of his campaign in late May. 
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Seven candidates will gather at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, for Wednesday night&#8217;s second GOP presidential debate. Trump, who did not attend the first GOP debate, will also skip this one, opting to speak to striking autoworkers in Michigan instead. The former president has pointed to his dominance in the polls as a reason he’s not debating his Republican opponents.

Nikki Haley/Donald Trump/Ron DeSantis

Latest Presidential Polls: Where The Candidates Stand In New Hampshire

New Hampshire

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said he has no interest in running against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) after the 69-year-old lawmaker was indicted on federal corruption charges last week.
Christie made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Kristen Welker on NBC News&#8217;s &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; when pressed on the topic and whether the indictment undercuts Republican claims that there is a two-tiered justice system in the country.
&#8220;I&#8217;m glad that the Justice Department acted, and they acted on some very horrific facts,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Look, I did this Kristen, as you know, for seven years as the U.S. attorney in New Jersey, the fifth largest office in the country. We did 130 corruption cases and never were defeated. So I know a bit about this. There is no way that any public official has any legal, or plausible, or ethical explanation for having $500,000 in cash stuffed in jackets and envelopes throughout their home, gold bars that have the fingerprints, DNA of someone who you were attempting to fix the system for. I commend the Southern District of New York for doing the right thing.&#8221;
Christie added that while he does not believe that the entire DOJ has done bad things, he had a problem with U.S. Attorney David Weiss offering Hunter Biden a sweetheart plea deal.
When asked if he would run against Menendez if he did not win in the fall, Christie responded: &#8220;No, I have no interest in being in the United States Senate.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-8433">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;You rule it out completely?&#8221; Welker pressed.
&#8220;Yes, I have. I have throughout my entire career,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I had a chance to appoint myself to the United States Senate, Kristen, in 2013 when Frank Lautenberg passed away and I was governor. If I didn&#8217;t appoint myself to the United States Senate, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Full Christie: ‘Momentum is everything in this race’" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZvsbVyabCCc?start=392&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Chris Christie Attends Town Hall Event In New Hampshire

Chris Christie Weighs In On Running Against Bob Menendez In The U.S. Senate

Bob Menendez

Corruption

General

New Jersey

U.S. Senate

Republican presidential candidates hit the Iowa trail in recent weeks as potential nominees court voters who will partake in the nation’s first caucuses. 
Many of the GOP candidates attended the Iowa State Fair last month and the annual Iowa-Iowa State college football game over the weekend, trying to convince voters that they are the best option to beat President Joe Biden in 2024. State polling continues to show former President Donald Trump in a commanding lead in Iowa, but according to some recent polls, both Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have slightly dipped as other candidates got a small boost. 
Trump stands at 46.0%, and DeSantis holds second place at 15.8%, according to the latest Real Clear Politics <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/ia/2024_iowa_republican_presidential_caucus-8164.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">average</a> in Iowa. Two candidates from South Carolina have seen a recent boost in the Hawkeye State, as Sen. Tim Scott now sits at 9.0% and former Governor Nikki Haley improved to 7.0%, according to the RCP average. Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (6.5%), former Vice President Mike Pence (3.5%), former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (3.5%), and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (2.5%) round out the polling of candidates who hit above 2% in Iowa. 
Trump’s polling in Iowa dropped significantly between May and last week, according to the latest Emerson poll. The former president stood at 62%, according to an Emerson poll taken in late May, but that dropped to 49% in the <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/iowa-2024-biden-and-trump-remain-frontrunners-in-caucuses-but-both-losing-ground/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> released last week. DeSantis also took a slight tumble, according to Emerson, dropping from 20% to 14% in the same time period. The May Emerson poll showing the Florida governor at 20% was released days before he officially launched his campaign, which has struggled to gain momentum. 
An Iowa State/Civiqs <a href="https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2023/09/08/24caucus-poll1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> also released last week showed similar results for Trump and DeSantis as the Emerson poll and better results for Haley, who reached 10%, just four percentage points behind DeSantis. Haley’s recent boost in Iowa comes as she’s also gained some momentum nationally. A recent CNN poll showed Haley was tied for third place with Pence at 7%, and the same <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/10/politics/nikki-haley-lead-biden-2024-poll-cnntv/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> showed the former U.N. ambassador performing the best of any GOP candidate against Biden, beating him 49% to 43%. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1694704868144000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Z3tOpaerrCj2tN0KpdRyx">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Iowa voters will kick off the final stretch of the Republican race on January 15, 2024, when they caucus to pick their candidate for the GOP nomination. The state has a track record of picking some of the most conservative candidates to be the GOP nominee, but Republicans who won the Iowa caucuses in recent competitive races didn&#8217;t fare well in the long run. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who won in 2016, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), who won in 2012, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who won in 2008, all went on to lose the Republican primary.

2024 Presidential Candidates Attend Iowa State Fair

Latest Presidential Polls: Where The Candidates Stand In Iowa

Iowa Caucuses

Polls

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said this week that he will track down and publicly confront former President Donald Trump on the campaign trail over the next couple of months.
The former New Jersey governor said during an interview over the weekend that he would start following Trump around the country if Trump continues to skip Republican Party primary debates.
Christie <a href="https://www.siriusxm.com/clips/clip/74c6f1a3-0970-4a72-90ee-67ec2b60f52d/eed9ceb8-42f3-4a71-b8ea-d9ccae61f9be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a town hall in New Hampshire on Tuesday that he was working with his staff to come up with a plan to confront Trump because he was &#8220;pretty much hiding in the basement.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a guy who’s taking advantage of the fact that he lives behind the walls of private clubs and he has Secret Service protection,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So what we’re going to basically have to do is go to public events of his and try to confront him. If he won’t show up at debates, then that’s what we’re going to have to do. I mean, I don’t know how else to do it.&#8221;
Christie said what he would like to do is have &#8220;a press conference outside his house, but you can’t do that because he lives behind the walls of these private clubs and I wouldn’t be able to get into them.&#8221;
He said that he thinks he will cross paths with Trump in California at the end of the month after the September 27 debate and that he might stay in the area longer to see if he can force a confrontation.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1694623921900000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3XU1JP8lJcdDsDJc593fTP">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Christie doubled down on his remarks after the town hall, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/christie-vows-follow-confront-trump-debates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> reporters: &#8220;Watch me.&#8221;
&#8220;You think I&#8217;m going to have a hard time finding Donald Trump? You think that over the course the next couple of months, I&#8217;m not going to find him and confront him someplace?&#8221; Christie said. &#8220;I was a prosecutor for seven years. It was my job to find people and confront them. So don&#8217;t worry about it, I&#8217;ll find him.&#8221;
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign mocked Christie&#8217;s plan, saying in a statement that he was &#8220;a stone-cold loser who spends every day on the cable news casting couch auditioning for a contributor contract whenever his joke of a campaign ends up in flames.&#8221;

GOP Presidential Candidate Chris Christie Takes Part In A SiriusXM Town Hall With Host Steve Scully At New England College

Chris Christie Vows To Have Public Confrontation With Trump In Next Couple Of Months

Former New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie warned if former President Donald Trump continues to skip the GOP primary debates, he would start following the former president around the country.
Christie made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Howard Kurtz on Fox News&#8217;s &#8220;Media Buzz.&#8221;
&#8220;But did Trump defuse your strategy of going toe-to-toe with him by staying off the debate stage and saying since he&#8217;s gotten a big lead nationally in the national polls, that he is not going to do any of the debates?&#8221; Kurtz asked.
Christie responded, &#8220;Well, if he doesn&#8217;t do any of the debates, Howie, you know, we&#8217;re gonna give him another chance. I&#8217;m sure he&#8217;s not coming to the Reagan debate. We&#8217;ll give him another chance in Alabama. But if he doesn&#8217;t come there, then I&#8217;m going to follow him around the country. Wherever he goes, I&#8217;ll go. And we&#8217;ll wind up talking to each other one way or the other. And he knows that&#8217;s true.&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;re going to change your travel schedule to go where Trump goes?&#8221; Kurtz asked.
&#8220;You bet,&#8221; Christie responded.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Chris Christie on Donald Trump skipping debates: “If he doesn&#39;t come [to the Alabama debate], then I&#39;m going to follow him around the country. Wherever he goes, I&#39;ll go. And we&#39;ll wind up talking to each other one way or the other. And he knows that&#39;s true.” <a href="https://t.co/fPKJqyZqVf">pic.twitter.com/fPKJqyZqVf</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1701139039137735135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The 77-year-old former president announced late last month that he would skip Republican Party primary debates, but it was unclear if he meant all future debates or just the first two.
At the time, Trump cited a CBS News poll that showed his lead over the other candidates in national polling, declaring: “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-54794">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said earlier in the day that she is “still holding out hope that [former] President Trump will come” because it’s “so important that the American people hear from all the candidates.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-announces-he-will-not-participate-in-the-republican-primary-debates">Trump Announces He Will Not Participate In The Republican Primary Debates</a>

Celebrity Sightings In New York – September 06, 2023

Chris Christie On If Trump Keeps Skipping Debates: ‘I’m Going To Follow Him Around The Country’

Jake Tapper conducted an interview with Chris Christie the other day. He asked him a question that a lot of people in the Left-leaning media constantly ask: Do Republicans have an authoritarian problem? 
Authoritarianism is not what people in the media think it is. They think authoritarianism is Donald Trump tweeting. But there are many forms of authoritarianism. In fact, fascism is an element of both Left and Right. It is not merely a Right-wing action. Authoritarianism can just as easily be implemented by a series of executive orders that go outside the Constitution, that radically re-shift the balance between people in the government, something Joe Biden does with alacrity. 
Tapper told Christie, “There was a column in ‘The Philadelphia Inquirer’ by a progressive journalist named Will Bunch talking about how he thought the news media was doing a disservice to the public by not frankly and candidly describing what he views as an authoritarian streak going on in the Republican Party. You haven&#8217;t read the column I assume so I&#8217;m not even going to ask you about it. But you do describe the conduct of Donald Trump trying to overturn the election as reprehensible. You do condemn it?”
Christie: “Yeah.”
“But so many people in your party, and I&#8217;m not just talking about people running for president or on Capitol Hill, but I mean voters, Republican voters, don&#8217;t seem to have a problem with it,” Tapper declared. “And I&#8217;m wondering, do you think that your party has an authoritarian problem? That they really honestly don&#8217;t have a problem with violently trying to stop a free and fair election from going — going forward?” 
 
“No, Jake, I absolutely don&#8217;t think that we have that problem,” Christie responded. “I think what we have is a Donald Trump problem. And that right now what&#8217;s gone on is that people view Donald Trump synonymously with the Republican Party. And that if you oppose Trump, that is somehow favoring Biden. And many Republicans don&#8217;t want to do that for very obvious reasons.”
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-ben-shapiro-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a> 
 
It is true that for many Republicans, Trump is seen as synonymous with the Republican Party. And if you tell people it&#8217;s either Biden or the Republican Party, a lot of people are going to vote Republican. But what&#8217;s insulting to the intelligence is this generalized narrative that the media are constantly drawing, in which they suggest that fascism or authoritarianism or tyranny is an element of the Right, and the Left is completely free, that their hands are completely clean.</h4>
It&#8217;s obviously not true. The truth is that fascism as an ideology is closer to the American Left than it is to the American Right. Fascism is an ideology that was generalized in response to communism, but it drew from Marxism, Hegelian politics, and progressive-era ideas, which is why many of the early supporters of Mussolini were members of the Left, including people who had worked in Woodrow Wilson’s administration who went on to work in the FDR administration.
But the media feels free to lie, saying that the Right is universally authoritarian and the Left is for freedom.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>

Ben Shapiro Editorial Series 01 copy1

Fascism Isn’t Right-Wing

Ben Shapiro

Fascism

Jake Tapper

Readers Pass

A few Republican candidates benefited from the first presidential debate in the polls, but former President Donald Trump still holds a commanding 40-point lead in the Real Clear Politics polling <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">average</a>. 
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley got slight boosts in some polls following the debate. Haley appeared to benefit the most, jumping over former Vice President Mike Pence into fourth place in the polling average. Trump’s polling average remained above 50% following the debate that he opted to skip as the former president’s mugshot dominated news cycles immediately after. 
The RCP average as of Wednesday morning puts Trump in first place at 53.6%, followed by DeSantis (13.5%), Vivek Ramaswamy (7.3%,) Haley (4.9%), and Pence (4.6%). Republican candidates polling at the bottom of the pack include former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (2.5%), South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (2.4%), former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (0.4%), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (0.4%), and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd (0.3%). 
A poll conducted by InsiderAdvantage the day after the debate showed that DeSantis jumped to 18%, an eight percentage point boost from the previous InsiderAdvantage poll. Haley meanwhile hit double digits in the poll, jumping to 11%, a five percentage point boost from her standing in the previous poll. The InsiderAdvantage <a href="https://insideradvantage.com/insideradvantage-post-debate-national-republican-presidential-poll-trump-leads-at-45-percent-desantis-takes-solid-18-second-place-haley-rockets-to-third-in-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a>, which surveyed 850 &#8220;likely Republican caucus and primary voters,&#8221; showed that Trump had fallen six percentage points — down to 45% — since the previous poll conducted before the debate.
An Emerson <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/august-2023-national-poll-trump-debate-snub-may-open-door-for-other-candidates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> conducted in the days following the first GOP debate showed Haley making the biggest jump, from 2% in a poll taken a week before the debate to 7% in the post-debate poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters. Pence jumped from 3% to 7% in the poll, and DeSantis moved up from 10% in the pre-debate poll to 12%. Trump and Ramaswamy both dropped in their polling after the debate, according to Emerson. The former president went from 56% to 50%, while Ramaswamy lost one percentage point, falling back into single digits at 9%.
The latest Economist/YouGov <a href="https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/eqlqwyoypg/econTabReport.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> taken after the debate showed that not much changed for the candidates seeking to gain ground on Trump. DeSantis remained at 16% in the poll, which is where he stood in the previous Economist/YouGov survey taken a week before the debate. Ramaswamy gained two percentage points, moving from 4% to 6%, according to the polls, and Haley inched from 3% to 4%. Trump dropped to 52%, according to the poll, giving him a 36-point lead over DeSantis nationally. 
A Morning Consult <a href="https://pro.morningconsult.com/trackers/2024-gop-primary-election-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> also found that the debate didn’t change much for the candidates trailing Trump. The poll, which surveyed over 3,500 “potential Republican primary voters,” showed that Haley and Scott were the only candidates to get a slight bump. Haley went from 3% to 5% and Scott moved up from 2% to 3%. Trump (58%), DeSantis (14%), Ramaswamy (10%), and Pence (6%) all remained the same before and after the debate. 
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-42430">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The day after the GOP debate, which garnered nearly 13 million viewers, Trump was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia, on a series of charges, including violating Georgia’s RICO Act, conspiracy to commit forgery, and false statements and writings. Trump’s mugshot taken at the jail quickly went viral on social media and was plastered across the country’s newspapers and news websites. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-makes-statement-after-arrest-in-fulton-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> his arrest in Georgia “a very sad day for America.” 
&#8220;What has taken place here is a travesty of justice,” Trump added. “We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. And everybody knows that I&#8217;ve never had such support.”

Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump

Latest Presidential Polls: Trailing Candidates Get Slight Post-Debate Boost, Trump Still Dominates

Asa Hutchinson

There was a broad spectrum of political takes over which Republican presidential candidate performed best during the first primary debate this week in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee</a>, Wisconsin.
The debate event featured strong moments from most of the candidates on stage, but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fivethirtyeight-wapo-poll-desantis-won-debate-haley-gains-support">polling</a>, post-debate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/post-debate-focus-group-signals-who-they-believe-won-the-gop-primary-debate">focus groups</a>, and online reactions showed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, pharmaceutical executive Vivek Ramaswamy, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley generated the most interest from the debate.
Former Vice President Mike Pence drew mixed reviews, Sen. Tim Scott (S-SC) had a couple positive moments but was criticized for not really rising to the moment, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie leveled hard hits against Ramaswamy, but later seemed to turn off voters with his comments about former President Donald Trump.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum managed to tough his way through the two-hour event after suffering a leg injury beforehand that required a trip to the hospital, and the audience largely went silent or booed when former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson spoke.
Some of the top reactions on social media, radio, and television included:
DeSantis earned praise from some high-profile TV personalities, including <a href="https://grabien.com/getmedia.php?id=2058961&amp;key=69021a346f341e5188155c92cbd5c1f1&amp;userid=18055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sean Hannity</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamDeSantis/status/1694561444174373073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ari Fleischer</a>, <a href="https://grabien.com/getmedia.php?id=2059011&amp;key=f0488fb683eb69184421aeaebc57cd3f&amp;userid=18055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Howard Kurtz</a>, and <a href="https://grabien.com/getmedia.php?id=2060541&amp;key=eea55095dea930d90052656d52b17f7f&amp;userid=18055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kayleigh McEnany</a>, particularly for what he said about securing the border, using the military to take on the cartels, and removing woke prosecutors from office in Florida.
Radio and television host Mark Levin, who is an ardent Trump defender, said that he believes DeSantis came out on top because he was the only one on the stage who has actually &#8220;led a revolution.&#8221;
“Why did Ron DeSantis win that debate?” Levin asked on radio. “He was respectful. He was decent. He came across to me like an Ohioan. Like the blue collar gentleman he says he is, and how he was raised. But even more why? That&#8217;s not enough, right? Because the man has already led a revolution. He doesn&#8217;t talk about the revolution he&#8217;s going to lead.”
Without using his name, Levin said that Ramaswamy could only &#8220;talk about&#8221; his plans despite &#8220;not really [being] invested in grassroots efforts or anything like that.&#8221; DeSantis &#8220;will muscle his way through the system and he will beat the system.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mark Levin, who is a staunch Trump supporter, explains why Ron DeSantis won the debate — and slams Ramaswamy: 
“The man has already led a revolution. He doesn&#39;t talk about the revolution he&#39;s going to lead.” <a href="https://t.co/wfFuFxUdyR">pic.twitter.com/wfFuFxUdyR</a>
&mdash; Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) <a href="https://twitter.com/GiancarloSopo/status/1695222662652407909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ramaswamy got the most attention during the debate in large part due to several heated clashes with other candidates, including Haley, Pence, and Christie. He also delivered several lines over the course of the night that drew strong applause from the lively audience.
Reaction to his performance from pundits and politicos was largely split &#8212; many people felt he did well and had a lot of energy while others criticized some of the personal swipes he took at people. He received the most praise from the diehard Trump surrogates.
The 38-year-old received the most praise for bringing up the issue of <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1694540879770357863">fatherlessness</a> in the U.S. and for his answer on education.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DeSantis and Vivek back-to-back are the two best answers on education ever given at a GOP presidential debate.
&mdash; Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveDeaceShow/status/1694540441872408744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Vivek: &quot;The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind.&quot; 🔥🔥👏👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOPDebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOPDebate</a>
&mdash; steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveHiltonx/status/1694540092013236370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Haley saw the largest bump from the debate because she was largely viewed as having over-performed compared to what people expected from her.
Haley was praised for one moment where she went hard after Ramaswamy over his foreign policy views, and for what she said about men competing in women&#8217;s sports.
She also made headlines for her argument for Republicans to take a more practical approach on abortion, arguing that the current political landscape and power balance in Washington makes a hardline stance on the issue untenable and a more measured, compromise-minded approach would be more effective.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Haley: biological boys do not belong in girls’ locker rooms. SO SIMPLE, SO TRUE
&mdash; Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1694540812967698707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ramaswamy is drowned out by applause for Haley dunking on him <a href="https://t.co/lvMwXQxZJk">pic.twitter.com/lvMwXQxZJk</a>
&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1694536015631777896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pence, Scott, and Christie all earned mixed reviews.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Everybody on stage basically accomplished his/her her goal last night.
DeSantis avoided the fire. Vivek gained attention. Haley picked up steam in the Traditional GOP lane. Christie solidified the Never Trump lane. Pence defended his legacy.
And Trump is still 40 points ahead.
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1694749686177886617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DeSantis- Did well with several good lines. Came out unscathed after high expectations. Haley- Overperformed. Scott- Underperformed/disappeared Pence- Just a bad performance VivekGPT- Biggest loser on stage. Exposed repeatedly as unlikable and inauthentic.
Christie’s skill is…
&mdash; AG (@AGHamilton29) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGHamilton29/status/1694546114198782090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Does anyone else think Tim Scott and Nikki Haley sounded like empty shells at the debate? They’re clearly the establishment picks. Pence, I think, is generally a good person but he’s completely misguided about everything, and Christie is obese, is running just to torpedo Trump,…
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1694568322082472261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Normal people watched the debate and thought:<a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonDeSantis</a> &#8211; Calm, confident, competent. Vivek &#8211; Too young, to aggressive, and too eager for massive changes he’s not experienced enough to oversee. Haley &#8211; An angry scold. Pence &#8211; A jerk, which we did not expect or like. Stop…
&mdash; Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) <a href="https://twitter.com/KurtSchlichter/status/1694714058723958986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Presidential Hopefuls Square Off In First GOP Debate

Notable Figures Weigh In On Republican Candidate Debate Performances

The day after the network hosted the first Republican Party presidential primary debate, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fox-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> held a focus group of conservative Wisconsin voters to gauge who the members thought had the strongest performance.
Of the candidates, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ended up with more of the focus group&#8217;s vote for who came off as the most &#8220;viable alternative&#8221; to frontrunner Donald Trump.
Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino spoke to a group of eight voters from Wisconsin about their thoughts on how the various candidates performed during the debate.
While some of the participants felt their pre-debate preferences strengthened over the course of the evening, a few signaled that their views had shifted.
Steven, a 61-year-old engineer whose top issue is immigration, was leaning toward pharmaceutical executive Vivek Ramaswamy going into the debate, but said that Ramaswamy&#8217;s performance turned him off.
&#8220;Honestly, I think Vivek is on a little bit of thin ice, even with me,&#8221; he said. &#8220;At the onset, I&#8217;m looking for someone that can win the general, and I think he might have alienated a few people last night — just his abrasiveness.&#8221;
Tracy, a 46-year-old executive whose top issues were local issues, was leaning DeSantis headed into the debate and said that the 44-year-old governor&#8217;s performance &#8220;solidified&#8221; him as the leading candidate in her mind. &#8220;Thank goodness that the election isn&#8217;t tomorrow,&#8221; she said when noting that there was still time for DeSantis to make up ground on former President Donald Trump, who&#8217;s consistently held a commanding lead in the polls.
Tracy added that she was also impressed by former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley&#8217;s stance on abortion.
Kevin, a 21-year-old student whose top issue was the economy, was also leaning DeSantis headed into the debate and said he is still leaning toward DeSantis after the debate and that he liked how DeSantis was &#8220;touting his background and what he&#8217;s accomplished in Florida.&#8221;
&#8220;Yesterday, I kind of saw a lot of people talking about what they will do once they get into office,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;DeSantis said, &#8216;I&#8217;ve done it in Florida, and I&#8217;ll do it on a national level.&#8217; So to me, someone who has the accomplishments there. It really resonates with me.&#8221;
Kevin said that he also liked Ramaswamy, but thought he was too nasty with the other candidates and &#8220;alienated&#8221; some voters that would be needed to win the general election.
Cathy, an 80-year-old pro-Trump retiree whose top issue is immigration, said that the debate was the &#8220;most chaotic debate&#8221; that she&#8217;s ever seen and she thought Ramaswamy was perhaps too &#8220;aggressive.&#8221; She said that she liked DeSantis and that she wanted to see former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson drop out of the race. &#8220;But I do like DeSantis, and of course, I do like Trump,&#8221; she said.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Hemmer asked Cathy if she thought &#8220;anyone last night showed the ability to take on Trump, or close the gap that we have seen in the polls?&#8221;
&#8220;DeSantis, absolutely. I do,&#8221; she stated. &#8220;And you know, I&#8217;m not looking for a perfect candidate, but a former boss had always taught me, you can&#8217;t please everyone all the time, but you want to do the best for the most, and that is my bottom line. As I said yesterday, to have universal appeal to Republicans, Independents, undecided and disenchanted Dems. But I also want to know who is going to make this country the best it can be.&#8221;
Gerard, a 69-year-old executive who is most concerned about public safety, said that he was leaning most toward Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) headed into the debate and that he remains unchanged after the debate.
&#8220;I still feel the same way that the top five can take on President Biden and I think they can beat him. I was leaning toward Tim Scott. I still feel the same way. I thought he was the most statesman-like on the stage,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t like the bickering. I don&#8217;t think the American voters care too much for the bickering either. They all violated in some way Ronald Reagan&#8217;s admonition not to speak ill of other Republicans. But the voters are looking for someone who has a solid track record of accomplishment and can speak to their needs.&#8221;
Gerard said that the candidates who were bickering the most had achieved the least amount and were therefore to slinging insults at each other. &#8220;There was a lot of shallowness from some of the candidates about how they would approach different problems,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And so I would say there are probably three candidates, the two minor governors, and Vivek that probably would not make it onto the national stage.&#8221;
He said that the two governors he was referring to were Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Denise, a retired 65-year-old whose top issue was immigration, was leaning DeSantis headed into the debate and said that she is still for DeSantis after the debate.
&#8220;And one of the issues that he brought up doesn&#8217;t seem like a big issue, but he talked about bringing civics back into education. If we&#8217;re going to get our country back, people have to understand what the Bill of Rights provides us, what the Constitution provides us,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Then you won&#8217;t be duped into voting for somebody that promises you something like, &#8216;I&#8217;ll forgive all your student loans,&#8217; because you&#8217;ll know that that branch of government can&#8217;t do that.&#8221;
Chris, a 53-year-old restaurant owner whose top issue was the economy, said he was leaning toward DeSantis headed into the debate and that he left &#8220;feeling stronger&#8221; about DeSantis after the debate.
&#8220;We need to present a candidate that is talking about the future, is talking about the issues that people want to know their policy position, not only what their policy position is, but how they&#8217;re going to do it and what they&#8217;re going to get done,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think Governor DeSantis did that really, really well. You know, I anticipated that he&#8217;d be the butt of a lot of attacks, that really didn&#8217;t happen. So I think that allowed him to really kind of expand on his policy ideas, which I really liked to hear.&#8221;
He said the most important thing that he was looking for in a candidate was electability.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think Donald Trump is electable,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think we need a candidate that appeals to more people that doesn&#8217;t have that divisiveness, that doesn&#8217;t have that past.&#8221;
Elizabeth, a 22-year-old college graduate whose top issue was the economy, was leaning toward Ramaswamy headed into the debate and said that she thought that he performed &#8220;extremely well.&#8221;
&#8220;I know I said that I expected him to. And I&#8217;m sure he knew that he was in the lion&#8217;s den. I mean, he had no political experience going in, he knew that he was going to face this barrage of insults and attacks,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And he handled it just, I thought, excellently. He had something to say, he had some way to spin it for every insult that was thrown at him, be it his youth, whether he was the only one on stage who was bought and paid for, he was able to handle all of it. And I think I just think he handled himself very, very well.&#8221;
Hemmer was surprised by her remarks and pressed her further, believing that she had at one point been open to supporting Haley.
&#8220;I am all about &#8212; I was all about Vivek,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But you know what, after watching the debate, I do have to agree with some other members on the panel. I think the strongest performer in terms of who will do well in the general election, who will do well with the most Republicans is actually Ron DeSantis. I think he has the experience.&#8221;
She said that DeSantis laid the base for his performance with all the work that he has done over last few years.
&#8220;He had an answer for the natural disasters that are happening, the tough on crime policies that he has to enact, that he&#8217;s already enacted, that he can prove to all the viewers and all the Republicans who were maybe undecided, I think that was perhaps solidified last night,&#8221; she said.
Perino noted that Elizabeth appeared to be having a battle between her mind and her heart.
&#8220;I think the mind has to, I think the mind has to be the one that wins that one,&#8221; she said. &#8220;So there&#8217;s my answer.&#8221;
Ed, a 50-year-old salesman who said that the economy was his top issue, was leaning toward Ramaswamy headed into the debate and praised most of the candidates after seeing them debate.
&#8220;Governor Burgum did a phenomenal job. I really liked how he illustrated and focused on policy regarding foreign policy with China, Russia,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Christie even came across really good, except when he started going back to the schoolyard bully antics. Not a fan of that. Mike Pence, again, phenomenal statesman.&#8221;
&#8220;But at the end of the day, I looked at two people, I was still more leaning toward Ramaswamy. I liked what he had to say,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But DeSantis really, when you looked at what he had to do last night, DeSantis didn&#8217;t have to win, he just needed to survive to debate. But he came across as charismatic. He came across as strong character, projected strength and confidence, and to me that was a big takeaway. We still got 11 months before the primary vote. That&#8217;s a lifetime.&#8221;
Kevin, the 21-year-old student, later said that he believes that DeSantis was &#8220;the only one with the experience&#8221; and the ability to catch Trump in the polls.
&#8220;I think he&#8217;s got similar Trumpisms, I think people would describe him as with the way that he acts,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And so I think a lot of people would think about voting for him over Trump.&#8221;
Chris, the restaurant owner, agreed, saying that DeSantis presented himself as &#8220;a viable alternative to Donald Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;And I think he was able to do that. I think he showed, you know, what he&#8217;s done in Florida, he can replicate for the country,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think he shows that he&#8217;s electable, and again, I think that has to be the most important thing as a Republican voter that we&#8217;re concerned about, is that we nominate a candidate that can beat the Democrats.&#8221;
Denise also chimed in, saying that what she liked were his &#8220;action plans&#8221; about what he was going to do and how he was going to do it.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fox News, which recent reports have suggested was souring on Ron DeSantis, asks a focus group after the GOP presidential primary, who they think did the best &amp; who they were most impressed by.
DeSantis was the clear winner, including among those leaning toward Trump &amp; Ramaswamy <a href="https://t.co/kTbVlmcF5P">pic.twitter.com/kTbVlmcF5P</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1694804152373690856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Focus Group

Post Debate Focus Group Signals Who They Believe Won The GOP Primary Debate

Wednesday night’s first 2024 GOP presidential primary debate might wind up being a bit of a wash for all the candidates involved  — principally because nobody significantly exceeded or underperformed expectations.  
Yet, simply because there was no clear winner or loser of the debate itself, does not mean that there weren’t both highlights and lowlights worth reviewing for each candidate. We’ll review some of those moments and more for each candidate involved (and not involved) in no particular order. 
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
Pros: Ramaswamy, the 38-year-old untested politician, arguably made the biggest splash in terms of proving that he can handle being on the stage with the seven other politicians vying for the nomination. As a political outsider, Ramaswamy has chosen to shy away from criticizing former President Donald Trump and his MAGA base — a trend that continued in Milwaukee.
To his credit, Ramaswamy was quick to answer many questions straightforwardly. He did nothing to turn off his more populist voters or those sympathetic to his platform. A particular highlight was his response to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ramaswamy-shut-down-dept-of-education-move-funding-to-parents-to-allow-school-choice">how to fix the education crisis</a> in America, but he also spoke of intangibles not necessarily reflected in policies.
Conservative writer Amber Athey praised Vivek to that extent, saying, “Vivek is the only candidate on the stage who has identified the real underlying issues affecting Americans. Our lack of shared identity &amp; values. The others laughed at his assertion that we are in decline, they don&#8217;t see our national malaise. They don&#8217;t get it.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Vivek is the only candidate on the stage who has identified the real underlying issues affecting Americans. Our lack of shared identity &amp; values. The others laughed at his assertion that we are in decline, they don&#39;t see our national malaise. They don&#39;t get it.
&mdash; Amber Athey (@amber_athey) <a href="https://twitter.com/amber_athey/status/1694538633829552354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cons: Vivek has earned a nickname from political opponents as “Vivek the Fake” and his flip-flops on key issues hamper his success. He didn’t do himself any favors toward shedding that label after he appeared to steal former President Barack Obama’s line about being &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sounds-like-chatgpt-christie-slams-ramaswamy-for-plagiarizing-obama-line">a skinny guy with a funny last name</a>. &#8220;
Watch for yourself: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Vivek Ramaswamy dropped a not-so-subtle reference to Obama&#39;s 2004 DNC speech last night&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/TGmAazHzuC">pic.twitter.com/TGmAazHzuC</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1694742534587658275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Pros: The Florida governor had a quality night — not necessarily for what he said, but for what he did not say. DeSantis avoided verbal landmines that could turn off MAGA voters and largely stayed out of the fray in terms of personal attacks. He stayed on message: America is in decline. We need to fix it. I know how to fix it. Look at Florida for results.
 Those who are squarely aligned with DeSantis are likely to stay with him after last night&#8217;s appearance. Maybe as a result of his personal and political discipline, and perhaps because of his popularity amongst the GOP base, the other candidates avoided lobbing assaults at him as well. 
Cons: While DeSantis didn’t get attacked all that much, he also didn’t make the impact he needed to be seen as the pre-eminent opponent to Trump. Trump is 40 points ahead of DeSantis. He is going to need to peel away that support in order to defeat him. 
To that end, it doesn’t seem like he did anything to win over the Trump primary voters he needs — especially compared to Ramaswamy. As we’ll discuss with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, he may even lose some of the more hawkish GOP voters who want more aid sent to Ukraine.
There are many voters waiting for DeSantis to have a big, breakout moment that shows he can be entertaining, connect with voters, and be able to stand on his own two feet against Trump. That didn’t happen here.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley
Pros: Haley’s most passionate and arguably best moment of the night came in her defense of the moral and political need to help Ukraine defend itself. Watch here: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Nikki Haley slams Ramaswamy at the GOP debate on foreign policy: “Ukraine is the first line of defence for us. Vivek wants to hand Ukraine to Russia. He wants to let China eat Taiwan. He wants to stop funding Israel. You don’t do that to friends.” 👏👏<a href="https://t.co/LMVDTOuGws">pic.twitter.com/LMVDTOuGws</a>
&mdash; Bella Wallersteiner 🇺🇦 (@BellaWallerstei) <a href="https://twitter.com/BellaWallerstei/status/1694590499833712791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
If you are somebody who believes that the U.S. should be doing more to help President Volodymyr Zelensky in his fight against Putin, it’s tough not to see Haley as your preferred candidate. That could be bad news for DeSantis, who might have voters turn their backs on him in favor of Haley.
Cons: Ukraine isn’t that much of a priority for voters and <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/15/more-than-four-in-ten-republicans-now-say-the-us-is-providing-too-much-aid-to-ukraine/">polling indicates that an increasing number of Republican</a> voters want less money and weapons sent to the Eastern European country — not more. 
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum
Pros: Burgum was one of the only candidates on stage who didn’t sound exasperated when speaking. His calm statesman-like approach was appreciated to some degree in contrast to the hyperbolic yelling that has become the norm at these events. He seems like a very likable guy. 
Cons: He just doesn’t have the name recognition, policies, or the “it” factor that could help him win the nomination. He reminds this author of Eugene Levy in &#8220;Best in Show.&#8221;
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
Pros: The performance was classic Hutchinson — if that is even a thing. At one or two percent in the polls, it is pretty impressive that he made it to the debate stage at all. If you’re somebody who hasn’t completely given up on Reaganite principles and Bush-era Republicanism — Hutchinson might be your guy. 
Cons: Hutchinson is somebody who hasn’t completely given up on Reaganite principles and Bush-era Republicanism. It is apparent he doesn’t know what decade it is.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott 
Pros: Scott also didn’t do anything to turn away voters. As a strong supporter of reforming education for all Americans, Scott made a great point that tends to get overlooked in conservative politics these days. 
“The only way we change education in this nation is to break the backs of the teachers unions,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
TIM SCOTT says &quot;the only way we change education in this nation is to BREAK THE BACKS OF THE TEACHERS UNIONS&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9Jzw8axHjD">pic.twitter.com/9Jzw8axHjD</a>
&mdash; Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1694544388905464129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Scott is right. Even if we got all the woke stuff out of the classroom and barred remote learning from ever happening again, teachers unions would still wield tremendous force. Their goal is to protect all teachers — good and bad — from being fired while increasing benefits regardless of merit. In turn, public education suffers — and your child is left in the dust. 
Cons: Haley outshone him as the traditional GOP choice and his answers were a bit boring. Scott is good at moving around the crowd, which isn’t possible during this style of debate. Perhaps it just wasn’t his format. 
Former Governor Chris Christie
Pros: Christie had one moment that was vintage Christie — nailing down Vivek as “VivekGPT” and comparing him to Obama. Watch here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Someone had to unplug the computer. <a href="https://t.co/3dac0fpZ1x">pic.twitter.com/3dac0fpZ1x</a>
&mdash; Chris Christie (@GovChristie) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/1694523799780180315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cons: It’s unclear why Christie is running other than to torpedo Trump. He took aim at the absent frontrunner several times Thursday night but failed to land any direct hits.
Former Vice President Mike Pence
Pros: Pence’s best moment came in his defense of the unborn. He spoke with clarity and conviction while making the case that a leader must not govern based on consensus. 
Watch for yourself: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Can&#39;t we have a minimum standard that says when a baby is capable of feeling pain, an abortion cannot be allowed? <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Pence?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mike_Pence</a> stands for national 15 week pro-life protections at tonight&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOPDebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOPDebate</a>: <a href="https://t.co/ZPQGIVshPw">pic.twitter.com/ZPQGIVshPw</a>
&mdash; SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) <a href="https://twitter.com/sbaprolife/status/1694543863157764298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cons:  When he wasn’t doing that, he came across as out-of-touch and not in-sync with the base of the party. His solutions were reminiscent — again — of policies from the 1980s and early 2000s. The success of politicians like Trump and DeSantis prove that what worked then won’t work now.
Former President Donald J. Trump 
Pros: By staying out of the spotlight for once, Trump actually might have helped his campaign. He certainly didn’t lose any voters — the only other “MAGA&#8221;-style candidate was Vivek. But his performance certainly wasn&#8217;t commanding enough to replace Trump as the top dog.
The other aspect at play is that many Americans have wondered what a Republican Party without Trump would actually look like. For example, after January 6, many politicians and pundits argued that the GOP should move away from Trump altogether. DeSantis, when first being floated as a GOP contender, was billed as the embodiment of &#8220;Trumpism without Trump.&#8221;
Yet what Americans saw last night is that a GOP without Trump actually looks a lot like the GOP before his ascent. Both in recognition of the problems facing America as well as the policy solutions presented, the majority of candidates offered a pre-2015 Republican Party vision. The party&#8217;s base revolted against that and there remains little to no appetite amongst most Republican voters for a return to a GOP sans populism.
To that extent, just two out of eight candidates came remotely close to offering a “Trumpism without Trump” agenda: DeSantis and Vivek. 
Cons: One sharp political commentator told me in private what were the two biggest risks for Trump not appearing. His no-show performance could hurt him in Iowa. Recent polls showed 59% of Iowans view skipping debates as a weakness, he explained. The second is that his lack of presence could keep challengers in the game for longer. There was no opportunity for Trump to deal a presidential death blow, as we witnessed multiple times in 2016.
As predicted by columnist and friend of The Daily Wire David Marcus, “It will take a week to see how or if the debate moved the polling needle. I’m most curious to see if Trump’s number moves significantly one way or the other.” 
Conclusion
This debate might not move the needle in any direction, but it&#8217;s also unlikely any candidate will be dropping out after that performance.
<div class="css-j7qwjs">
<div id="post-body-text">
<div class="e1nzmkc90 css-15jw47d">
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
</div>
</div>
</div>

GOP Debate, trump

2024 GOP Debate: A Bit Of A Wash For Everybody?

Republican Party

Menu