Former United Nations Ambassador <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nikki-haley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikki Haley</a> said parents should be at the center of a child’s education on Wednesday night.
Haley stood with six other GOP candidates on a stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, debating the future of the United States and the differences across the GOP candidates in the second <a href="https://rumble.com/v3glhwz-fox-business-second-republican-presidential-primary-debate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debate</a> of the Republican primary. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, fielded a question on education that began with a recognition that Haley’s state still has not enacted school choice, a conservative policy growing in popularity in the GOP.
Haley responded that South Carolina did not adopt school choice under her tenure, but it “wasn’t for lack of trying.” She then laid out her priorities for education should she take over the White House.
“We need to do reading remediation. We need complete transparency in the classroom. No parent should ever wonder what’s being said or taught to their child in the classroom,” she said.
She then endorsed school choice, though it’s unclear how far she would push the issue at the federal level. She did say that many federal education programs should be turned over to the states.
“We need to make sure that we have school choice so that there is competition. We need to move all the programs from the federal government down to the states and let states decide what education looks like in their states,” she said.
The former U.N. ambassador said more focus should put on vocational education for students who want to go into blue collar jobs such as plumbing and welding.
“We need to start building things in America again. Let’s put vocational classes back in our high schools and let’s get our kids building the things that we know that we can make. When we start to focus on that and really bring in that parental involvement, that’s when we’ll start to see a difference,” Haley said.
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Haley ended her answer reinforcing a parent’s importance in a child’s education. She also said that too much time in wasted on diversity and equity education in classrooms.
“We’ve got to get parents back included. We’ve got to quit spending time on this DEI and CRT, and instead focus on financial literacy, on digital literacy, and on making sure our kids know what they need to do to have the jobs of the next generation,” Haley said.

Nikki Haley

Haley On Education: We’ve Got To Get Our Parents Back Involved

2024 Primaries

Elections

Politics

Republican Party

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican Party</a> has the largest edge ever over <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrats</a> with voters on the economy, according to a new poll.
An NBC News <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23990905-230239-nbc-september-2023-poll_for-release-92623" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> released Tuesday shows the GOP with a 21-point lead over the Democratic Party when it comes to who Americans trust more to handle the financial system. The difference is the largest in the poll’s history, which dates back more than three decades to 1991.
The poll, which consisted of responses from 1,000 registered voters taken from September 15-19, found that 49% of Americans favor Republican economic policy as opposed to 28% who favor Democrats’. The margin of error is 3.1%.
It also showed Republicans with leads beyond the margin of error on the issues of border security (50% for Republicans-20% for Democrats), crime (46%-20%), immigration (45%-27%), and protecting constitutional rights (43%-35%). Democrats held sizable leads on the issues of education (30%-40%), coronavirus (26%-37%), abortion (28%-46%), and healthcare (22%-45%).
Two pollsters conducted the poll: Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies and Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research.
“On this survey after 20 or 30 years, Republicans dealing with the economy [versus Democrats], immigration and crime are all at their all-time highs,” McInturff said, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/first-read/poll-republicans-advantages-immigration-crime-economy-rcna117054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
“The other thing that is maybe not expected is these phrases: ‘protecting our constitutional rights’ and ‘protecting democracy.’ These are things where overall the electorate thinks Republicans are more focused and would do a better job than Democrats,” he added.
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The economic numbers suggest that Americans are not buying the Biden administration&#8217;s optimistic message on the economy. The White House has made a concerted effort to sell Americans on the president’s economic agenda, even adopting the shorthand tag “Bidenomics” to refer to the president’s economic policies.
The effort so far appears to have flopped. A Washington Post-ABC News poll published on Sunday shows Americans are overall pessimistic about the state of the U.S. economy. Nearly three-quarters of Americans <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/24/biden-trump-poll-2024-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe</a> the economy is either “not so good” or “poor” compared to just a quarter who rate the economy as “excellent” or “good.”
Inflation <a href="https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remains</a> above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and Fed chairman Jerome Powell stated last month that the Federal Reserve board may not be done hiking interest rates.
“We have tightened policy significantly over the past year. Although inflation has moved down from its peak — a welcome development — it remains too high,” Powell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-still-too-high-to-consider-cutting-interest-rates-fed-chair-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We are prepared to raise rates further if appropriate, and intend to hold policy at a restrictive level until we are confident that inflation is moving sustainably down toward our objective.”

Joe Biden

Americans Favor GOP To Democrats On Economy By Widest Margin Ever In Poll

Democratic Party

Economy

Executive

Poll

Former House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/newt-gingrich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newt Gingrich</a> slammed Republican House members who are holding up passing spending bills to keep the U.S. government running, saying that they are hurting the party and the country by playing games.
Gingrich made the remarks during a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity while discussing the bills that need to be passed.
Gingrich said that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was in a tough spot because of some Senate Republicans who want to spend more, a president who wants to spend trillions more, and House Democrats who are not willing to budge on anything.
&#8220;The problem is you got to pass a rule to get it to the floor,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Twice now, different Republicans have decided to stop the bill from going to the floor. Why? Because each one has their own particular need, or their own particular fixation. Now, there are one or two, like Congressman Gaetz, who I think is frankly deranged, who you&#8217;re never gonna get. He hates Kevin, he&#8217;s not going to vote for Speaker McCarthy. He openly says he wants to get rid of him, which is his prerogative. But that means one less vote that Kevin has in order to get things done. The others, I think, are playing a game that could blow up on them.&#8221;
&#8220;In the end, either the House Republicans find a way to talk with themselves, get this sorted out, and pass these things, or you&#8217;re inevitably going to have some coalition with the Democrats with bigger spending further to the left, more radical policies,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I mean, the world&#8217;s not going to end, though somebody somewhere is going to find a solution. And I think, too, for example, I think Speaker McCarthy yesterday, thought they had the votes, they walked onto the floor. Three members switched who had voted yes the day before, now voted no. I mean this is the sort of stuff when I was Speaker that would have driven me nuts. Luckily, I had a bigger margin. I think it&#8217;s very hard to see right now how this is going to work out; I think it will work out. But it&#8217;s a little hard to see how it&#8217;s gonna work out.&#8221;
Gingrich took a shot at the House Freedom Caucus, who he said were &#8220;cheerfully screwing things up,&#8221; saying that they would eventually cede victory to moderate Republicans.
&#8220;We have a number of members from districts that Joe Biden carried by a good margin, those members can decide in the end, they don&#8217;t want the government to close, they&#8217;re not gonna get punished back home,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They&#8217;re not gonna get beaten in a primary, because they&#8217;re in districts where people are gonna say, &#8216;Yeah, that&#8217;s a smart thing to do.'&#8221;
Gingrich said that some of the Republicans in the House couldn&#8217;t play chess or even checkers and that they would struggle to play tic-tac-toe.
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&#8220;I will say the members who are capriciously switching around and playing games aren&#8217;t just hurting the Republican Party, they&#8217;re hurting the country,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;We need, because they&#8217;re taking the focus off of Biden, this gives the news media a chance to talk about House Republicans not able to do things, rather than talk about all the things that the three committees are finding, or in a positive way, talk about Jody Arrington, and the 20 Republicans who just passed out a balanced budget for the first time since I was Speaker.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich slams Republicans who are holding up spending bills that threaten to shut down the U.S. government: “the members who are capriciously, switching around and playing games aren&#39;t just hurting the Republican Party, they&#39;re hurting the country.” <a href="https://t.co/ewmBLXatlJ">pic.twitter.com/ewmBLXatlJ</a>
&mdash; Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1705683480859033935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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US-POLITICS-PORTRAIT-RYAN

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich Slams Republicans Holding Spending Bills: Hurting GOP And Country

Congress

Kevin McCarthy

Newt Gingrich

Democratic Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed Friday that he will switch his party affiliation to Republican. 
Johnson, who served nine years as a Democrat in the Texas Legislature before being elected mayor in 2019, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-cities-need-republicans-and-im-becoming-one-dallas-texas-mayor-965dbaa4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> that “American cities need Republicans — and Republicans need American cities.” 
“I have no intention of changing my approach to my job. But today I am changing my party affiliation,” Johnson added. “Next spring, I will be voting in the Republican primary. When my career in elected office ends in 2027 on the inauguration of my successor as mayor, I will leave office as a Republican.” 
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott celebrated Johnson’s decision to leave the Democratic Party and join the GOP. While Johnson’s position is technically nonpartisan, his party switch makes Dallas the second major Texas city to be led by a mayor affiliated with the Republican Party along with Fort Worth, The Texas Tribune <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/22/dallas-mayor-eric-johnson-republican/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“Texas is getting more Red every day. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson switches to Republican Party,” Abbott said. “He’s pro law enforcement &amp; won’t tolerate leftist agendas. Two of the 10 largest cities in America now have Republican Mayors &amp; they are both in Texas.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Texas is getting more Red every day. 
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson switches to Republican Party. 
He’s pro law enforcement &amp; won’t tolerate leftist agendas. 
Two of the 10 largest cities in America now have Republican Mayors &amp; they are both in Texas. <a href="https://t.co/Qn9SM7UZ1G">https://t.co/Qn9SM7UZ1G</a>
&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1705251728432521468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Johnson pointed to “law and order” and “fiscal conservatism” as major factors that convinced him the platform of the Republican Party was better suited to lead Dallas and other U.S. cities forward. The city has seen a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dallas-police-will-force-residents-to-report-some-offenses-online-instead-of-calling-911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent rise</a> in violent crime after two years of violent crime rates going down while the Dallas Police Department has faced staffing shortages following the anti-police sentiment that gained traction following the death of George Floyd in 2020. 
“I don’t believe I can stay on the sidelines any longer,” Johnson wrote. “I have always tried to be honest and say what I think is right for my city. The future of America’s great urban centers depends on the willingness of the nation’s mayors to champion law and order and practice fiscal conservatism. Our cities desperately need the genuine commitment to these principles (as opposed to the inconsistent, poll-driven commitment of many Democrats) that has long been a defining characteristic of the GOP.”
The Dallas mayor said Democratic policies have led to the “disarray” of many cities across the country as places like New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia face spikes in violent crime. 
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“Mayors and other local elected officials have failed to make public safety a priority or to exercise fiscal restraint. Most of these local leaders are proud Democrats who view cities as laboratories for liberalism rather than as havens for opportunity and free enterprise,” Johnson wrote. 
“Too often, local tax dollars are spent on policies that exacerbate homelessness, coddle criminals and make it harder for ordinary people to make a living,” the mayor added. “And too many local Democrats insist on virtue signaling — proposing half-baked government programs that aim to solve every single societal ill — and on finding new ways to thumb their noses at Republicans at the state or federal level. Enough. This makes for good headlines, but not for safer, stronger, more vibrant cities.”

Eric Johnson/Greg Abbott

Longtime Democrat Dallas Mayor Switching To GOP: ‘American Cities Need Republicans’

Dallas

Greg Abbott

Texas

Violent Crime

GOP presidential hopeful <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-pence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Pence</a> was clearly unperturbed by a heckler&#8217;s interruption during a campaign stop in Decorah, Iowa, on Tuesday, ahead of a scheduled town hall event.
The former vice president was speaking with Iowa voters when the heckler, a man with a full beard, shouted, &#8220;You need to get the f*** out of our country and get the f*** out of Iowa!&#8221;
WATCH:
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Heckler: “Leave and get the fuck out of our country and get the fuck out of Iowa!”
2024 GOP candidate Mike Pence: “Thank you. I’m going to put him down as a maybe.” <a href="https://t.co/lMTaeRSwjP">pic.twitter.com/lMTaeRSwjP</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1701961438154072286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Several people pointed toward the exit and one escorted the heckler on his way, but Pence appeared unruffled by the entire affair.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to put him down as a &#8216;maybe,'&#8221; the former vice president deadpanned, prompting laughter around the room. He then went right back to his previous conversation as if nothing had happened.
<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4202124-pence-teases-angry-heckler-im-going-to-put-him-down-as-a-maybe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pence</a>, like many of his GOP competitors, has spent a fair amount of time campaigning around the state of Iowa — and he is scheduled to appear at a town hall event on Wednesday that will be hosted by NewsNation&#8217;s chief Washington correspondent Leland Vittert. The event is set to include a live studio audience and a remote audience of Iowa voters.
Despite an apparent struggle to keep his poll numbers moving in a more positive direction, Pence has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/12/us/elections/second-republican-debate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">qualified</a> to appear in the second GOP primary debate on September 27. Fox Business Network will host the event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation &amp; Institute in Simi Valley, California.
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Pence&#8217;s ex-boss, former President Donald Trump, is leading the polls but has thus far refused to sign the Republican National Committee&#8217;s required loyalty pledge — and has declared that he does not intend to participate in the debates.
The September 27 <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/when-is-second-2024-republican-debate-what-can-we-expect-2023-09-13/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debate stage</a>, at the time of publication, was also set to include Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC), former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), and biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy.

Mike Pence Visits FOX Business’ “Varney & Co”

Mike Pence Brushes Off Heckler’s Profane Rant: ‘Put Him Down As A Maybe’

Mike Pence Brushes Off Heckler's Profane Rant: 'Put Him Down As A Maybe'

2024 Election

Mike Pence

According to first-hand accounts, President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> treated U.S. Gold Star families, whose loved ones passed away during the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, with a remarkable lack of compassion — even for Biden. Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, honored those same families with the utmost respect and dignity on a recent night to remember.
Don&#8217;t take this author&#8217;s words for it, listen to the mothers and fathers of the brave American soldiers who died in 2021 after a bomb detonated at the Kabul airport, killing 13 of America&#8217;s bravest. Trump hosted relatives of those heroes at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on August 31.
For example, per a <a href="https://thespectator.com/topic/gold-star-families-trump-bedminster-jake-tapper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Spectator&#8217;s Matthew Foldi, Paula Knauss Selph — the mother of Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss — was moved to tears as Trump wrote on her son&#8217;s photo, &#8220;You are My Hero.&#8221; Knauss Selph told Foldi that those are the exact same words she uses to describe her son.
Now, contrast that moment with Biden&#8217;s treatment of the anguished parent.
Knauss Selph, who now serves as the executive director of the Respect and Remember Foundation, met with Biden in the Oval Office at an event for Gold Star families in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2022, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghanistan-gold-star-mom-i-wept-wanted-comfort-from-biden-he-suggested-a-photo-with-him-instead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a>.
At first, Biden said to her, “I can understand if you’re angry,&#8221; when they were face to face.
“I stood face-to-face with him, eyeball-to-eyeball. I began to weep,&#8221; she said, saying that she told him, “It should have never happened this way.”
“He stood there stoically,” she said of Biden. “Nothing out of his mouth except — well would you like to get a photo with me?&#8221;
Knauss Selph told Biden she would only agree to a photo if it was of her and the president at her son’s tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery.
He declined, claiming that the Secret Service would not let him do so.
After that experience, Knauss Selph blasted the current president, saying, &#8220;It’s a moral disgrace for a president not to have mercy on the people that he serves. It is a moral disgrace.&#8221;
She wasn&#8217;t alone in her sentiments toward the two presidents.
Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of the late Sergeant Nicole Gee, told Foldi, &#8220;Trump was way more than I expected.&#8221;
&#8220;The contrast is stark with the president we met at [Dover Air Force Base],&#8221; she added.
Recently, Shamblin testified before Congress, &#8220;The administration didn&#8217;t seem to know our story,&#8221; while adding that &#8220;when it came to the people in suits, it felt disingenuous and hollow.&#8221; 
Biden, readers will also remember, checked his watch repeatedly at Dover Air Force Base while there to welcome home to the 13 caskets of the deceased Americans.
That national embarrassment enraged the nation, but the families of those brave men and women were — understandably — particularly stung by the commander-in-chief&#8217;s lack of empathy.
“In reference to the checking of his watch, that didn’t happen just once,” Darin Hoover, who lost his son, Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gold-star-fathers-blast-biden-for-looking-at-watch-during-dignified-transfer-most-disrespectful-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2021. &#8220;That happened on every single one that came out of that airplane. It happened on every single one of them. They would release the salute, and he would look down at his watch on every last one – all 13 – he looked down at his watch.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;As a father, you know, seeing that and the disrespect, and hearing from his former leaders, one of his master sergeants said exactly what you just said, that this was avoidable, that they left them over there. They let them down, we can’t have that. It can’t happen ever again.&#8221;
Hoover also testified before Congress the same week after meeting Trump in late August.
&#8220;Between Congress and Trump, it turned into a really good week,” he told Foldi. “Lots of emotion and good times.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW from me <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSpectator?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheSpectator</a>:
Donald Trump spent an evening privately hosting some of the Gold Star families whose kids were killed in Biden&#39;s failed Afghanistan withdrawal
&quot;He knew our names, he knew our kids&#8230;He took the time to honor our 13.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/LlZ152HBU8">https://t.co/LlZ152HBU8</a>
(1/xx) <a href="https://t.co/d5uk5PMCZP">pic.twitter.com/d5uk5PMCZP</a>
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1701671013262455233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Marlon Bateman, an executive advisor to the Utah attorney general, was also in attendance and provided more details as to what the night was like — again drawing a sharp distinction from Biden&#8217;s treatment of the families.
&#8220;We did not expect President Trump to join us, but to my surprise, he came up and joined us for dinner,&#8221; Bateman said. &#8220;Everyone erupted in cheers as he walked in. Lee Greenwood&#8217;s &#8216;God Bless The U.S.A&#8217; was blaring on the speakers. He proceeded to spend another couple of hours with us and even busted out an iPad to play songs for couples to slow dance to. He even went into his all-time favorite wrestling intros! At that moment I could see the anxiety, stress, and anger that these parents had carried for so long disappear from their faces. It was a moment of peace. They were there to celebrate the heroes they raised. Their babies grew up to be the best our country had to offer, and they were getting some of the recognition they deserved.&#8221;
Bateman added, &#8220;[Trump] did something for these families that the current administration has refused to do, and was incapable of doing — giving an overdue moment of recognition and solidarity for their children. Not a bullshit statement from the White House, not John Kirby sending his deepest condolences on CNN, not Joe Biden continually glancing at his watch while the bodies of their children were carried off the tarmac. He gave them hope that accountability and justice will be coming.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Last week, I had the honor to accompany several Gold Star parents to meet with President Trump in Bedminster. These parents lost their children when Abbey Gate was bombed in the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was orchestrated by Joe Biden.  
While Biden continues… <a href="https://t.co/wOJEKVG4r2">pic.twitter.com/wOJEKVG4r2</a>
&mdash; MarlonBateman (@MarlonBateman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarlonBateman/status/1699138530117837308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration recently released a report calling the withdrawal a &#8220;success&#8221; and Biden has said the withdrawal <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/14/1027696241/biden-said-the-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-would-be-safe-then-chaos-ensued" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> &#8220;responsible, deliberate and safe.&#8221;
Of course, readers know the lapdog media will never cover this story — it paints too much of a black-and-white difference between Biden and Trump. Thank goodness for conservative press and social media to get the story out there.
The names of the 13 Americans killed during the withdrawal can be read here:
<ul>
<li>Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25 </li>
<li>Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23 </li>
<li>Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31 </li>
<li>Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22 </li>
<li>Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23 </li>
<li>Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20 </li>
<li>Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22 </li>
<li>Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23</li>
</ul>
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Trump, Biden

Trump Honors Gold Star Families With Night To Remember, Painting Stark Contrast With Biden’s Disrespect

Trump Honors Gold Star Families With Night To Remember, Painting 'Stark Contrast With Biden's Disrespect

Afghanistan

Conservatism

Donald Trump

Gold Star

Legacy Media

Military

Trump Administration

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ted-cruz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ted Cruz</a> (R-TX) weighed in on the state of the 2024 Republican presidential primary, saying that he believes the race is going to come down to two candidates.
Cruz, who is running for re-election in the U.S. Senate next year, made the remarks during a brief interview with ABC News late this week.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s gonna happen in the presidential race,&#8221; Cruz <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cruz-2024-predictions-abc-biden-touts-jobs-campaign/story?id=102868148#:~:text=%22I%20don't%20know%20what's,good%20friends%20with%20Donald%20Trump." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;There is a vigorous primary on the Republican side. I am staying out of it.&#8221;
&#8220;I am good friends with Donald Trump. I&#8217;m good friends with Ron DeSantis,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I think it is basically a two-man race. Whoever wins the nomination I expect to support enthusiastically.&#8221;
Former President Donald Trump remains the frontrunner in the race with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis remaining the clear second-place candidate with 15-18% in most national polls. The remaining candidates are polling in the single digits.
The most notable movement in the polls has been former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley gaining momentum and overtaking pharmaceutical executive Vivek Ramaswamy in a recent poll from The Wall Street Journal, which had Haley at 8%, Ramaswamy at 5%, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie starting to creep up at 3%.
The RealClearPolitics average also shows Haley about to overtake Ramaswamy for third place as the two are now separated by only 1-point.
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DeSantis has been off the campaign trail for a week as he leads Florida&#8217;s response to Hurricane Idalia. He is expected to take at least several more days before returning to the campaign trail.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-phil-to-ted-cruz-if-you-want-to-create-chaos-in-society-you-start-by-attacking-the-children">Dr. Phil To Ted Cruz: If You Want To ‘Create Chaos In Society,’ You Start By ‘Attacking The Children’</a>

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz Makes Prediction On 2024 Republican Presidential Primary Race

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nancy-pelosi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nancy Pelosi</a> (D-CA), the former Speaker of the House, claimed in an interview this week that supporters of former President Donald Trump do not value the dignity for everyone.
Pelosi made the remarks during a Thursday interview with Bloomberg Television while in Venice, Italy.
When asked if there was a Republican candidate who she could live with becoming the president, Pelosi responded, &#8220;I&#8217;m not into Republicans. I&#8217;m into the Democrats.&#8221;
&#8220;And hopefully the Republican Party can find a candidate that the American can live with, I say to the Republicans all the time, take back your party,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The Republican Party is a great party. You&#8217;ve done great things for our country. You&#8217;re not a &#8212; you&#8217;re not a cult to a thug. You&#8217;re a great Grand Old Party and recapture that because the public that &#8212; America needs a strong Republican Party, a strong Democratic Party, too, but strong Republican Party.&#8221;
Pelosi then called Trump&#8217;s hold on the party a &#8220;cancerous situation&#8221; and that she hopes the party can move past him.
She then attacked Trump&#8217;s supporters, claiming that he was only &#8220;popular with his group.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s interesting to see how there’s a certain element of the population who would just go for him,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They’re people we would probably never get. They don’t share our values in terms of respect for the dignity and worth of every person and the rest.&#8221;
Pelosi took a further shot at Trump supporters, saying that they were &#8220;afraid&#8221; of change because &#8220;they don’t see a place for their families in the future.&#8221;
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&#8220;They’re concerned about globalization, they’re concerned about immigration, they’re concerned about innovation,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;They’re concerned about diversity, women, minorities, LGBTQ, other people coming into the leadership arena, and that’s to be respected.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Nancy Pelosi smears Americans who voted for President Trump: &quot;They&#39;re people we would probably never get&quot; <a href="https://t.co/k9SblmNTxh">pic.twitter.com/k9SblmNTxh</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1697434605408682096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Pelosi

Pelosi Attacks Trump Supporters: They’re ‘Afraid’ Of ‘Diversity, Women, Minorities, LGBTQ’

Pelosi Attacks Trump Supporters: They're 'Afraid' Of 'Diversity, Women, Minorities, LGBTQ'

Nancy Pelosi

Now that the first Republican debate is over, it’s time to take a look at the overall state of the upcoming election while weeping quietly into soggy pages torn in a fit of anguish from the Book of Revelation.
On the Republican side, those who attended the debate included the Dull Guy, the other Dull Guy, the Fat Guy, the Girl, the Black Guy but he seems nice enough, the Irritating Skinny Guy plus the What’s-His-Name Guy and the Who The Hell Even is That Guy. One or two of the candidates got a bump in the polls after the debate when they distinguished themselves by having certain opinions, but no one can remember which candidates or what opinions and by now the bump is gone so, really, who cares?
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has dropped out of the race, sending shock waves through Miami when people there learned that the city had a mayor, and his name was Francis Suarez and he had been off somewhere running for president instead of getting the locals to speak English and stop killing each other.
This means that, as of today, the 2024 presidential race seems likely to come down to the Democrat, who&#8217;s a Dead Guy, and the Republican front-runner, a soon-to-be-convicted Felon. The Felon is slightly ahead in the polls except on those days when the Dead Guy is ahead but many people are convinced that the Felon is the country’s only hope, unless it’s the Dead Guy.
The News Media, of course, heavily favors the Dead Guy and has gone to great lengths to prove to the public that he’s not really dead but only looks dead because he’s so corrupt his soul is full of a moral emptiness that resembles death, sort of like Macbeth when he makes that Tomorrow and Tomorrow speech at the end of the play, except silently because obviously this guy is dead.
In order to prove that the Dead Guy is not really a dead guy, reporters at USA Today were pulled off their usual beat of drawing colorful pie charts for blithering idiots and were assigned instead to study pictures of the Dead Guy for signs of life. To do this, they enlarged the pictures of the Dead Guy until it finally became clear that he was not in fact a corpse but merely a vague haze of pixels designed to obscure the conspiring cabal of leftist authoritarians standing behind him and working day and night to destroy every last American freedom in order to change the climate to one of Depression-era levels of total misery. However, in the event the Dead Guy turns out to actually be dead, his party will need someone else to beat the Felon and will have to choose between the Vice President, who spends most of her time reading colorful USA Today pie charts, and the Obviously Sinister Guy, who would have to run on his record of turning California from a Paradise into something like a Port-o-san only without the amenities.
As for the Felon, he continues to travel the country baiting and insulting federal prosecutors and judges, because he feels that’s the legal strategy that worked so well for John Dillinger. Other than that, the Felon continues to run on his record, though not on his criminal record, but on the record where he kept employment high, prices low, cut regulations and taxes, wiped out Isis, brought peace to the Middle East and didn’t start any new wars — although apparently some people think that IS his criminal record, but they’re already voting for the Dead Guy.
So it seems the American people have a tough decision before them: whether to repeatedly hit themselves in the face with a brick until everything seems fine, or to dress up as a woman and catch a plane to Amsterdam in time to become only the second Miss Netherlands to have a penis, unless you hang out in the Red Light district where that’s actually pretty common. You might also try escaping to Hungary where low immigration and Christianity-based governance has turned the place into a crime-free wonderland, or to Uganda, where they put homosexual pedophiles to death, making it virtually impossible to form a teachers union.
* * *
Andrew Klavan is the host of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>” at The Daily Wire. He is an award-winning novelist, Hollywood screenwriter, and popular satirist. Klavan is the author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Christmas-Comes-Andrew-Klavan/dp/1613162405/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_2/132-9473875-2662038?pd_rd_w=x29DZ&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&amp;pf_rd_p=26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&amp;pf_rd_r=X7J7YCZYPAH29407AXTY&amp;pd_rd_wg=M65Ef&amp;pd_rd_r=c2bb5bb5-dd27-434d-9ca1-f2098f486a81&amp;pd_rd_i=1613162405&amp;psc=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">When Christmas Comes</a>” and “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Habit-Mind-Cameron-Mysteries/dp/1613163517/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_1/132-9473875-2662038?pd_rd_w=lnVGk&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&amp;pf_rd_p=26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&amp;pf_rd_r=13RV0285EXYKN2D57RST&amp;pd_rd_wg=jW34u&amp;pd_rd_r=e0bb3c70-62ea-4448-8be5-a7cf1bba3f5e&amp;pd_rd_i=1613163517&amp;psc=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strange Habit of Mind,</a>” the first two novels in the USA Today best-selling Cameron Winter Mystery series. The third installment, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Death-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BW1ZTVP9?ref_=ast_author_dp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The House of Love and Death</a>,” releases on October 31, 2023, and is now available for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Death-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BW1ZTVP9?ref_=ast_author_dp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pre-order</a>.
Follow Klavan on Twitter: @andrewklavan
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1146-how-to-outsmart-stupid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show.</a>”
The views expressed in this satirical article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

COMBO-US-VOTE-DEBATE

The Battle Between The Dead Guy And The Felon Is Heating Up!

Andrew Klavan

Readers Pass

Satire

Virginia Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/glenn-youngkin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenn Youngkin</a> weighed in on speculation that he could jump into the 2024 Republican Party presidential primary race by strongly suggesting that he will not &#8212; but not completely ruling out the possibility.
Youngkin made the remarks when repeatedly pressed by Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo. The questions come after it has been widely <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/18/rupert-murdoch-glenn-youngkin-fox-news-presidency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox News, has personally urged Youngkin to run.
&#8220;Governor, you&#8217;ve got filing deadlines coming up in terms of this upcoming election and you&#8217;ve said that the filing deadlines need to get through, you said any decision from your jumping in the 2024 race would come after that,&#8221; Bartiromo said. &#8220;Are you still considering jumping into the 2024 race?&#8221;
&#8220;Maria, I&#8217;ve said over and over again how humbling it is to even talk about my name in this context,&#8221; Youngkin said. &#8220;But I am so focused on Virginia elections this year to make sure that we deliver, we&#8217;ve got a giant agenda. And therefore I&#8217;m campaigning across Virginia for our House and Senate delegates and senators. I&#8217;m not in Iowa, and I&#8217;m not in South Carolina and New Hampshire, we&#8217;re focusing on Virginia.&#8221;
&#8220;But Nevada and South Carolina filing deadlines are happening in October, and then you&#8217;ve got a slew of other states with deadlines in early November,&#8221; Bartiromo responded. &#8220;You&#8217;ve got to get through your Virginia legislation. But after that, you could miss the filing deadlines. You think you can get all of this done before the filing deadlines and enter the race?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, Maria, as I&#8217;ve said, there&#8217;s nothing more important than us holding our House and flipping our Senate in Virginia,&#8221; he responded. &#8220;That&#8217;s where my full attention is. And I&#8217;m not, I am not paying attention to the filing deadlines, etc. I&#8217;m paying attention to making sure we hold our House and flip our Senate. I think this is so important for Virginians, and for the nation to see that this can happen, that we can put to work conservative common sense policies, and we can win, and we can bring together a state that was truly blue. People thought it was purple, we can turn it red. This is so important for us to get right and that&#8217;s why my focus is clearly on Virginia.&#8221;
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WATCH:
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Glenn Youngkin basically admits to Maria Bartiromo that he will miss several filing deadlines to get on the ballot in early GOP presidential primary states. 
Simply put, he&#39;s not running, folks. <a href="https://t.co/cNlucWYBEM">pic.twitter.com/cNlucWYBEM</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1696867152760852617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Speaks At The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Glenn Youngkin Weighs In On Entering 2024 Presidential Race

Glenn Youngkin

On Monday, a federal judge set the start of former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s federal election interference trial in Washington, D.C., for March 4.
That&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-sets-date-for-trumps-election-interference-trial-one-day-before-super-tuesday">one day before Super Tuesday</a>, a significant date for Trump as he is seeking the 2024 Republican nomination to run for a second term in the White House. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2024/calendar">More than a dozen key states</a> — including California, Maine, Texas, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia — are expected to hold their nominating contests on March 5.
Trump&#8217;s lawyers had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-attempts-to-push-federal-trial-in-d-c-back-until-2026">asked for an April 2026 trial </a>date, while prosecutors, led by special counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jack-smith">Jack Smith</a>, wanted it in January of next year.
&#8220;Setting a trial date does not depend and should not depend on a defendant&#8217;s personal and professional obligations,&#8221; said presiding U.S. District Judge Tonya Chutkan, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1696165746164822386">NBC News</a>. &#8220;Mr. Trump, like any defendant, will have to make the trial date work, regardless of his schedule,&#8221; the judge added.
Indeed, over the next year, Trump&#8217;s campaign schedule is poised to become a balancing act while he contends with a bevy of trials — some of which, like with the federal case in D.C., line up with key election dates. The situation has given cause to Trump&#8217;s supporters to <a href="https://twitter.com/marklevinshow/status/1696196207721202082">claim there</a> is <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1696186335789543734">election interference</a> at play.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Judge Chutkan looked at the calendar and just randomly picked March 4, 2024 as the trial date, the day before Super Tuesday. 
Total coincidence! 
What an absolute farce. <a href="https://t.co/uWNVULVfWR">pic.twitter.com/uWNVULVfWR</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1696198781744881735?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Kicking off a pair of civil matters heading to court, Trump faces a fraud suit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James that is set to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/20/1185762259/trump-criminal-civil-cases-lawsuits">go to trial on October 2</a>.
Then a defamation lawsuit brought by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-tosses-trumps-defamation-claim-against-e-jean-carroll">writer E. Jean Carroll</a>, who accuses the former president of raping her, is set to go to trial on January 15, 2024 — coinciding with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iowa-republicans-set-date-for-first-in-the-nation-caucus-as-2024-race-heats-up">first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican presidential caucus</a>.
A hush-money criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is scheduled to go to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-23/trump-gets-march-25-2024-trial-date-in-ny-hush-money-case">trial on March 25</a>, a date that is right in the middle of a slate of key election contests. States poised to hold March 19 primaries include Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio. Louisiana holds its primary on March 23, while Wisconsin has its primary <a href="https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2024pdates.pdf">set for April 2</a>.
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The trial in Smith&#8217;s documents case against Trump and two of his aides is <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-trial-date-documents-case-may-20-2024/">set to begin on May 20</a> in Florida. A few states, including Maryland and West Virginia, are slated to hold their primaries on May 14. A few more — Idaho, Kentucky, and Oregon — have theirs scheduled for May 21.
One other criminal matter — this one in Georgia — remains unclear as of press time.
Fulton County District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fulton-county-prosecutors-have-another-recording-of-trump-pressuring-georgia-house-speaker-to-overturn-election-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fani Willis</a> has proposed starting the trial in her 2020 election case against Trump and 18 of his allies on March 4, which is the same date now selected for the federal election case. It also happens to be one week before Georgia&#8217;s primary on March 12.
Across all the legal matters, Trump has broadly denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to charges in New York, D.C., and Florida. Trump and his co-defendants are <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4174548-trump-co-defendants-to-be-arraigned-in-georgia-on-sept-6/#:~:text=All%20the%20defendants'%20arraignments%20were,not%20guilty%20to%20all%20charges.">set to be arraigned</a> in Georgia on September 6.
When it comes to the four criminal cases, Trump has claimed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fulton-da-responds-to-trump-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">politically motivated forces</a> are targeting him in a &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; propagated by the Biden administration and Democrat prosecutors in New York and Georgia.
The Republican National Convention is scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/21/politics/republican-national-convention-2024-dates/index.html">from July 15-18</a>.

Former President Donald Trump

How Trump’s Trial Schedule Lines Up With The 2024 Election Calendar

Courts

Jack Smith

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.” 
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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>
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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>
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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: 
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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>
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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.
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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>
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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:
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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>
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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: 
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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>
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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.
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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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