The front-runner was conspicuous by his absence during the first presidential debate between Republicans on Thursday night.
- The first debate between the two Republican presidential candidates was broadcast on Fox News Thursday night. And it happened without Donald Trump, who leads the polls.
- Instead, Trump requested an interview with former Fox journalist Tucker Carlson.
- Up front, a big question dominated the US media: Will any of the eight candidates be able to present themselves as a real challenger to Trump?
- The candidates discussed topics such as abortion and the war in Ukraine — and of course, Donald Trump.
On Thursday evening, a televised debate took place between the Republican presidential candidates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Eight candidates ran here, but not the frontrunner, Donald Trump.
Up front, there was a big question that characterized the American media:
- Will any of the eight candidates be able to present themselves as a real challenger to Trump?
The former president enjoys a significant lead in opinion polls, and is the favorite in the battle to become the Republican Party’s nominee in the 2024 presidential election.
read comment: And the debate wouldn’t be the same without Trump
He appeared in an interview with Tucker Carlson
Trump himself chose to drop the nightly debate, and referred to his progress to explain why:
“People know who I am and how successful my presidency is,” he wrote in a statement on his TruthSocial platform earlier this week, referring to a CBS poll in which he had 62 percent support.
That’s 46 percentage points ahead of the next man on the list, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Rather than stand with the other candidates, Trump opted for a pre-recorded interview with the other candidates Former Fox journalist Tucker Carlson. It was released on X, formerly Twitter, just before the discussion started.
Am I going to sit there for an hour or two, no matter what, and be harassed by people who shouldn’t even be running for president? He asked, among other things, and criticized debate organizer Fox News — with whom he was at odds.
– Should I do this on a network that is not particularly friendly to me?
Trump and Fox: From love to conflict
He will report on the prison on Thursday
Trump’s campaign staff also believes that the former president has so many admirers that he could win even without running.
– He really won this evening’s debate, because it’s all about him, counselor Chris LaCivita wrote on X before the debate started, AP news agency.
And he adds: – It should not even be called a debate, but an audition to be part of President Trump’s team in his second term as president.
But campaigning isn’t the only thing on Trump’s mind during the day. He is scheduled to arrive at the prison in Georgia on Thursday, where he will remain Accused of trying to change the election results.
Criticism of the businessman
During the debate, the eight candidates spoke about topics like abortion, the war in Ukraine — and of course, Donald Trump.
Up front, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is leading others in opinion polls, was expected to be the target for the night in Trump’s absence, NTB wrote.
Instead, 38-year-old businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has come under several attacks from more experienced politicians.
Most of the candidates said they supported US support for Ukraine in the war. The exception was Ramaswamy, who suggested that the US should fix its own problems before trying to help others. writes ap.
It was met with harsh criticism from Nikki Haley, the former UN ambassador to the United States:
– You have no experience in foreign policy, and it seems that she said, among other things.
Ramaswamy, who among other things has pointed to what he calls the “climate change agenda” as a hoax, has also received criticism from former Vice President Mike Pence. And the veteran Pence said he himself is ready for the job.
– And he said: “I am without a doubt the most prepared, most experienced and most qualified person for conservative politicians in this fight.”
The elephant in the room
About an hour into the debate, Fox News showed a photo from the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, where Trump will report Thursday.
“We want to spend time on the elephant in the room,” the moderators said, telling the eight Republicans to raise their hands if they would support Trump if he were chosen as the party’s presidential nominee — and also if he ended up convicted in one or more of the criminal cases against him.
Six candidates were drawn According to Associated Press News Hands in the air.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison did not, while former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie raised his hand halfway through, according to the Associated Press.
When asked about the reason for his hesitation, the latter replied as follows:
Someone has to stop normalizing this behavior. Regardless of whether you believe the criminal charges are right or wrong, this behavior is not befitting of a President of the United States.
She wrote that the hall was met with boos from the hall, in which about 4,000 people were present. CNN.
Experts: That’s why they’re wary
Carrie Sheffield, who comments on conservative politics in the US, tells Al Jazeera that Republican candidates have to balance on a knife edge:
And they should be able to criticize Trump, but not too harshly, if they hope to win over some of his supporters.
It’s simple math: Because Trump has such a huge advantage, they need his voters, those who support him today, to be on their side, Aaron Kahl, who heads the University of Michigan’s Debating Institute, tells the channel.
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