Republican debate candidates turn on one another in the absence of frontrunner Trump.

At a tumultuous presidential debate on Wednesday, Donald Trump’s Republican opponents sparred, launching jabs at the missing former president, Democratic President Joe Biden, and one another on topics ranging from China to immigration to the economy.

Despite Trump’s four criminal indictments, which went largely unmentioned during the two-hour broadcast, none of the seven candidates on stage seemed to have secured the kind of breakthrough moment that would change the dynamics of a primary contest he has dominated for months.

Trump missed the debate, just as he did the first one in Wisconsin last month, despite leading his closest competitor for the nomination by 37 percentage points in the most recent Reuters/Ipsos survey.

In his opening statement, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized President Trump for being “missing in action” and increasing the national debt by trillions of dollars.

DeSantis remarked, “He should be on this stage tonight,” prompting cheers from the crowd at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. “He owes you an explanation of his record,”

After months of avoiding a confrontation with the front-runner, DeSantis has become more eager to challenge him. However, his poll ratings have dropped since he was generally seen as the top Trump alternative.

Chris Christie, a former governor of New Jersey and a vocal opponent of Trump, interjected, calling the candidate “afraid” and calling him “Donald Duck” for skipping the debate.

Mike Pence, who served as Donald Trump’s vice president from 2017 to 2021, criticized Trump’s intention to consolidate power in the federal government and vowed to return authority to the states. Additionally, Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the UN, claimed that Trump had erred by approaching China solely through the lens of trade rather than more comprehensive security concerns.

The Republican contenders often attacked Biden, the presumed Democratic nominee for the election in November 2024, criticizing his management of the economy and the southern border with Mexico.

But the debating candidates, most of whom were polling in the single digits, spent most of the evening attacking one another.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a political novice running for the Republican presidential nomination, frequently enraged his more knowledgeable opponents, as he did in the first debate in August.

Nikki Haley, a former United Nations ambassador, said to Ramaswamy, “Every time I hear you, I feel a little dumber,” after Ramaswamy had justified his use of TikTok. This Chinese-owned social media platform raises security implications for American officials. Ramaswamy said that he connects with young voters via the app.

In the last round of the debate, moderator Dana Perino stated that as long as the field was still divided among several contenders, Trump would undoubtedly be nominated.

DeSantis responded, “Voters elect presidents; polls do not.”

A day after Biden joined a union picket line, Trump addressed autoworkers in Michigan, a key swing state, just minutes before the debate began, interjecting himself into a national fight between striking workers and the nation’s top manufacturers.

Regarding the seven Republicans at the debate, Trump remarked dismissively, “They’re all job candidates.” “Does anyone spot a vice president among the group? I don’t believe so.

The former president gave the impression that he was more interested in Biden, who was once and may yet again be his opponent, than the Republican candidates, who are currently in the rear-view mirror.

The moderators did not question the candidates over Trump’s numerous legal issues. A New York state judge concluded on Tuesday that the 77-year-old former businessman, now a politician, committed fraud by misrepresenting the worth of his company’s assets. He has been charged in four criminal cases.

Trump’s opponents are running out of time to lessen his dominant grasp on the primary campaign, with fewer than four months until Iowa hosts the first-in-the-nation Republican nominating vote.

Wednesday’s debate held a special significance for DeSantis, whose campaign has already seen two staff changes due to contributors’ concerns over his inability to defeat Trump.

DeSantis, 45, gained global notoriety by criticizing many U.S. government initiatives to stop the spread of COVID-19. Since then, he has emerged as a key figure in the struggle against what he views as too progressive policies advocated by businesses and academics.

On the other hand, Haley hoped that a second straight solid performance in a debate would persuade some Republican contributors that she had the greatest chance of unseating Trump.

Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, is also eligible for the discussion.

IMMIGRATION AS PRIORITY
The Biden administration was criticized for failing to address the migrant issue, which has fuelled record numbers of unauthorized crossings at the southern border. All contenders pledged to adopt a tough stance on immigration.

While Ramaswamy pledged to work to rescind birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, DeSantis pledged to use the U.S. military against Mexican cartels.

Senator Tim Scott criticized Vice President Biden for joining the picket line on Tuesday even after being questioned about the growing U.S. autoworkers’ strike and switching the conversation to the border.

Scott opined that Biden shouldn’t be on the picket line. He needs to be working to protect our southern border there because it is insecure and hazardous and has allowed fentanyl to claim the lives of 70,000 Americans in the previous year.

Most contenders agreed that help to Ukraine should continue, although DeSantis said he would not provide a “blank check.” Ramaswamy, who has already threatened to stop giving aid, cautioned that supporting Ukraine was bringing Russia closer to China, which sparked additional claims from his opponents that he was trying to satisfy Russian President Vladimir Putin.