The Elephants in the Room

The Story

Eight people who weren’t Donald Trump made their case for the White House.

Catch me up.

Last night, Americans tuned in to watch seven men and Nikki Haley compete for the Republican nomination in the first 2024 GOP debate. Here were their biggest moments:

Vivek Ramaswamy…wants to deliver a “Reagan 1980 revolution.” The apparent billionaire entrepreneur with an Obama-esque intro and an Andrew Yang-esque crowd came prepped with the one-liners. He called regulations and climate change a “wet blanket on the economy.” And accused the other candidates of being “bought and paid for.” Not everyone knew Ramaswamy’s name before last night. Many do now.

Ron DeSantis…the frontrunner to the frontrunner. Before last night’s debate, Palm Beach Ken was seen as the man to beat Trump, polling a distant second. But last night, Ramaswamy took the spotlight. Still, DeSantis reminded Americans that he “kept [Florida] free and open” despite the backlash. He said he’d declare a “national emergency” on the US border as president. And talked up his work to undermine critical race theory and gender identity in FL classrooms.

Nikki Haley…channeled her inner Margaret Thatcher. The former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor called out Republicans for their spending bills. As she put it, it’s time for an “accountant in the White House.” (And guess who has an accounting degree.) Haley wants China and India to bear the brunt of climate change policy — and for the US to give more to Ukraine. On gender issues, Haley made clear she’s not supportive of trans women in women’s locker rooms.

Everyone else…was there. Former VP Mike Pence went head-to-head with Ramaswamy. Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie got the UFO question. Sen. Tim Scott (SC) jumped on the national abortion ban bandwagon. Former AR Gov. Asa Hutchinson made his appearance. And Gov. Doug Burgum (ND) brought his pocket constitution.

What about Trump?

The frontrunner didn’t show. More than 80 million viewers followed the former president to Twitter-turned-X for his 46-minute interview with Tucker Carlson. He used the time to praise the Jan 6 crowd and talk up his lead in the polls. Today, Trump plans to turn himself into Georgia authorities and pay $200,000 in bail over the state’s election interference investigation. He hasn’t said whether he’ll show for debate 2 next month.

theSkimm

Trump has a more than 20-point lead over his closest contender (aka DeSantis). If any wanted to claw their way up, last night was their first big opportunity. Some — like Ramaswamy — had their moments. But each may need a lot more where that came from to get close to a nomination.