MIAMI — Former President Donald Trump may not have been center stage, but he and foreign policy were at the center of the 2024 Republican primary‘s third debate.
With Republicans reeling from this week’s off-year elections, the five candidates — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) — criticized Trump and each other with a greater sense of urgency, two months before Iowa‘s first-in-the-nation caucuses and as the former president maintains his stranglehold on the party.
REPUBLICAN DEBATE: RON DESANTIS FIGHTS ON HOME TURF TO HOLD OFF NIKKI HALEY THREAT
Here are the Washington Examiner’s winners and losers for Wednesday night in Miami:
Winners
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley
Haley’s strong performances during the first two debates increased expectations for her, particularly against the backdrop of Israel‘s war against Hamas after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks given her foreign policy credentials. Those outings, and their effect on her polling and fundraising, also put a target on her back as she and DeSantis compete to be Republicans’ preferred alternative choice to Trump. The ambassador and the governor exchanged barbs during the two-hour showing, including over their engagement with China.
In their “head-to-head battle,” DeSantis got the better of her, according to University of Michigan debate coach Aaron Kall.
“His status as an incumbent governor has helped his arguments since he can point to tangible actions he’s recently taken regarding Israel and China,” he said.
Haley also went after Ramaswamy for describing her and DeSantis as “Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels,” saying they are for “ammunition,” not “fashion.”
“First of all, they’re 5-inch heels, and I don’t wear them unless I can run in them,” she said. “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] are salivating at the fact that someone like that could be president.”
During an interaction on TikTok, Ramaswamy told Haley, “You might want to take care of your family first,” a reference to her daughter using the app.
“Keep my daughter’s name out of your voice,” she said. “You’re just scum.”
With foreign policy dominating this debate, Haley had an advantage, per Republican strategist Cesar Conda.
“Foreign policy is traditionally not an issue that determines presidential elections,” he said. “But with all of the problems going on around the world, it could very well be a top-tier issue in this election, and Haley is the best equipped Republican to prosecute the case against Biden’s failed foreign policy, which has made America less safe.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis
DeSantis, who has been mocked this week for reportedly relying on lifts, faced the most pressure to reverse the trajectory of his campaign after he, like many other candidates, redirected his resources to Iowa. But the governor was steadier on his feet than in the past, even on foreign policy, drawing comparisons between himself, his opponents, and President Joe Biden.
“I would say [to Iran and other countries], you harm a hair on the head of an American service member, and you are going to have hell to pay,” DeSantis said. “We have to be strong, and we have to defend the people who defend us.”
“If you are here on a student visa as a foreign national and you’re making common cause with Hamas, I’m canceling your visa and sending you home. No questions asked,” he added. “We’re not going to use state tax dollars to fund jihad! No way!”
The moderators
The moderators, NBC News’s Lester Holt and Kirsten Welker, with Salem Radio’s Hugh Hewitt, commanded control of the debate, unlike their predecessors. The trio were helped by the candidates not having a right to reply if they were mentioned by an opponent.
Losers
Former President Donald Trump
Trump was the first question of the night, with the candidates asked why they would be a better nominee than the race’s front-runner. They, in turn, scrutinized his policies, including adding to the national debt, to his temperament and age, with the former president not having the opportunity to respond in real time.
“Now, if you look where we are now, it’s a lot different than where we were in 2016,” DeSantis said. “Donald Trump’s a lot different guy than he was in 2016.”
“He owes it to you to be on this stage and explain why he should get another chance,” he continued. “We saw last night — I’m sick of Republicans losing. In Florida, I showed how it’s done.”
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy, whose campaign spokeswoman promised her candidate would make his opponents “uncomfortable” and “mad,” aggressively attacked DeSantis and Haley for being “Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “Nazi” and “a comedian in cargo shorts” to groans.
His undercuts were not reserved for his opponents and included Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, calling on her to resign because the GOP had become a “party of losers,” and the moderators as members of a news media that ignored Hunter Biden’s laptop.
“We’d have 10 times the viewership,” he said, if Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk were moderating and not NBC News.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Christie shared a photo with his email database of his “debate prep,” which included “Haley + DeSantis flip flop” and “auditioning to be in Trump’s Cabinet.” But although his answers were substantive, he failed to make his presence felt, whereas in the past, his pithy one-liners have created an impact or, at least, a viral moment.
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Sen. Tim Scott
Scott, who was at risk of not qualifying for the debate, had anticipated a “slugfest” between DeSantis and Haley, hoping that would create a space for him to differentiate himself. But he appeared not to have learned from his previous missteps. Scott sidestepped the opening question about Trump and, instead, spoke about his personal narrative. He was also cut off by the moderators during a foreign policy and energy question after waffling.
Trump averages 47% support in Iowa, while DeSantis has 17%, Haley 14%, Scott 7%, Ramaswamy 5%, and Christie 4%, RealClearPolitics found.
