Topline
Former Vice President Mike Pence and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy exchanged insults on the GOP presidential debate stage Wednesday night when Pence attacked his lack of government experience in a back-and-forth that devolved into a discussion about climate change—marking the first moment sparks flew at Republicans’ debut debate for the 2024 election cycle.
Republican presidential candidates (L-R), former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron … [+] DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy participate in the first debate of the GOP primary season hosted by FOX News at the Fiserv Forum on August 23, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eight presidential hopefuls squared off in the first Republican debate as former U.S. President Donald Trump, currently facing indictments in four locations, declined to participate in the event. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Key Facts
The argument kicked off when Fox News host Bret Baier asked Pence about government spending under the Trump Administration while he was vice president, when the national debt grew more than it did during any prior administration.
Pence defended his record while serving alongside Trump, including “unleash[ing] American energy” and appointing “three conservatives to the Supreme Court,” before insisting he is the “best prepared, the most tested, the most qualified and proven conservative in this race.”
Ramaswamy rebutted by saying he didn’t “understand” Pence’s answer, and declared he would wage war “on the federal administrative state that is the source of . . . toxic regulations acting like a wet blanket on the economy,” prompting Pence to attack his lack of government experience.
“Let me explain it to you Vivek, if I can, I’ll go slower this time,” he said, claiming “Joe Biden has weakened this country” and “now is not the time for on-the-job training,” adding “we don’t need to bring in a rookie.”
The conversation then devolved into one about climate change when the moderators brought up devastating fires that have ravaged Maui and a rare tropical storm in California, asking the candidates for a show of hands on who believes that humans have contributed to climate change.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the only candidate to begin to raise his hand before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis interrupted: “we are not school children, let’s have the debate,” he said.
Crucial Quote
Ramaswamy, calling himself “the only candidate on this stage who isn’t bought and paid for,” claimed the “climate change agenda is a hoax” and “more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual climate change,” eliciting boos from the crowd. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie then entered the fray and said he has “had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT,” comparing Ramaswamy to “the same type of amateur” as former President Barack Obama.
Chief Critic
President Joe Biden tweeted “climate change is real, by the way,” in response to the GOP candidates’ exchange.
Key Background
Former President Donald Trump sat out the debate and instead appeared in a pre-taped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that aired simultaneously with the program—an affront to the network both men have openly feuded with. Trump announced on Sunday he would skip the event, citing his strong polling lead. The debate comes a day before he is expected to surrender in the Georgia election interference case against him and as his co-defendants began surrendering to the Fulton County Sheriff’s office starting Tuesday. The case marks Trump’s fourth indictment since announcing his latest run for the White House, but his legal woes have only boosted his polling lead. Most of his GOP presidential opponents have rushed to his defense in the aftermath of the charges and the majority of GOP voters believe the various charges against him are politically motivated, according to some polls.
Big Number
52%. That’s the share of GOP voters who plan to cast their ballots for Trump, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average. DeSantis is polling at 15%, followed by Ramaswamy at 10%, Pence and Scott at 4%, Christie and Haley at 3% and Hutchinson and Burgum at less than 1%.
Tangent
The Republican National Committee announced Monday that the eight candidates met qualifications to participate in the debate, including polling at 1% in qualified surveys, donations from at least 40,000 individuals (including at least 200 in 20 or more states) and signing a loyalty pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee. Two candidates who did not make the stage, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson and California conservative radio host Larry Elder, threatened to sue the RNC, claiming they met the criteria and were wrongly rejected from the debate stage.
Surprising Fact
North Dakota Gov. Burgum suffered a high-grade Achilles tendon tear during a pick-up basketball game on Tuesday, he told CNN, putting his participation in Wednesday’s debate in jeopardy, but he appeared on the debate stage after he was cleared by a physician.
What To Watch For
How DeSantis will attempt to maintain his position as the No. 2 frontrunner. In a debate-prep memo authored by the pro-DeSantis super-PAC Never Back Down that was made public last week, advisors recommended DeSantis attack Ramaswamy, defend Trump and steer clear of policy issues that can have a tendency to bore viewers. The memo instructed DeSantis to target Ramaswamy as the biotech entrepreneur has gained some ground on the Florida governor, despite a series of controversial comments in recent months. Ramaswamy was forced to clarify comments he made in an Atlantic interview this week where, at face value, he appeared to question whether federal agents were on the planes that hit the World Trade Center in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He has also drew scrutiny by suggesting that he did not want Russian President Vladimir Putin to lose the war in Ukraine and that Russia should hold on to some of the territory it’s seized from Ukraine.
Further Reading
Trump Confirms He Won’t Do GOP Primary Debates As He Brags About ‘Legendary’ Polling Numbers (Forbes)
Trump-Carlson Interview Will Air At Same Time As GOP Debate Tonight (Forbes)
DeSantis Debate Strategy Memo Suggests That He Defend Trump, Attack Ramaswamy And Avoid Policy Talk (Forbes)
