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Trump and GOP debate
(Milwaukee, WI) – Wednesday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Fox News hosted the first GOP primary debate. Eight candidates squared off on the debate stage, including former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie — a fierce critic of former President Trump. Meanwhile, Trump didn’t participate, and instead taped an interview with Tucker Carlson that aired on X (formerly Twitter).
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former VP Mike Pence, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson also participated. Burgum had to use crutches after injuring his Achilles tendon while playing basketball. All of the assembled candidates vowed to support Trump if he is chosen as the nominee — except for Hutchinson, who didn’t raise his hand when the other candidates did. That said, Christie made the point that he was only raising his hand to explain why he won’t support Trump if he’s convicted, amid his four indictments.
Overall, the candidates made efforts to express their positions on topics like the economy, the war between Ukraine and Russia, abortion, and the porous southern border. One of the more bizarre moments was when former Governor Christie was asked about UFOs — then joked the only reason he got that question is because he’s from New Jersey.
