MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Follow along for live updates on the first 2024 Republican presidential debate. The field's early front-runner, Donald Trump, skipped the event and conducted an interview with Tucker Carlson instead.
What to know
鈥� GOP candidates as they vie to be the leading alternative to Trump 鈥� The from Wednesday night's debate 鈥� Trump with Tucker Carlson while skipping debate 鈥� Trump鈥檚 decision to back out to pivot again 鈥� The GOP presidential debate on swing-state Wisconsin
With debate over, focus turns to Trump's surrender in Georgia
The front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is set to surrender to authorities at an Atlanta jail on Thursday, a day after he skipped the contest's first debate.
Former President Donald Trump is expected to make a historic first, becoming the first former U.S. president to have a mug shot taken. He is surrendering on charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
Regardless, his criminal proceedings played little role in Wednesday's debate, with six of his eight rivals on the stage saying they would still support Trump if he wins the 2024 GOP nomination.
The Fulton County prosecution is the fourth criminal case against Trump since March, . Since then, he鈥檚 faced federal charges in and and, this month, was indicted in Atlanta with 18 others 鈥� including his ex-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and former New York Mayor 鈥� under a racketeering statute normally associated with gang members and organized crime.
Trump and his co-defendants have denied wrongdoing.
Moderators let candidates take control at times during debate
Like all debates, this one was unruly at times.
Things started off quietly as the candidates beat up on President Joe Biden鈥檚 economic policies. But when the participants turned against one another, Fox News moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum struggled to control the action.
Ron DeSantis helped set the tone early by rejecting the moderators鈥� request for candidates to raise their hands if they believed human behavior caused climate change.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not schoolchildren,鈥� DeSantis snapped. The moderators abandoned their request.
At one point, Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley shouted over each other for more than 30 seconds when the conversation turned to foreign policy. The moderators stayed silent.
Baier and MacCallum let the candidates drive the action for much of the night 鈥� which is typically what the audience wants, although there will be critics who preferred a more orderly affair.
Burgum says he stood on one leg behind podium after injury
The North Dakota governor wasn't going to let a basketball injury ruin his debate night.
Doug Burgum told reporters after Wednesday night's debate in Milwaukee that he ended up rupturing his Achilles tendon, despite initially thinking it might have only been a tear.
He on Tuesday and said he saw a Milwaukee Bucks doctor on Wednesday.
He stood for the full debate despite the injury and said he hadn鈥檛 canceled any campaign events yet. He plans to take it 鈥渙ne day at a time,鈥� he said.
Burgum said he was 鈥渟tanding on one leg behind that podium鈥� but took inspiration from a quote that鈥檚 popular in his home state to get through it.
鈥淐owboy up,鈥� he said, 鈥淵ou got to just get up and do it.鈥�
鈥楴o one on stage 鈥檞on' tonight's debate,' Harris says
Vice President Kamala Harris is reacting to the Republican presidential debate on behalf of President Joe Biden鈥檚 reelection campaign, saying, 鈥淣o one on stage 鈥榳on鈥� tonight鈥檚 debate."
鈥淚nstead,鈥� she said, "the American people heard how much they stand to lose from an extremist agenda.鈥�
Harris has been a , which was frequently discussed during the debate, and has increasingly against top Republicans. While the Republican candidates repeatedly laid into Biden during the debate, however, Harris herself was little mentioned.
Still, she said in a statement moments after the debate ended that the candidates had 鈥渓aid out a vision for an America that is less fair, less free, and less safe.鈥�
鈥淭hese extremists focus on unnecessary debates meant to divide our nation in hopes that the American public will not notice they have no affirmative agenda,鈥� Harris said.
Pence brings the fire in first 2024 presidential debate
Former Vice President Mike Pence is campaigning on his reputation as a statesman and experienced elected official, but he also showed off his debate chops during Wednesday night鈥檚 faceoff with his GOP rivals.
Pence had back-and-forth moments with several others on stage over some of the biggest dividing lines in the Republican nominating contest. Drawing a contrast with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley over abortion, among his signature issues, Pence called Haley鈥檚 push for consensus over the issue 鈥渢he opposite of leadership.鈥�
Perhaps some of Pence鈥檚 fieriest moments came as he sparred with biotech entrepreneur and political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy, saying, 鈥淣ow is not the time for on-the-job training.鈥� He also feuded with Ramaswamy over criticism of the decision by some candidates 鈥� Pence included 鈥� to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The former vice president said it represented 鈥渁 pretty small view of the greatest nation on earth鈥� to think the U.S. can鈥檛 simultaneously work on domestic and foreign issues.
He also drew applause when he said former President Donald Trump wasn鈥檛 above the law. Pence himself was also the subject of a pivotal debate question, with the candidates largely agreeing that he had been correct to protect the results of the 2020 election against Trump鈥檚 pressure campaign.
Biden highlights Haley's remark that GOP to blame for national debt
President Joe Biden and the Democrats are responding to the Republican presidential debate by rushing to agree with an unlikely source 鈥� GOP White House hopeful Nikki Haley.
Haley, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, wasted little time during the early stages of the debate slamming her fellow Republicans, rather than Biden, for running up the national debt.
She noted that many of her opponents on stage were former members of Congress. 鈥淵ou have Ron DeSantis. You鈥檝e got Tim Scott. You鈥檝e got Mike Pence. They all voted to raise the debt. And Donald Trump added 8 trillion to our debt.鈥�
鈥淲hat she said,鈥� Biden said on Instagram, posting a video of Haley鈥檚 answer.
Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for Biden鈥檚 reelection campaign, also released a statement saying, 鈥淣ikki Haley is right.鈥�
鈥淩epublicans are responsible for some of our country鈥檚 worst economic decisions,鈥� Munoz said.
Biden has made his handling of the economy a centerpiece of his campaign, trying to turn 鈥淏idenomics鈥� into a rallying cry even as top Republicans slammed it as a failure.
Debate shows deep divides within Republican Party
The first Republican presidential debate illustrated the deep divisions within the GOP, with the candidates on stage arguing over issues including U.S. support for Ukraine, when and how to best restrict abortion nationwide, and support for the party鈥檚 eventual 2024 nominee.
Most of the candidates vowed to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, but the notable exception was Vivek Ramaswamy. He suggested that supporting that country when the U.S. hasn鈥檛 fixed its own problems was 鈥渄isastrous.鈥� That drew rebukes from many of his rivals, including former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who told the 38-year-old technology entrepreneur, 鈥淵ou have no foreign policy experience, and it shows.鈥�
There was disagreement on abortion, with Haley calling for 鈥渃onsensus鈥� and Pence saying that was the 鈥渙pposite of leadership.鈥� The candidates largely agreed that Pence was right to protect the results of the 2020 election against Donald Trump鈥檚 pressure campaign.
Trump skipped Wednesday night鈥檚 event and was not a major focus of what was said. But both Christie and Hutchison were booed for saying they wouldn鈥檛 support him as their party鈥檚 nominee, though Christie faltered in his answer. Despite so much consensus on Trump, however, Pence drew applause when he said the former president wasn鈥檛 above the law.
DeSantis, the highest-polling candidate on stage, takes back seat
After recent campaign stumbles, Ron DeSantis was expected to have to defend himself and project likeability on the debate stage 鈥� but he had done relatively little of either as the two-hour broadcast neared its end.
The Florida governor instead seemed to take a back seat to more vocal candidates, speaking significantly less than biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, his closest GOP competitor besides former President Donald Trump in recent polls.
Ramaswamy garnered both massive applause and barbs from competitors on stage on topics from foreign policy to climate change.
In the second half of the night, DeSantis was given the first chance to answer a question about education, one of the topics he campaigns on most passionately.
He responded with ease, citing Florida legislation to remove mentions of gender identity and so-called critical race theory in the classroom.
But Ramaswamy was quick on his tail. The novice candidate pleased the crowd with calls to 鈥渟hut down the head of the snake, the Department of Education,鈥� end teachers unions, and require civics tests to graduate high school.
Christie asked about UFOs at Republican debate
Is the truth really out there?
There was a UFO question posed near the end of the GOP debate. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was asked if he would 鈥渓evel鈥� with the American people about what was known about what was 鈥渙ut there.鈥�
Christie took mock offense, saying he鈥檇 been asked that because he was from New Jersey and that his home state is 鈥渄ifferent but not that different.鈥�
He didn鈥檛 otherwise take the bait, saying those on stage had better things to talk about.
Ramaswamy only candidate to oppose more funding to Ukraine
When asked by the moderators who would not support more funding to Ukraine, the only candidate to raise their hand was Vivek Ramaswamy.
鈥淚 think this is disastrous that we are protecting against an invasion across somebody else鈥檚 border when we should be using those same military resources to prevent the invasion of our own southern border here in the United States,鈥� Ramaswamy said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Ramaswamy also took a swipe at his fellow Republicans, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and and former Vice President Mike Pence, who have met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
鈥淚 find it offensive that we have professional politicians on the stage that will make a pilgrimage to Kyiv to their Pope Zelenskyy without doing the same thing for people in Maui or the South Side of Chicago or Kensington,鈥� Ramaswamy said. 鈥淚 think we have to put the interests of Americans first, secure our own border instead of somebody else鈥檚.鈥�
This prompted a rebuke from Pence: 鈥淎nybody that thinks that we can鈥檛 solve the problems here in the United States and be the leader of the free world has a pretty small view of the greatest nation on earth.鈥�
Ramaswamy takes literal center stage at debate
At the center of the stage, and at the center of the hottest exchanges in the first part of the debate, was a 38-year-old named Vivek Ramaswamy.
Though he鈥檚 well behind Trump, Ramaswamy has crept up in recent polls, leading to his position next to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at center stage. And he when he showcased his ready-for-video, on-message approach, talking about how his poor parents moved to the U.S. and he had the ability to found billion-dollar companies.
Then Ramaswamy tried to show he wasn鈥檛 a regular politician and started to throw elbows. At one point he declared, 鈥淚鈥檓 the only person on the stage who isn鈥檛 bought and paid for.鈥� He slammed his rivals as 鈥渟uper PAC puppets鈥� who were using 鈥渞eadymade, pre-prepared slogans鈥� to attack him.
He seemed to be betting that primary voters preferred something memorable said to something done. His rivals were having none of it.
Candidates agree Pence did the right thing on Jan. 6
The Republican presidential candidates at Wednesday鈥檚 debate largely said they agreed with former Vice President Mike Pence鈥檚 actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Pence eschewed then-President Donald Trump's demands to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election, a decision that led some in a mob of Trump supporters to chant for his hanging that day.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said, 鈥淎bsolutely."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didn鈥檛 immediately answer the question, saying, 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to look forward.鈥� Under pressure from both Pence and the moderators, DeSantis ultimately said, 鈥淢ike did his duty. I鈥檝e got no beef with him,鈥� prompting Pence to reply, 鈥淚鈥檓 relieved.鈥�
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie leaped to Pence鈥檚 defense, saying the then-vice president 鈥渄eserves not grudging credit, he deserves our thanks as Americans.鈥�
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley agreed that Pence 鈥渄id the right thing鈥� and deserved credit, as did North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Trump leans into 2020 election lies in conspiracy-dabbled interview
Donald Trump skipped the Republican presidential debate to instead lean into his bogus claims about the 2020 election in a conspiracy-dabbled interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
The former president praised the crowd he spoke to on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, before his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, saying, 鈥淭here was love in that crowd. There was love and unity.鈥�
Trump also did not dismiss a suggestion from Carlson about whether his political opponents might choose violence or threaten his life.
鈥淭hey are savage animals. They are people that are sick. Really sick,鈥� Trump said.
He also called the four criminal cases he faces 鈥渘onsense."
Trump attacked President Joe Biden and suggested he was physically unfit for office. He also derided his rivals for the GOP nomination and said he skipped the debate because he didn鈥檛 want to be 鈥渉arassed鈥� by people he said 鈥渟houldn鈥檛 even be running for president.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 going to have all these people screaming at me, shouting questions at me, all of which I love answering, I love doing, but it doesn鈥檛 make sense to do them so I鈥檝e taken a pass.鈥�
Six of eight candidates say they'd fully support Trump as nominee
The top Republicans vying to be the leading alternative to Donald Trump are finally getting a chance to weigh in on his four indictments 鈥� sort of.
Nearly an hour into the GOP debate, Fox News Channel showed a live image of Atlanta鈥檚 Fulton County jail, where the former president is set to surrender on charges on Thursday, drawing boos from the audience. The moderators said they鈥檇 spend a 鈥渂rief moment about the elephant not in the room鈥� and ask about the cases against Trump.
Those on stage were then asked to raise their hands if they would support Trump if he wins the GOP presidential nomination. Six of the candidates raised their hands, while former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie half-raised his hand and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson kept his hand down.
The candidates on stage were required to sign a pledge vowing to support the eventual nominee before joining Wednesday's debate.
Haley calls for abortion 鈥榗onsensus鈥�; Pence says that's not leadership
All of the Republican candidates on Wednesday night's debate stage but their differences on where lines should be drawn became evident on stage.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley 鈥� the only woman in the GOP race 鈥� says there鈥檚 a need for 鈥渃onsensus鈥� over abortion, noting that she feels it unlikely that a federal ban would pass until there are 60 senators who would support it. Haley, who often cities her own fertility struggles and the fact that her husband is adopted, says America needs to 鈥渉umanize the issue and stop demonizing鈥� it.
Former Vice President Mike Pence challenged her position, saying that 鈥渃onsensus is the opposite of leadership鈥� on the issue.
Pence is the only major candidate who has said he supports a federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women know they鈥檙e pregnant. In with The Associated Press, Pence went even further, saying abortion should be banned even when a pregnancy isn鈥檛 viable
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a six-week abortion ban into law, said 鈥測ou鈥檝e got to do what you think is right鈥� when asked what he felt about potential criticism that such a narrow restriction could possibly harm GOP candidates in a general election.
Christie accuses Ramaswamy of sounding like a chatbot
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lashed out at biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during a discussion on climate change, accusing the outsider candidate of sounding like an artificial intelligence chatbot after Ramaswamy called efforts against carbon energy 鈥渁 wet blanket on our economy.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up here,鈥� Christie said. 鈥淭he last person at one of these debates who stood in the middle of the stage and said, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here?鈥� was Barack Obama. And I鈥檓 afraid we鈥檙e dealing with the same type of amateur.鈥�
鈥淕ive me a hug just like you did to Obama,鈥� Ramaswamy responded, a nod to the then-president placing his hand on Christie鈥檚 shoulder during a visit after Superstorm Sandy. 鈥淎nd you鈥檒l help elect me just like you did to Obama too.鈥�
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley jumped in after the feisty exchange, distinguishing herself as the only woman onstage.
鈥淚 think this is exactly why Margaret Thatcher said, 鈥業f you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman,鈥欌€� she said, acknowledging that climate change is real and arguing that to address it, the U.S. needs to pressure China and India to lower their emissions.
Haley goes after fellow Republicans on federal spending
Nikki Haley smoothly took the first swipe of the night on a question about excessive federal spending and nodded to her accounting degree from Clemson.
The former South Carolina governor and former United Nations ambassador didn鈥檛 blink in turning to her rivals with congressional experience to blame them 鈥� not Joe Biden 鈥� for the nation鈥檚 debt.
鈥淵ou have Ron DeSantis. You鈥檝e got Tim Scott. You鈥檝e got Mike Pence. They all voted to raise the debt. And Donald Trump added 8 trillion to our debt,鈥� Haley said.
Scott is a South Carolina senator, DeSantis a former Florida representative and Pence a former congressman from Indiana.
Haley said, "So, you tell me. Who are the big spenders? I think it鈥檚 time for an accountant in the White House.鈥�
DeSantis borrows Trump's famous line
It was Donald Trump鈥檚 famous line on 鈥淭he Apprentice,鈥� but at the debate, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e fired!鈥� was taken over by one of his top GOP challengers.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that 鈥渁 major reason鈥� for America鈥檚 current struggles is 鈥渂ecause how this federal government handled COVID-19 by locking down this economy.鈥�
DeSantis, who has talked often on the campaign trail about how he 鈥渒ept Florida open鈥� during the pandemic, said at the debate that, 鈥淎s your president, I will never let the deep state bureaucrats lock you down.鈥�
Of Anthony Fauci, the government鈥檚 top infectious disease expert during the pandemic, DeSantis said, 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 take somebody like Fauci and coddle him. You bring Fauci and you sit him down and you say, 鈥楢nthony, you are fired.鈥欌€�
The GOP front-runner is little mentioned early in debate
Donald Trump may have a dominating early lead in the Republican presidential primary, but he was barely mentioned during the GOP debate鈥檚 opening minutes.
The former president is skipping the debate, and his name was little spoken in its opening 25 minutes.
And that鈥檚 despite former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has promised to build his presidential run around stopping Trump, giving a lengthy answer defending his own record in his home state.
Former Vice President Mike Pence defended the record of the 鈥淭rump-Pence administration鈥� and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a page from Trump鈥檚 political playbook by pledging to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, drawing applause from the crowd in Milwaukee.
But most of the early debate focused on the candidates on stage ripping President Joe Biden and his administration鈥檚 economic policies.
Ramaswamy is a top early target on stage in Trump's absence
Vivek Ramaswamy emerged as a popular target early in the debate, drawing cheers from the audience when he introduced himself.
鈥淟et me just address a question that is on everybody鈥檚 mind at home tonight," the biotech entrepreneur said. "Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name?鈥�
Former Vice President Mike Pence called him a 鈥渞ookie,鈥� saying people should not elect people without experience.
Christie accused Ramaswamy of trying to imitate Barack Obama and said the country had already tried that.
鈥淭he last person in one of these debates who stood in the middle of the stage and said, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here?鈥� was Barack Obama, and I鈥檓 afraid we鈥檙e dealing with the same type of amateur,鈥� Christie said
Economics of 鈥楻ich Men North of Richmond鈥�
To start off the debate, candidates were asked to lay out their economic arguments by way of explaining why a viral song decrying high taxes and the wealth of the elite had caught fire.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis used his response to the popularity of Oliver Anthony鈥檚 鈥淩ich Men North of Richmond鈥� to blame President Joe Biden for what he characterized as 鈥淎merican decline.鈥� DeSantis also took an opportunity to go after Biden鈥檚 son Hunter, saying he made 鈥渉undreds of thousands of dollars on lousy paintings鈥� while Americans 鈥渁re working hard, and you can鈥檛 afford groceries a car or a new home.鈥�
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he agreed 鈥減redominantly鈥� with DeSantis鈥� response but argued he can be a consensus builder since he was 鈥渆lected as a conservative Republican in a blue state.鈥�
Two most prominent anti-Trump candidates get booed
Former President Donald Trump isn't on the debate stage, but the audience seems firmly in his corner.
The crowd booed former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson as they were introduced at Wednesday night's debate on Fox News. The two are among the most prominent anti-Trump candidates in the GOP field.
Trump skipped the event for an interview with Tucker Carlson instead. He told Carlson: 鈥淒o I sit there for an hour or two hours, whatever it鈥檚 going to be and get harassed by people that shouldn鈥檛 even be running for president? Should I be doing that at a network that isn鈥檛 particularly friendly to me?鈥�
Candidates take podium as leadoff GOP debate begins
The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle has begun.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, anti-woke activist Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum took the stage Wednesday night for the Fox News event.
Fox News anchors are moderating.
Former President Donald Trump appeared poised to post on his Truth Social platform during the debate. He skipped the debate and instead conducted a prerecorded interview with Tucker Carlson that was airing at the same time.
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Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Milwaukee; Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C.; Will Weissert in Washington; Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa; Ali Swenson in New York; and Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report.