Steve HermanThe #GOP candidates’ debate getting underway. The media on site for the Fox News/RNC event is restricted to watching from the Fiserv Forum players’ parking garage.
The ding-ding 'your time is up' still sounds too much like a doorbell -- dogs all over America will be triggered as they were in 2016. #GOPDebate
"Our country is in decline," are the opening words spoken by a candidate at this first #GOPDebate -- #Florida Gov. DeSantis.
Political novice 38-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy is called a "blank slate" by Brett Baier. He responds that "it's going to take an outsider" to turn around America.
"I don't care about polls" says Nikki Haley when she is told by co-moderator Martha MacCallum that Ramaswamy is beating her in the polls.
"I'm incredibly proud of the record of the Trump-Pence administration," says former VP Mike Pence. "I'm unquestionably the best prepared...in this race."
"Drill, frack, burn coal and raise nuclear" pledges Ramaswamy, saying he'll declare war on the federal bureuacracy.
Pence taunting Ramaswamy saying "I'll go slower" to explain things to him and "we don't need to bring in a rookie."
"We're just going to have some fun tonight," Ramaswamy tells Pence. "Do you want a super PAC puppet or a patriot who speaks the truth?"
Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, who injured his Achilles tendon quips: "I think I took it too literally when they said go to Milwaukee and break a leg."
After more than 20 minutes in to the debate, the former Arkansas governor, Asa Hutchinson, gets in his first words reminding folks he was also "head of the DEA."
"The climate change agenda is a hoax," says Ramaswamy. Many in the audience boo.
"I've had enough already of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT," says former NJ governor Chris Christie of Ramaswamy.
Nearly a half hour in to the #GOPDebate and the only one who has uttered the word "Trump" is Mike Pence and it was to tout that administration's accomplishments.
DeSantis did say Trump “coddled” Anthony Fauci and should have fired him.
"We need to stop demonizing this issue" of #abortion, says Haley. "Let's find consensus."
"Consensus is the opposite of leadership," Pence rebuts Haley.
"No Republican president can ban abortions" due to the political reality in Congress, responds Haley. "You have to be honest with the American people."
"We should not have a federal abortion ban," Burgum flatly declares, citing the 10th Amendment.
"What is going to work in New York is never going to work in North Dakota," adds Burgum.
"We cannot let states like California, New York and Illinois have abortions on demand," says Sen. Scott who calls for "at minimum a 15-week limit."
Rob Marquardt@w7voa “We’ll leave it up to the states”*
*to do what it is we tell them to do
Giddey_up@w7voa “or Illinois!” 😂
Nicole Parsons"Republicans, like the Taliban, feel women should not be free.
Agency, autonomy, privacy, and voting should belong to men only"
Pamela@w7voa Sen. Scott's political death knell in all the above mentioned states!
Slurpfur@w7voa he’s right. North Dakota is 49th in the number of advanced degrees. New York clocks in at number 9. North Dakotans have trouble reading the directions.
FallsMom 🌻@w7voa Spoken like the true tool of an autocrat
LAUREN@w7voa In other words, a dictatorship is his preference
Coach Pāṇini ®
James M.@w7voa what would Pence know about leadership??
EmB Philo@w7voa (Pence) Riding the coattails of Trump and enabling Trump for 5 years is not leadership either!!
Drew Mochak@w7voa I like Presidents who don't steal their more popular opponent's lines.
Drea@w7voa Guess Pence has blocked out that whole January 6th thing.
@w7voa does not a one see an opening in spurning trump? It seems like those non-trump Republican votes are just sitting on the table.
M.S. Bellows, Jr.@w7voa Haley did too, and dissed him on spending.
Angry Centrist@w7voa Chris Christie: The enemy of my enemies.
$8Troll@w7voa it's not a debate, it's a rap battle.
Sandhu@w7voa I’m not going to watch but from your live tooting I see that bunch of white guys have already ganged up on an Indian guy. Pence said something about how he’s going to speak slow so this idiot can understand, and now Chris calling him a computer. Lol, right on brand for the gop. I fully expect some of them to call Haley smelly terrorist by the end of this charade.
Amaze@w7voa To be fair, he does.
"Climate change is real, by the way," interjects the Joe Biden Twitter (X) account.
Another clash between Pence and Ramaswamy who are talking over each other.
First attack on Trump comes from Asa Hutchinson.
And the next segment will be about "the coming trials of Donald Trump," says co-moderator MacCallum as Fox goes into a commercial break.
Trump is "the elephant not in the room," says co-moderator Brett Baier.
Hutchinson and Christie are the two who do not raise their hands when asked if they'll still support Trump if he's convicted.
"The conduct (of Trump) is beneath the office of president of the United States," says Christie. "Booing is allowed but it doesn't change the truth.:"
The party in power is using its police force to indict its political opponents, says Ramaswamy.
Now Christie and Ramaswamy are talking over each other.
Ramaswamy trying to characterize Christie as an "MSNBC contributor."
"Absolutely he did the right thing," replies Sen. Scott when asked if Pence did the right thing on Jan. 6, 2021.
DeSantis trying to avoid answering the same question.
"I think Mike did his duty. I've got no beef with that thing," DeSantis finally exclaims under pressure.
Hutchinson, to boos, says Trump "morally disqualified" from being president again and brings up the 14th amendment. "I'm not going to support somebody who is convicted of a serious felony."
"Mike Pence stood for the Constitution," says Christie, standing next to the former VP. "He deserves our thanks as Americans."
"I do think Vice President Pence did the right thing," responds Haley. But let the American people decide whether Trump should be president again. "Trump is the most disliked politician in America. We can't win a general election that way."
"We'll give fair consideration to any pardon request" from Trump if he becomes president, says Pence, noting there would have to be contrition.
"No one is above the law," says Pence of Trump. "I chose the Constitution and I always will."
🇺🇦🌻@rogue_corq🌻🇺🇦Steve Herman (@[email protected])
"We'll give fair consideration to any pardon request" from Trump if he becomes president, says Pence, noting there would have to be contrition.
Carolyn Ebbo@w7voa I wish we'd go back to debates without a live audience. And cut the mics of candidates who run long.
Elizabeth Alcinoe@w7voa Contrition? Haha!
Robyn
chilort@w7voa even a broken clock
12foxfire@w7voa Haley is all over the place, but par for GOP course. No policy.
Jeff C. 🇺🇦🇬🇱@w7voa Running for President is an escape-the-consequences-of-your-actions card for these people, apparently.
Scott marsroverdriver Maxwell@w7voa The American people already decided. When they passed the 14th Amendment.
George Liquor, American@w7voa The Worst Person You Know Just Made A Great Point.jpg
Michael Gemar@w7voa Such hypocrisy. I really want one of these gutless cowards to say that Pence should have been lynched. At least then they’d be honest.
Realworldrj@w7voa isnt that a negative - the others want to cancel the dea?
Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈