That concludes the Washington Examiner’s live coverage of the first GOP primary debate. Click here to follow along with the latest updates related to our debate coverage and other 2024 election stories.

Morry Gash/AP

Former President Donald Trump emerged victorious from the opening 2024 Republican primary debate despite not taking his place behind the podium center stage.

The eight qualifying candidates — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), all desperately requiring airtime to turbocharge their support and fundraising as Trump averages a 40 percentage point lead over nearest rival DeSantis nationally — pitched themselves and undermined one another as voters start tuning into the election.

But some did a better job than others.

Click here to see the Washington Examiner‘s list of winners and losers from the first event, hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley reiterated her stance that it’s unfeasible to enact a federal abortion ban, calling on Republicans to stop “demonizing” the issue as they head into the 2024 cycle.

“Let’s humanize the issue because it is personal for every woman and every man, and we have to start talking about it that way,” Haley told Fox News’s Sean Hannity after the end of the GOP primary debate on Wednesday.

Haley noted she describes herself as “unapologetically pro-life” but emphasized that she would not weaponize that stance.

“I don’t judge women who are pro-choice anymore than I want them to judge me for being pro-life,” she said. “Let’s figure out how we’re going to support as many babies as we can. I love that it’s back in the hands of the people. That’s where it should be.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence dominated the airwaves during the first GOP primary debate, clocking in with 12 minutes and 26 seconds of air time — more than any other candidate.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy came in second with 11 minutes and 38 seconds speaking time, followed closely by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 11 minutes and 37 seconds. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is the only other candidate who surpassed 10 minutes of speaking time, clocking in at 10 minutes and 1 second.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson had the least amount of speaking time, with only 7 minutes and 24 seconds during the two-hour debate. North Dakota’s Doug Burgum barely outperformed him with 7 minutes and 50 seconds — which was barely bested by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) at 7 minutes and 57 seconds.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley spoke for 8 minutes and 20 seconds, putting her at No. 5 among the eight candidates onstage.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) responded to criticism he’s received from former President Donald Trump since launching his presidential campaign earlier this year, declaring that “nobody is entitled to be endorsed or supported.”

“You have got to earn that,” DeSantis told Fox News’s Sean Hannity after the GOP primary debate ended Wednesday night. “He started attacking me before I even got in, before I even got reelected … so that is fine. At the end of the day, we are going to do what we need to do.”

DeSantis’s comments come in response to recent criticism from the former president that the Florida governor has been disloyal after launching a challenge for the GOP nomination. DeSantis brushed off those comments, arguing Trump only started coming after the Florida governor once he was considered a top challenger to the former president.

“When I started to get steam for reelection [for Florida governor], he came out and started digging me,” DeSantis said. “That is fine. I don’t think he should do that. But it is what it is.”

The pre-debate hype for Vivek Ramaswamy while people prepared their obituaries for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was always disconnected from a central fact: Having a conservative record and real principles matters more than showmanship.

Ramaswamy spent the debate getting smacked around by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Christie in particular landed a hit when he pointed out that Ramaswamy’s opening line was nearly exactly the same as Barack Obama’s line from the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Click here to read the full story.

The first GOP primary debate concluded shortly after 11 p.m. Eastern time, marking the end of a lively and oftentimes contentious meeting among the eight presidential hopefuls.

Candidates are set to meet again next month for a second debate on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California. The debate will be hosted by Fox News, although it’s not clear who will moderate the event.

Former Vice President Mike Pence took center stage at the Republican presidential debate when the topic turned to Jan. 6.

Former President Donald Trump wasn’t mentioned much in the first few minutes, but the moderators then asked about his indictments and conduct after the 2020 election.

“The American people deserve to know that the president asked me in his request that I reject or return those ballots unilaterally, a power that no vice president in American history has ever exercised,” Pence said. “He asked me to put him over the Constitution, and I chose the Constitution and I always will.”

Click here to read what the candidates said on the issue.

Vivek Ramaswamy hit out against President Joe Biden, claiming voters should be able to have someone in the White House who is not “an automaton” but rather “somebody who’s actually a thinking agent.”

“I think we do need somebody of a different generation to lead this nation forward,” he said.

Ramaswamy’s comment came in response to a dig from former Vice President Mike Pence, who said he would not support requiring a president to take a mental fitness test before assuming office — noting that “we don’t need a president who is too old.”

“And we don’t need a president who is too young,” he said, referring to 38-year-old Ramaswamy, the youngest GOP candidate.

Host Tucker Carlson questioned former President Donald Trump if he is concerned that his critics may escalate violence against him during a Wednesday night interview airing in competition with the Republican National Committee‘s first primary debate.

In an interview posted on social media, Carlson referenced Trump’s first presidential run during the 2016 cycle, in which Democrats were vocally opposed to Trump’s campaign. “It started with protests against you, massive protests, organized protests by the Left, and then it moved to impeachment twice and now indictment,” Carlson said. “I mean, the next stage is violence. Are you worried that they’re going to try and kill you? Why wouldn’t they try and kill you, honestly?”

Trump took the opportunity to excoriate Democrats. “They’re savage animals,” the former president said. “They are people that are sick, really sick.”

Click here to read the full story.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said, as president, he would send United States special forces over the southern border to take out fentanyl labs and drug cartel operations.

“Yes, and I will do it on day one,” DeSantis said.

He added that the president needs to use “all available powers” as commander in chief to “protect our country and to protect the people.”

“So when they’re coming across, yes, we’re going to use lethal force,” DeSantis said. “How many more tens of thousands are we going to let die?”

“So as president, would I use force? Would I treat them as foreign terrorist organizations? You’re darn right,” DeSantis said.

Former Vice President Mike Pence has done a good job tonight. However, he really hit the nail on the head with the Trump administration’s border security policies. President Joe Biden did a horrific thing by reversing so many of the Trump-Pence border policies that have led to many Americans dying. Pence did a good job of reminding the audience of that tonight. And, it is something that needs to be reinforced by all candidates going forward.

Former President Donald Trump clarified his reasons for skipping the Republican National Committee‘s primary debate in an interview with Tucker Carlson that was prerecorded in Bedminster, New Jersey, and aired Wednesday night.

After Trump bragged about his poll numbers in which he leads all of his 2024 rivals by double digits, he explained that he didn’t want to deal with attacks from other candidates.

“I’m saying do I sit there for an hour or two hours, whatever it’s going to be, and get harassed by people that shouldn’t even be running for president?” Trump asked. “And a network that isn’t particularly friendly to me, frankly.”

Click here to read the full story.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley came out in support of increased aid to Ukraine amid a Russian invasion, decrying Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “murderer.”

“This guy is a murderer, and you are choosing a murderer,” Haley said, specifically targeting Vivek Ramaswamy, who declared himself the only candidate onstage who would not support sending more military aid to Ukraine.

“Under your watch, you will make America less safe,” she added. “You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows.”

Besides Vivek Ramaswamy being targeted by everyone onstage, Tim Scott is the biggest loser from the debate so far. You would be forgiven if you forgot he was even onstage.

Former Vice President Mike Pence sidestepped a question on whether he would consider pardoning Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, noting the former president would get “fair consideration” but stopping short of saying whether he’d be cleared of any wrongdoing.

“When I was governor state of Indiana, it usually follows a finding of guilt and contrition by the individual that’s been convicted,” Pence said. “So if I’m president in the United States, he’ll get fair consideration.”

Pence’s comments came in response to comments from Vivek Ramaswamy, who pushed the former vice president to commit to pardoning Trump should he be elected. Ramaswamy pointed to his own commitment to absolve Trump of any wrongdoing, noting he’s the “only candidate” willing to do so.

Republican presidential candidates Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie both mentioned Hunter Biden, the president’s legally embattled son.

DeSantis was the first to bring him up, hitting Hunter Biden on making thousands from selling paintings and tying that into the state of the economy under President Joe Biden.

“If you are working hard and you can’t afford groceries, a car, or a new home while Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars on lousy paintings, that is wrong,” DeSantis said.

Click here to read more.

Ron DeSantis sidestepped a question on whether he thinks Mike Pence did “the right thing” on Jan. 6, 2021, when he refused demands from former President Donald Trump to decertify the 2020 election — but the Florida governor emphasized he has “got no beef” with the former vice president for his decision.

Pence shot back, pushing his opponents to state publicly whether they agree “that I kept my oath to the Constitution that day.”

“I’ve answered this before,” he said. “Yeah, Mike did his duty. I got no beef with him. But here’s the thing. Is this what we’re going to be focusing on, really, going forward?”

Gov. Chris Christie said, about former President Donald Trump, that it is long past time to “stop normalizing” his behavior. He is absolutely right. It’s time Republican voters stop excusing the inexcusable.

Nearly all eight Republican candidates on the debate stage said they’d support Donald Trump as the GOP nominee even if the former president is convicted in one of the four criminal indictment cases he faces.

Six of the candidates said they’d still support Trump, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), and former Vice President Mike Pence. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he would not.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appeared to raise his hand but told the moderators he was waving his hand at the question.

“Someone’s got to stop normalizing this conduct,” Christie said. “Whether or not whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of President of the United States.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) made an excellent point about bringing up George Soros and crime. Soros-backed district attorneys throughout the country are implementing policies that are putting criminals out on the street instead of jail.

From coast to coast, this has been an issue. Good for DeSantis for bringing this up. As the nation experiences higher violent crime rates than at any other time in history, DeSantis rightfully pointed out the toxic influence Soros has had on the country’s so-called criminal justice reforms.

Well, we almost made it to halftime before Donald Trump became a debate topic. I guess that is the best that we could ask for.

Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) is onstage with a broken leg and with little name ID and is being given few chances to speak, but he grabbed a good rhetorical opportunity by talking about crime in small towns and rural America, saying, rightly, that nobody onstage knows that part of America like he does. Again, it wasn’t much, but it was making the best of what he could.

Former President Donald Trump suggested that former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson shouldn’t be running for president during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night.

The interview aired on X, formerly known as Twitter, at the same time as the Republican National Committee‘s first primary debate of the 2024 cycle, which Trump is snubbing by not participating.

Carlson asked Trump early on in the interview, “When you say there are people onstage who shouldn’t be running for president, who do you mean?”

Trump at first played coy with his response. “Well, I don’t want to really use names, but it wouldn’t matter too much,” he said at first. “A guy like, I call him Ada Hutchinson. It’s Asa, but I call him Ada.”

Click here to read the full story.

MILWAUKEE — Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley got an early zinger in at the first GOP debate, channeling the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with a line about female leadership.

After several exchanges between the seven men onstage, all of whom were wearing red ties under blue jackets, Haley broke out with her one-liner.

Click here to read more.

Former Vice President Mike Pence received jeers from the crowd after he called entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy a “rookie,” resulting in the first back-and-forth of the night.

“Now is not the time for on-the-job training,” Pence said to Ramaswamy, whom he quickly pegged as one of his targets of the debate. “We don’t need to bring in a rookie. We don’t need to bring in people with no experience.”

His comments quickly brought loud boos and jeers from the crowd, with Ramaswamy laughing at the jab.

Click here to read more.

Former Vice President Mike Pence sparred with former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley over abortion restrictions as both candidates disagreed on whether it would be feasible for a Republican president to enact a federal abortion ban.

Although Haley described herself as being “unapologetically pro-life,” the former South Carolina governor acknowledged it would likely be too difficult to implement federal restrictions without having substantial majorities in both the House and Senate.

“Let’s be honest with the American people and say it will take 60 Senate votes, it will take a majority of the House,” Haley said. “So in order to do that, let’s find consensus.”

Pence pushed back on that assertion, responding to Haley by arguing that “consensus is the opposite of leadership.”

“When the Supreme Court returned this question to the American people, they didn’t just send it to the states only,” Pence said. “It’s not a state’s only issue. It’s a moral issue.”

Haley shot back, arguing a federal ban would not feasibly make its way through both chambers of Congress — telling the former vice president he must be “honest” with voters while campaigning in support of a federal ban.

“Don’t make women feel like they have to decide on this issue when you know we don’t have 60 Senate votes [or the votes] in the House,” she said.

Nikki Haley is absolutely right that no federal abortion ban is coming any time soon unless you put more than 60 GOP senators in the Senate, which hasn’t happened since 1911.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hit out against Vivek Ramaswamy early on in the debate, criticizing the business entrepreneur as a “guy who sounds like ChatGPT” and writing him off as an unserious candidate.

“I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChaptGPT,” Christie said, referring to the artificial intelligence chatbot.

Christie made the comment just moments after Ramaswamy sought to decry the rest of the GOP field as being “bought and paid for” — something that elicited a major reaction from both the debate crowd and the rest of the candidates onstage.

“Let us be honest, as Republicans, I’m the only person on the stage who isn’t bought and paid for, so I can say this: The climate change agenda is a hoax,” Ramaswamy said.

Vivek Ramaswamy clearly came into the debate thinking he was more clever than he is and managed to get slapped around by former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Who the heck does this guy, who got a grant from George Soros, think he is, accusing everybody else of being “bought and paid for?” What a demagogic piece of slander! He has no business even being on the stage.

Morry Gash/AP

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley came out swinging in the first GOP debate in response to a question about the state of the economy, placing the blame on the shoulders of both Republicans and Democrats for increasing the country’s debt.

“What I care about is — the fact is that no one is telling the American people the truth,” Haley said. “The truth is that Biden didn’t do this to us. Our Republicans did this to us, too.”

Haley pointed to the $2.2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill that was passed by Congress in 2020 during the pandemic. She also pointed to the nation’s debt that was increased under former President Donald Trump, arguing lawmakers must “eliminate the earmarks” approved by the GOP under his administration.

“At the end of the day, you look at the 2024 budget, Republicans asked for $7.4 billion in earmarks. Democrats asked for $2.8 billion. So you tell me, who are the big spenders?”

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is off to a strong start. She rightfully highlighted that it was both Republicans and Democrats who contributed to our country’s debt. Haley gets off to the best start of all the candidates so far.

Morry Gash/AP

As Republican candidates took their spots on the crowded debate stage on Wednesday night, almost all of the candidates were sporting a similar look: blue jackets and red ties. That is, of course, with the exception of former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who was wearing a light blue pantsuit.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) gets off to a good start in the debate. His criticism of Bidenomics and the many issues plaguing people in the country were on point. This is what Republican candidates need to focus on — attacking Biden’s failures.

As the eight Republican candidates took the stage in Milwaukee for the first GOP debate on Wednesday, most of the presidential hopefuls were met with applause from attendees — combined with some prominent boos aimed toward former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The negative response is not entirely unexpected as Christie has positioned himself as one of the only candidates who is willing to attack Donald Trump publicly, putting him in contrast with many GOP voters who still support the former president. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was also met with some boos during his introduction on the debate stage.

Morry Gash/AP

The first GOP primary debate has begun as the eight qualifying candidates have taken the stage in the Fiserv Forum arena in Milwaukee.

Candidates will begin debating immediately at 9 p.m. without giving opening statements. The debate will be moderated by Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum and is set to last two hours.

The Washington Examiner’s Byron York said the first Republican National Committee debate of the 2024 election cycle is the time for GOP candidates to stand out.

“This is the opportunity to have face-to-face confrontations with the people you have to beat before you get the chance to beat Joe Biden,” York said during an appearance on Fox News.

Wednesday’s first GOP debate will feature eight presidential hopefuls, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Click here to read more.

Morry Gash/AP

Republican candidates are set to take the stage in less than 10 minutes for the first GOP primary debate, which is scheduled to last two hours and will feature answers from eight of the party’s presidential hopefuls.

The debate is set to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time, with Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum immediately launching into the first question without opening statements. Each candidate will have one minute to answer questions and will be granted 30 seconds for any follow-up answers.

They will also be given 45 seconds at the conclusion of the debate to make closing statements.

Eight candidates will be present onstage, including Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), a prominent conservative on the House Freedom Caucus, said it’s a “good thing” former President Donald Trump won’t be present on the debate stage because it will give former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley a chance to establish herself amid a crowded field.

“It’s a good thing because it gives more time for Nikki to espouse her ideas and her views,” said Norman, who has endorsed Haley for the GOP nomination and is serving as one of her surrogates during Wednesday’s debate. “I don’t see that as a negative — that’s a positive.”

Haley is one of eight candidates to appear onstage on Wednesday, as well as Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

Americans for Prosperity Action, a conservative super PAC aligned with billionaire Charles Koch, is set to launch a new ad campaign during the GOP debate that hits out against former President Donald Trump and urges Republican voters to move past him in the 2024 election.

The ad features a speaker who urges voters to choose another candidate, arguing that Trump being the nominee would lead to another victory for President Joe Biden.

“All the drama and chaos of Donald Trump, it’s energizing Democrats and turning independents off,” the ad says. “A majority of Americans won’t support him with Trump. Joe Biden will win again. And if Trump is on the ballot, he’ll drag the House and the Senate down with him. It doesn’t have to be like this.”

Americans for Prosperity has previously come out against Trump’s candidacy, although the group has not endorsed another candidate for the nomination.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy took a last-minute jab at 2024 opponent Chris Christie just hours before the first GOP debate, setting the stage for a possible clash between the two candidates during the highly anticipated event on Wednesday.

“Some final tips from our consultants,” Ramaswamy wrote in a post featuring his two young sons playing alongside him and his wife. “Christie beware!”

The tweet comes as Christie has repeatedly taken shots at Ramaswamy for his defense of Donald Trump amid the former president’s four criminal indictments. Christie is reportedly planning to hit out against candidates who have aligned themselves with Trump, making Ramaswamy a likely target in the former president’s absence.

Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) called former President Donald Trump the “loser” of the first Republican National Committee debate after he chose not to appear onstage for the event.

“I think the Trump campaign is making a big mistake by not being here,” Kemp said on the “Ruthless” podcast in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, comparing the loss to the Super Bowl. “I feel like they’re in the situation the Falcons were in when it was 28-3.”

This is not the first time Kemp has criticized the former president. Following Trump’s indictment out of Fulton County, Kemp posted on social media that the 2020 election “was not stolen” and directed voters to look ahead.

Click here to read the full story.

Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson announced he would file a complaint against the Republican National Committee after the long-shot candidate failed to qualify for the first GOP debate on Wednesday night.

Johnson filed the complaint with the Federal Election Commission just hours before the debate was scheduled to begin, accusing the RNC and Fox News of utilizing a “corrupt debate process.” Johnson accused the pair of “cherry-picking” its participants for the debate, claiming he qualified for the event but was unfairly blocked from joining, according to the 60-page complaint.

“The debate process has been corrupted, plain and simple,” he said in a statement. “Our campaign hit every metric put forward by the RNC and we have qualified for the debate. We’ll be in Milwaukee Wednesday and will have more to say tomorrow.”

In order to qualify for the first debate, each candidate was required to hit at least 1% in three national polls — a criterion Johnson claimed to have met but was later rejected by the RNC. In the complaint, Johnson cited his performance reaching 1% in three national polls: the Trafalgar Iowa Qualifying Poll, Trafalgar New Hampshire Qualifying Poll, and Victory Insights National Qualifying Poll.

However, the RNC ruled that the Victory Insights survey would not be considered a national poll and informed Johnson he did not qualify for the event.

“Despite objectively and repeatedly satisfying the above criteria, Johnson was told by the RNC that he would not be permitted to debate based on the RNC’s after-the-fact revision of its debate criteria,” the complaint said. “As a result, Johnson was barred from the Debate stage, and denied one of the cycle’s most prominent opportunities to reach voters and advance his campaign.”

In addition to the complaint, Johnson has also called on RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to resign from her leadership position, calling her “incapable of winning.”

“She is incapable of leading and she will cost us elections up and down the ballot in 2024,” he said in a statement. “Ronna may be the longest serving chair in RNC history, but she is also going down as the most unsuccessful and corrupt Chair in the history of the Republican Party.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will have the assistance of a House Freedom Caucus member stumping for her in Fox News’s spin room on Wednesday night at the Republican National Committee’s first primary debate.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), who has endorsed fellow South Carolinian Haley for president, will be in the spin room at the debate alongside Katon Dawson, the former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. Norman is one of the more hard-line conservative members of Congress, specifically raising alarms about the national debt.

During House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) battle for the speakership in January, when he had to manage a group of conservative detractors and a slim Republican majority, Norman initially held out against him. He switched his vote to support McCarthy after several rounds of voting because of promises from the now-speaker to balance the budget.

Click here to read the full story.

Just hours after it was reported that Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) had suffered a leg injury, making his presence at the first GOP debate uncertain, the presidential hopeful seized the opportunity to raise money ahead of the highly anticipated event.

Burgum’s campaign debuted a new shirt on his website ahead of the debate featuring the North Dakota governor in the pose of the Air Jordan “Jumpman” logo — poking fun at Burgum’s injury that he sustained while playing a pickup basketball game on Tuesday night. The shirt also shows a silhouette of Burgum wearing a cowboy hat and a boot as well as a cast on his right foot.

Burgum, 67, was taken to a local emergency room after suffering a high-grade tear to his Achilles tendon, a source familiar with his injury told the Washington Examiner. He later confirmed he would participate in the debate on Wednesday night after performing a walk-through of the stage on crutches earlier in the afternoon.

“Doug Burgum is ready to boot Biden out of the White House,” the campaign said in a statement. “Our team designed ICONIC shirts and we’d love nothing more than to send you one.”

The shirts are being sold on WinRed for $35.

Chris Carlson/AP

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said the candidates participating in the Republican debate on Wednesday night and seeking the Republican nomination for the 2024 election “don’t have a chance” against former President Donald Trump.

Greene said she did not even know who some of the candidates were, such as Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND). Greene is considered an ally of the former president, who decided to skip the first debate.

“These candidates, I don’t even know who some of them are. I was surprised that I didn’t know who the governor of North Dakota and some other people were,” Greene said in a clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, and shared by the Recount. “They really don’t have a chance. Because America knows what we had for years with President Trump. We want those days back.”

Click here to read the full story.

Nearly a year after former President Donald Trump announced his third bid for the White House, the Republican presidential bid has begun in earnest with the first primary debate on Wednesday — but without the protesting former president. While Trump remains the dominant front-runner in the national polling, it turns out Republican voters don’t want to hear much during the debate about the elephant (not) in the room.

The overwhelming majority of Republican voters polled by Morning Consult, including 4 in 5 Trump and non-Trump supporters alike, said it is “very important” for the candidates to discuss the economy during the debate. Government spending and taxes came in second place of importance, with nearly 3 in 4 Trump supporters and non-Trump supporters agreeing discussion of the topic is “very important.”

Click here to read the full story.

As eight candidates prepare to meet in Milwaukee for the first GOP debate on Wednesday night, Donald Trump is set to air a pre-recorded interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson — an event the former president has predicted will attract bigger ratings than the debate itself.

Carlson shared a preview just hours before the interview was scheduled to air, giving a glimpse into a wide array of topics the pair discussed during their two-hour conversation. Among the topics the two will discuss include Trump’s opinion on his GOP primary challengers, his thoughts on his former No. 2 and current 2024 opponent Mike Pence, and the former president’s predictions for the future of the country.

“It started with protests against you, then it moved to impeachment twice, and now indictments,” Carlson said in the preview of the interview. “Are you worried they’re going to try and kill you? I mean, why wouldn’t they try?”

“They are savage animals. They are people that are sick,” Trump replied. “I can say this: There’s a level of passion that I’ve never seen. There’s a level of hatred that I’ve never seen, and that’s probably a bad combination.”

The full interview between Trump and Carlson is scheduled to begin airing on X, formerly known as Twitter, at 8:55 p.m. Eastern time — just minutes before the GOP debate is set to begin at 9 p.m.

President Joe Biden‘s campaign preemptively trashed former President Donald Trump’s sitdown with former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson before the first 2024 Republican primary debate.

Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz dismissed the sit down as a “softball ‘interview'” that underscores Trump’s strategy of “running on the same extreme and deeply unpopular MAGA agenda the American people have rejected time and time again.”

“Instead of explaining his broken promises to Wisconsin and the 13,000 Foxconn manufacturing jobs that never were, we’ll likely hear him double down on his most out-of-touch positions, including his support for wild, debunked conspiracy theories and a national abortion ban,” Munoz said Wednesday.

Click here to read the full story.