On the night of the 23rd (local time), the first Republican presidential debate was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hosted by Fox News. From left, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron Disantis, former Roivant Sciences CEO Vivek Lamaswamy, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott and Doug Bergham. Former Governor of North Dakota. /Reuters
Eight Republican candidates challenging the 2024 US presidential election held their first primary debate on the night of the 23rd (local time) hosted by Fox News. Former President Donald Trump, who runs overwhelmingly first among the primary candidates, announced his absence and released a pre-recorded interview with conservative journalist Tucker Carlson at the same time.
Despite Trump’s absence, a sparkling debate broke out between the Republican candidates for the second to ninth positions over foreign policy, the economy, abortion, and education issues. About 4,000 spectators filled the debate hall held at the FiServ Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of the contested states for the US presidential election.
The most notable thing in the debate that day was the slugfest between the youngest candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy (38), former CEO of Roivant Sciences, and other candidates. He engaged in a war of words with former Vice President Mike Pence (64), former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (51), former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (61), and said, “I don’t need a rookie” and “(generative artificial intelligence) ChatGPT. I heard that it is the same.”
Candidate Disantis did not receive much attack, but only repeated words that seemed to have been rehearsed in advance, and received cynicism from Christie as “pre-canned answers.” Fox News commented that “‘upstart’ Lamaswamy was under fire from all sides,” and CNN said, “It was Ramaswamy versus everyone, Pence showed an interesting side, and Disantis didn’t stand out in the crowd.” did.
The New York Times (NYT) said, “The candidate who most embodied the spirit of Trump in terms of style and content was Ramaswamy, who had never worked in government.” It imitated the pugilism of a former president with the will to take a hit.”
Former Roivant Sciences CEO Vivek Lamaswamy, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, smiles while talking to reporters after the first intra-party debate on the 23rd (local time). /Reuters
◇Ramaswamie “newcomer”, “ChatGPT” saturation
Ramaswamy, whose approval rating has risen enough to rank second after Trump in some recent polls, stood at the center of the stage with Florida Governor Ron Disantis (45), who once emerged as a “Trump opponent” that day.
Ramaswamy, who has no political experience, said from the beginning of the debate, “I am not a politician. “I think we’re going to need an outsider,” he said. “Because, for a long time, career politicians in the Republican Party have been trying to avoid something, and now it’s time to run for something.” It was a statement to differentiate himself from other candidates who are all career politicians, including former vice presidents, incumbent senators, incumbent governors (two), and former governors (three).
The counterattack came right away. Former Vice President Mike Pence (64), who has extensive political experience as a senator and governor of Indiana, talked about economic issues such as the fiscal deficit. Vivek, I have news to tell you.”
“I’ve been in Congress, and I’ve been in the West Wing,” Pence said. said. At that moment, cheers and booing poured in from both sides of the support layer at the same time, filling the hall.
Even when asked, ‘Do you think human-caused climate change is real?’ Ramaswamy said, “As the only person on this stage who hasn’t been bribed, I can speak. “Climate change is a hoax.” The intention was that he could say what other candidates who were politicians could not say because of various interests.
Then former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (61) counterattacked, saying, “I think I’ve heard enough tonight from someone who sounds like ChatGPT.” Laughter broke out in the crowd, and Christie said that Lamaswamy was “the same kind of amateur” as former President Barack Obama.
On the 23rd (local time), former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former Roivant Sciences CEO Vivek Lamaswamy are engaged in a war of words during the Republican presidential primary debate on the 23rd (local time). / Reuters Yonhap News
◇Wars over whether or not to support Ukraine
‘If elected president, would you not support increased aid to Ukraine? Then, when asked, raise your hand,’ Disantis half raised his arm and said, “I will let the European countries play a role. Our (US) support has to follow what they do,” he said.
“The reality is that Ukraine is not a priority for the United States today,” said Ramaswamy, the only one who completely turned a hand on it. “We can’t wage another war we can’t win,” he said. “We don’t want to send military resources overseas when we have to defend our borders and defend our homeland.”
Then Nikki Haley (51), former governor of South Carolina, who served as the US ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump administration, said, “Russia’s victory is China’s victory. You have to know that Ukraine is the first line of defense.” “He (Ramaswami) wants to hand Ukraine over to Russia, let China eat Taiwan, and cut off aid to Israel, and we don’t do that to our friends,” Haley said. “(Vladimir) Putin ( Russian President) said, ‘If Russia occupies Ukraine, then Poland and the Baltic States’. Then it becomes a world war and we are trying to stop it.”
Haley said, “Look at what Putin did today. killed Prigogine. this man is a murderer You (Ramaswami) are choosing a murderer over a pro-American country,” and cheers erupted from the hall. Lamaswamy shot Haley, saying, “I wish you well in your future career on the boards of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon,” but Haley retorted, “You have no foreign policy experience, and that shows.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during the first Republican presidential debate on the 23rd (local time). /AFP Yonhap News
◇”Abortion is a moral issue” vs. “You have to think realistically”
The issue of abortion, which disappointed Republicans who expected a landslide victory in last year’s midterm elections, was also an important topic of discussion. When asked, “Do you think the next president should sign a federal abortion ban?” “I will stand on the side of life,” he said, “but understand that Wisconsin will do it differently than Texas, and Iowa and New Hampshire will do it differently.” The intention was to leave it to the policy of each state.
Pence, who has been in favor of banning abortion at the federal level, said, “This is not just a state issue, it’s a moral issue. Every state should have a minimum standard.” Senator Tim Scott (58), representing South Carolina, said he would ban abortions over 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide, saying, “We can’t leave it to Illinois or Minnesota.”
North Dakota Governor Doug Bergham (67), who introduced a law banning abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy in North Dakota, said he opposes the ban at the federal level, saying, “The federal government keeps interfering in people’s lives. If you say the federal government has to step in on this issue, where do you stop?”
Hailey, the only woman, said she was against abortion, but “we need to stop demonizing the issue.” “Let’s be honest with Americans when talking about a federal ban,” he said. “There hasn’t been 45 senators who have opposed abortion in the past 45 years,” she said, noting that enacting a federal abortion ban would require 60 Senate votes, including Democrats.
“Just as a Democrat president can’t ban every state’s law, a Republican president can’t ban abortion,” Haley said. Don’t,” he said. It is an issue that can openly stimulate female voters and put the Republican Party at a disadvantage in the general election.
Senator Tim Scott speaks during the Republican presidential nomination debate held on the 23rd (local time). /AFP Yonhap News
◇Biden beats, Trump crosses
On this day, the Republican primary candidates criticized the policies of President Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, several times. When asked why the country song “Rich Men North of Richmond”, which criticizes politicians in Washington, D.C., was popular recently, Disantis said, “It’s because our country is in decline.” . “America is in decline. “This decline is not inevitable, it is a choice,” he said. “It starts with the understanding that middle-class families have a chance to succeed again if we turn the tidenomics upside down.”
Bergham also said, “Biden’s inflation is strangling our throats. Our economy is being ruined by Biden’s energy policies, which raise the price of everything you want to buy,” he said. .
Opinions were divided about Trump. Ramaswamy said, “Let’s tell the truth. I believe that President Trump is the best president of the 21st century. That is true,” he said. But Haley said, “Trump is the most hated politician in America. He can’t win the main election (where all the people vote) that way,” he said.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (73) said, “Joe Biden doing four more years is not the solution. Donald Trump doing four more years is not the solution. The solution is new leadership that brings bold ideas to America and brings out the best in America.”
When asked whether it was correct for Pence to certify the election results on January 6, 2021 (which Biden won), other candidates such as Christie, Haley, Bergham, and Scott answered “yes”. However, even if Trump is convicted, he will support him if he becomes the Republican presidential candidate. In response to the question, “If so, raise your hand,” seven people except Hutchinson raised their hands.
Pence, who has been heavily criticized within the Republican Party for this issue, said, “He (Trump) asked me to put him before the Constitution. I chose the Constitution and always will.” However, when asked about Trump’s alleged crimes, Pence replied, “Like all Americans, he deserves a presumption of innocence.”
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2023-08-24 06:14:24
