What’s Happening:
Die-hard Republicans watched with much anticipation the 2024 presidential primary debate last night. Some candidates delivered with passion and punch while others sealed their fate as lackluster options.
While the jockeying for policy positions and attempts to hurl insults was in full swing, the Republican frontrunner held his own event. His counter to the mainstream venue produced an assessment that hit hard against the contenders.
Former President Donald Trump called the debate “not watchable” during his rally in Hialeah, Florida. His tone before a crowd of thousands mocked his opponents.
From the Daily Caller:
“I think they’re at a debate tonight,” Trump said. “I was watching these guys. They’re not watchable.”
He claimed in his speech that the contenders’ performances in the previous debate garnered the lowest rated debate in the history of politics. Candidates took aim on the debate stage and poked Trump for skipping the event and questioning his courage to debate the field.
Well, listen, I’m standing in front of tens of thousands of people right now, and it’s on television,” Trump said. “That’s a hell of a lot harder to do that then debate. That’s a hell of a lot harder.”
On stage or not, Trump is leaps and bounds ahead of the GOP field. Candidates in the Wednesday Republican debate included Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and former Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey
Trump holds a large lead over DeSantis in the RealClearPolitics average, drawing 58.3% of Republican primary voters to 14.6% for DeSantis, with Haley in third place with 9.4% and Ramaswamy in fourth place with 4.4%. The other candidates were even further down in the polls.
Trump is also competing head-to-head with Joe Biden or leading the incumbent in key areas of the country. A recent New York Times poll shows Trump leading in multiple states Biden narrowly carried in 2020.
Trump isn’t one to pass up an opportunity to take shots at his opponents. During his speech he tagged Haley as “birdbrain” and mocked her for flip-flopping about running against him in 2024. Trump also went after Democrats in general and specifically Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). Trump described Schiff’s neck an “engineering marvel.”
Trump has skipped all three Republican primary debates this year and has held rallies nearby the debate location each time.
Key Takeaways:
- Trump rips Republican primary debate participants for their performance.
- The GOP frontrunner says the field of contenders doesn’t have what it takes.
- Despite skipping all debates Trump holds a huge lead over the GOP field.
Source: Daily Caller
