Republican debate highlights and analysis: Fiery faceoff on Trump, Ukraine and more

Haley reiterated her calls for "compassion" when the country debates abortion, though she declined to state whether she would support a federal ban on the procedure.

Haley noted the uphill climb to a federal ban, referencing the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate, but said she would oppose late-term abortions and punishments for women who receive abortions.

"Can't we all agree that we should ban late term abortions? Can't we all agree that we should encourage adoptions? Can't we all agree that doctors and nurses who don't believe in abortion shouldn't have to perform them? Can't we all agree that contraception should be available? And can't we all agree that we are not going to put a woman in jail or give her the death penalty if she gets an abortion? Let's treat this like the like the respectful issue that it is," she said.

-ABC News' Tal Axelrod

The candidates are now debating abortion, which has obviously been a hot-button issue lately, but it’s actually not super important to Republican primary voters right now. According to our FiveThirtyEight/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, only 6 percent of Republicans identified limiting abortion as one of their top three issues.
-Analysis by Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight

In the commercial break we get an ad targeting pro-Ukraine Republicans from Defending Democracy Together, a PAC led by a group of anti-Trump conservatives who have been very active in politics since 2017. In a poll from the Pew Research Center in June 44 percent of Republicans said the US was giving too much aid to Ukraine. I'm not sure how much this ad is going to register; Ukraine and national defense barely register in polls of Americans' most important problem these days. I think it says more about the divide in the party over Trump — who hasn't been mentioned in the debate at all so far.
-Analysis by G Elliott Morris of FiveThirtyEight

DeSantis quickly shut down a question from Fox News' Martha MaCallum asking candidates to raise their hands if they believe human behavior is causing climate change.

"Look, we’re not schoolchildren. Let's have the debate," DeSantis said.

He then largely declined to answer the question at hand, instead criticizing President Joe Biden's response to the Maui wildfires in Hawaii. (Biden's aides have pushed back on such criticism.)

"As somebody that has handled disasters in Florida, you have to be there present and helping people who are doing this," DeSantis said.