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

The 2024 hopefuls took the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, without Trump.

By538 and ABC News
Last Updated: August 23, 2023, 6:30 PM EDT

The first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential primary was held in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

Eight candidates qualified for a spot on the stage: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

Missing from the event was the primary's early front-runner: former President Donald Trump, who declined to participate and instead released a pre-recorded interview with Tucker Carlson.

ABC News and FiveThirtyEight live-blogged every major moment and highlight from the debate, aired on Fox News, with FiveThirtyEight providing analysis and a closer look at the polling and data behind the politicians. PolitiFact made real-time fact checks of key statements.

Read deeper:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Aug 23, 2023, 9:41 PM EDT

DeSantis demurs on a national six-week abortion ban

DeSantis brushed off concerns that his signing a six-week abortion ban in Florida will hurt him on the national stage.

"I would say we sold the biggest election landslide victory in the history of the Republican party and the state of Florida in 2022," DeSantis countered. "That's what I did. We can win."

DeSantis argued "we're better than what the Democrats are selling" but ultimately demurred on whether he'd support a six-week ban at the national level.

"I will stand on the side of life," he responded.

Aug 23, 2023, 9:42 PM EDT

Pence attacks DeSantis for not supporting a national abortion ban

DeSantis wouldn’t directly answer when the moderators asked him if he would sign a national abortion ban, and Pence pounced. He comes from the social conservative wing of the party, and supports a national ban. This isn’t the first time Pence has criticized DeSantis for not being conservative enough on abortion, either.
-Analysis by Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight

Aug 23, 2023, 9:41 PM EDT

Haley reups calls for compassion on abortion

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

Aug 23, 2023, 9:40 PM EDT

Abortion isn’t a top priority for Republicans

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

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