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, 10:42 PM EDT

Trump, in Tucker Carlson interview, says other GOP candidates shouldn't be running

Trump wasted no time attacking other Republican candidates during his pre-taped interview with former Fox News host Carlson.

"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 said.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Tucker Carlson released on Aug. 23, 2023.
Tucker Carlson/X, formerly known as Twitter

The 46-minute interview -- released on Carlson's X account as the GOP debate got underway -- is being seen among the campaigns as an attempt to counter-program the first debate among 2024 Republican presidential candidates on Fox News.

Read more about the interview here.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa , Soo Rin Kim and Meredith Deliso

Aug 23, 2023, 10:41 PM EDT

DeSantis again vows to use 'lethal force' at the border

DeSantis expressed support for using the U.S. military to combat drug cartels across the border.

"The president of the United States has to use all available powers as commander in chief to protect our country and the people," DeSantis said.

"When they are coming across, yes we are going to use lethal force," he continued -- a line he's used repeatedly throughout the campaign.

Activists have pushed back that his plan is inhumane and illegal.

-ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler

Aug 23, 2023, 10:38 PM EDT

Martha MacCallum just asked about what to do about migrants already in the United States. In a July poll by The New York Times/Siena College, 39 percent of likely Republican voters say that they supported a “comprehensive immigration reform bill that provides a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants” in the United States, while 57 percent opposed such a bill. Support was weakest among Trump supporters (29 percent) compared with DeSantis supporters (48 percent) and voters who say they will vote for another candidate (50 percent).
-Analysis by FiveThirtyEight

Aug 23, 2023, 10:33 PM EDT

Sen. Scott so far has stayed away from attacks and stuck to his stump speech

While many candidates onstage have sparred with each other -- including Haley and Ramaswamy swapping sharp words on foreign policy -- Scott has yet to engage with any of the other candidates.

PHOTO: Former Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson, former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, former Governor from
Former Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson, former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, former Governor from South Carolina and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator from South Carolina Tim Scott and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, take part in the first Republican Presidential primary debate at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Aug. 23, 2023.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Much of his remarks have almost word for word repeated elements from his campaign stump speech. When asked about China, which he has addressed in other appearances, he pivoted to speaking about the U.S. border.

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Oren Oppenheim

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