Lots of crosstalk in this debate so far, and Burgum continues to refuse to be left behind. He just talked over the moderators as they tried to move on to immigration in order to make a point about child care in North Dakota.

—Analysis by Nathaniel Rakich of 538

Inflation has cooled a lot compared to its highs last summer, at 3.7 percent more than last year as of August. Republican candidates are blaming government spending for inflation, but economists think the pandemic-era inflation was caused more by supply-chain problems caused by the pandemic and shifts in demand because people's needs changed.
—Analysis by Monica Potts of 538

Despite DeSantis’s strong words against Trump, likely Republican primary voters still think highly of Trump, according to our pre-debate 538/Washington Post/Ipsos poll. 68 percent view Trump favorably, compared to 30 percent who have an unfavorable view.

—Analysis by Holly Fuong of 538

Government spending is certainly a factor when it comes to inflation. But it’s not the only factor.

The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act added about $1.9 trillion to the economy, and economists across the political spectrum say that it spurred inflation. They differ on the precise scale of its impact, with estimates ranging from two to four additional points out of the current inflation rate of about 8.5 percent.

However, none of the experts PolitiFact talked to, liberal or conservative, said Biden’s actions were responsible for all of the inflation. Past government spending, COVID’s disruptions to labor markets, energy prices and supply-chains also played significant roles. Most recently, the war in Ukraine has made a challenging situation worse.

-Analysis by Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact

When debate moderators asked the 2024 GOP candidates about the impending government shutdown, some – including Trump’s closest opponent DeSantis – pivoted to blame the former president and current President Biden for the logjam.

Both men also called out Trump for his absence on stage, noting that he should be answering for himself as the shutdown looms.

"People in Washington are shutting down the American dream with their reckless behavior,” DeSantis said.

“And you know who else is missing an action? Donald Trump is missing an action. He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record where they added 7.8 trillion to the debt that set the stage for the inflation that we have.”

Chris Christie – one of Trump’s staunchest critics – also admonished the former president.

“If the government shuts down, should voters blame populace Republicans? Very simply everybody who's in Washington, D.C.,” said Christie.

“And let's be honest about this with the voters. You know, during the Trump administration, they added $7 trillion — $7 trillion in national debt. And now the Biden administration has put another 5 trillion on and counting.”

“Donald Trump– he hides behind the walls of his golf clubs, and won't show up here to answer questions like all the rest of us are up here. He puts 7 trillion on the debt. He should be in this room to answer those questions for the people you talk about who are suffering,” Christie said.

–ABC News’ Isabella Murray