Republican debate highlights and analysis: Candidates squabble in Simi Valley
2024 hopefuls argued over education, spending and border security.
The second Republican debate of the 2024 presidential primary, taking place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, has just come to an end.
The affair was more raucous than the first debate, which took place over a month ago. Candidates interrupted one another much more regularly and several — most notably former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — have directly criticized front-runner Donald Trump, who elected not to show up tonight. The two candidates from South Carolina, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott, went after one another for their records on spending, and seemingly everyone who had the chance to take a shot at entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy did so.
Read below for highlights, excerpts and key moments.
Latest headlines:
- South Carolina on South Carolina: Nikki Haley and Tim Scott spar several times on stage
- Brief debate answers on Ukraine reveal a rift among Republicans over the issue
- Survivor, GOP primary edition?
- Pence seems to be playing out the string
- Ramaswamy and Scott's debate over birthright citizenship devolves into chaotic exchange
Trump campaign touts that he was with autoworkers – while other candidates fielded questions on them
Trump isn’t at the debate, but he’s very clearly on candidates’ minds, with the former president getting direct attacks from Christie, DeSantis, and others for not being present. (Christie’s unforgettable line: “You’re ducking these things... We’re going to call you Donald Duck.”)
But with the opening of the debate so focused on labor and the autoworkers strike, Trump’s campaign is using that ducking as a bragging point, boasting about the fact that Trump is the only one out with autoworkers tonight.
"Amazing that the first question of the debate is about the UAW strike …at this moment where is @realDonaldTrump? He’s in Michigan …talking to striking workers," senior Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita wrote on X.
However, as ABC News has previously reported, the place Trump spoke at tonight is one of the few non-union auto-parts plants in Michigan, according to AFL-CIO, and very few of those who came to see Trump in Clinton Township, Michigan, Wednesday evening that ABC News spoke with were on actually on strike.
There are a lot of factors at play over this: Trump’s power in being part of the debate narrative while absent, ongoing labor strikes, and where Republicans show solidarity with labor (and the optics of how they do so). And then candidates like Christie add some nicknames to the mix.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa, and Oren Oppenheim
Ramaswamy was asked about whether parents have the right to know about children’s identification in schools. According to a Selzer & Co./Grinnell College poll conducted in March, 71 percent of Republicans say it’s “very important” for a teacher to notify parents if a middle school student has adopted a gender identity different from the one assigned to them at birth.
—Analysis by 538
DeSantis gets a question on the Florida education curriculum
DeSantis is asked about the Florida education guidelines on teaching slavery. He immediately calls it a hoax and attacks Vice President Kamala Harris (America's first Black vice president), which has been his campaign's strategy on this issue since it first broke. The moderators are quick to tee up a discussion between DeSantis and Scott, though, since the South Carolina senator was among the most outspoken Republicans against the DeSantis plan.
-Jacob Rubashkin, 538 contributor
Republicans are supporting universal school vouchers
Moderators questioned Haley on "school choice." Seven Republican states, including Florida, passed "universal school choice" this year, which mostly means vouchers for private schools that are available to nearly all students, without income limits. Public school supporters have said these vouchers are a backdoor way of defunding public schools. In most states, states take the per-pupil allocation of tax dollars and give the money directly to parents instead, allowing them to pay for private, religious, or homeschooling courses. In many states the vouchers could go to parents who could otherwise pay for private school, and aren't enough to pay for full tuition for parents who couldn't afford it. The public is divided on these policies, but trust in public schools and public education has been declining, especially among Republicans.
— Analysis by Monica Potts of 538
DeSantis tries to cut through interruptions
DeSantis is trying a bit there to be the adult in the room, which was effective for him last debate when he derailed a question about climate change, but isn't as effective this time around.
-Jacob Rubashkin, 538 Contributor