Who Won the Republican Debate?
In the immediate aftermath of a debate, it’s hard to tell whether any candidate had a good or bad night. But over time, the impact of the evening may become clearer.
Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis traded broadsides throughout the first half of the event. But the former U.N. ambassador also spent much of her time in combat with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ron DeSantis
The winner of Wednesday’s debate was DeSantis, but only because Trump wasn’t on the stage. The Florida governor was sharp and feisty from the start, training his sights on Haley from the get-go and repeatedly invoking his military service.
He also pushed some policy positions that haven’t gotten enormous attention, like his belief that student loans should be underwritten by colleges themselves so that students can take on debt without the financial burden.
Christie snatched some of the spotlight from DeSantis in the closing minutes, trying to paint him as unwilling to answer basic questions about his policies. But he seemed to run out of steam late in the show, and was never able to turn the tables on his rivals. He may still be able to rally Republican voters against Trump, but his debate performance won’t help him much against the field. This was a lost opportunity for him to shine. He needs a big win soon, and that probably won’t come in New Hampshire on Jan. 23.
Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley was the clear winner of this debate. She faced the most arrows from both DeSantis and Ramaswamy but handled them well. She was also able to advance the most full-throated arguments about supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. She was also the best at pointing out that it is dangerous to use government to force companies to take certain social positions, which she accused DeSantis of doing in Florida by punishing Disney for its decision not to support his school board bill.
It took a while for DeSantis to go after her, but once he did it was a cage fight. He was able to make the case that she can’t appeal to those voters looking for a non-Trump alternative because she doesn’t share his philosophy about the role of government. He also criticized her for praising a fiberglass company with connections to China while she was governor. But it wasn’t enough to catch her up.
Chris Christie
While it’s impossible to determine who won or lost a debate in the immediate aftermath, it is important to look at how voters process the action and which clips go viral. Despite being outnumbered, Christie was still the most effective debater on stage and managed to take scathing jabs at Trump in ways that other candidates didn’t match.
Christie focused on attacking the other candidates, urging them to take a harder line against Trump. He pressed DeSantis to answer whether he thought Trump was fit for office and accused Ramaswamy of backtracking on his statements.
Christie drew from his reputation as a call-a-spade-a-spade tough-talking bruiser willing to say anything, even though that brand of Republican no longer has much appeal. He also used the debate to promote his gubernatorial campaign, announcing that he’s raised more than $1 million from donors since launching his candidacy. That could make him a formidable challenger to Haley, who leads DeSantis in some polls.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Despite Trump’s decision to skip the debate, his opponents still fought for the spotlight. But the slick businessman Vivek Ramaswamy had more to say than most expected.
Ramaswamy bragged about his money and his business experience, and he promised to run the country like a “profit-driven enterprise.” But he also took swings at Haley and Christie, suggesting they’re running campaigns based on vengeance against Trump.
The two most damaging moments for Ramaswamy were when he attacked Haley’s daughter and suggested that Christie was angling for a job on Fox News. Both comments play into existing perceptions of the candidate as a petty, reckless opportunist.
Ramaswamy may end up getting a few votes from right-wing partisans, but he won’t be the GOP nominee. And he doesn’t seem like the best choice to be Trump’s VP. He sounds insane and like he’s sniffing “go fasters.” That’s not the best way to earn the trust of conservative voters.
