Four Republican presidential hopefuls 鈥 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie 鈥 were on stage for Wednesday night's debate in Alabama. The early front-runner for the GOP nomination, former President Donald Trump, held a fundraiser in Florida instead.
What to know
Haley was of her rivals Wednesday night
from the fourth GOP presidential debate
The debate was a key moment for the
The fourth debate was held in , the state that gave the GOP a roadmap to Trump
If rivals can't take on Trump, they shouldn't be president, says Christie
Christie is doubling down on his criticism that his fellow Republican presidential candidates are too timid to take on Trump and his legal troubles.
The former New Jersey governor said after Wednesday鈥檚 debate that the other three candidates on stage in Tuscaloosa were 鈥減retending we鈥檙e the only four candidates in the race.鈥
Christie noted that Haley remained silent through an extended discussion of Trump鈥檚 fitness for office, given multiple pending indictments on charges stemming from his behavior in office and after leaving the White House.
If Haley, DeSantis and others are afraid to take on Trump, Christie said they aren鈥檛 up to being head of state and sitting across the table from other world leaders.
But he quipped that 鈥渁t least the moderators asked some Trump questions,鈥 unlike some previous debates.
Abortion and gun violence conspicuously missing as debate topics
Though the candidates spent more time talking about Trump or responding to his comments and his commanding lead than in past debates, there were a few subjects the Republicans did not touch on Wednesday.
Despite two high-profile shootings leading up to the debate with a and wounding a fourth at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Wednesday and a in a trail of violence Tuesday, the candidates did not discuss gun violence or mass shootings in America.
Abortion, which was a big issue in last year鈥檚 midterm elections and is expected to play a prominent role in next year鈥檚 elections, was also conspicuously missing from the fourth debate. The candidates spent months on the campaign trail this year discussing 鈥 or sometimes sidestepping 鈥 questions on abortion, which they all oppose.
also did not receive much of a mention Wednesday night besides in Ramaswamy鈥檚 closing statement, when he said the 鈥渃limate change agenda is a hoax鈥 and 鈥渙ne of the most important topics that needs to be discussed.鈥
It's time for the GOP to rally around Trump, his super PAC says
Trump's super PAC said at the conclusion of the fourth presidential debate that it's time for Republicans to unify around the former president.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Make America Great Again Inc., said Wednesday night that 鈥淭he battle for second place has become the biggest waste of time, money, and energy that politics has ever seen.鈥 She accused the four candidates on stage of 鈥減utting up a fake fight to satisfy their egos and please their billionaire puppet masters.鈥
Trump skipped the fourth presidential debate, as he had the previous three, saying he didn't want to give his lower-polling rivals any attention.
Hall of Presidents inspiration
None of the four Republicans challenging Trump for the GOP nomination named him as inspiration for their possible future administrations.
Christie said he would draw inspiration from Ronald Reagan, saying he has been working on a book about the president he called a 鈥渟lave to the truth.鈥
Haley named both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the latter of whom she said led the nation through the division of the Civil War.
DeSantis named Calvin Coolidge, saying that 鈥渟ilent Cal knew the proper role of the federal government.鈥
Ramaswamy, the stage鈥檚 youngest candidate, said he would take inspiration from Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence at just 33 years old.
Fact-checking Haley on terrorists coming through southern border
While discussing terrorist threats, Haley says Iran knows 鈥渢he easiest way鈥 to enter the United States is through the southern border.
But reports of terrorists entering the United States by land from Mexico are almost unheard of.
Alex Nowrasteh of the pro-immigration Cato Institute documented nine foreign-born terrorists who entered the United States illegally from 1975 through last year. Three entered Mexico in 1984 when they were 5 years old or younger and were convicted of plotting to attack Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 2007. The other six entered through Canada.
Iran has not been linked to funding terrorist attacks in the United States, like the 2001 strikes on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
DeSantis draws loud cheers over remarks on transgender kids
DeSantis drew loud cheers when he said parents 鈥渄o not have the right to abuse鈥 their kids in response to Christie鈥檚 remarks about signing legislation as governor of New Jersey to provide guidance for schools to protect transgender students.
Christie said he stood up for parents.
鈥淭he minute you start to take those rights away from parents, you know, that鈥檚 a slippery slope,鈥 Christie said. 鈥淲hat rights are going to be taken away next?鈥
Saying "as a parent, you do not have the right to abuse your kids,鈥 DeSantis said, 鈥淭his is mutilating these minors. These are irreversible procedures.鈥
Guidelines call for thorough assessments to confirm gender dysphoria before starting any treatment.
That treatment typically begins with puberty-blocking medication to temporarily pause sexual development while giving youngsters time to mature enough mentally and emotionally to make informed decisions about whether to pursue permanent treatment. Puberty blockers may be used for years and can increase risks for bone density loss, but that reverses when the drugs are stopped.
鈥淣ikki = corrupt,鈥 Ramaswamy writes on notepad
Signs aren鈥檛 allowed during debates, but Ramaswamy used a legal pad at his podium to write a note criticizing Haley.
Ramaswamy held up a handwritten sign reading 鈥淣ikki = corrupt,鈥 a characterization he repeated during debate critique of her association with aerospace giant Boeing Co., among other issues.
Ramaswamy had been asked if he questioned Haley's Christian conviction after she was raised in the Sikh faith and converted.
All four candidates had notebooks on their podiums and were seen writing notes as soon as they walked on stage. It wasn鈥檛 clear when Ramaswamy had written the message.
Asked if she would like to respond after Ramaswamy invoked her name, Haley said, 鈥淣o, it鈥檚 not worth my time to respond to him.鈥
Christie says Trump wasn't kidding about his dictator comment
Christie says he doesn鈥檛 think Trump is kidding when he says he would only be a dictator 鈥渙n day one鈥 if he returns to the White House.
Christie says, 鈥淭here鈥檚 no mystery鈥 to what Trump wants to do as he has ramped rhetoric that has been criticized as increasingly authoritarian and violent.
鈥淒o I think he was kidding? When he said he鈥檚 a dictator? All you have to do is look at the history,鈥 he added, before criticizing his rivals on stage for failing to go after Trump more aggressively.
Some in the audience booed his comments.
On Tuesday, the former president declined to rule out abusing power as retribution in an interview with Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity.
鈥淯nder no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?鈥 Hannity asked Trump.
鈥淓xcept for day one," Trump replied.
Candidates and moderators let baseless conspiracy theories slide
As the candidates quibbled about who would speak the truth to voters, everyone 鈥 moderators and candidates alike 鈥 let a rant of baseless conspiracy theories from Ramaswamy pass by unchecked.
In a run-on sentence, Ramaswamy rattled off a series of false and dubious claims, including that the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol was an 鈥 鈥 and that the 2020 election was stolen by 鈥淏ig Tech.鈥
He also reiterated his belief in a racist ideology known as the 鈥 ,鈥 calling it 鈥渁 basic statement of the Democratic party鈥檚 platform.鈥
The theory suggests there鈥檚 a plot to diminish the influence of white people and culture in America. Its adherents include far-right extremists, some of whom have committed violent acts.
Is Trump fit to be president? 鈥楩ather time is undefeated,鈥 DeSantis says
DeSantis sidestepped questions about whether Trump is 鈥渇it鈥 to be president but said he thinks the former president, is 77, is too old to be president.
鈥淔ather time is undefeated,鈥 DeSantis said, adding: 鈥淚 think we need to have somebody younger.鈥
The 45-year-old also said a candidate needed to be able to serve two terms, which Trump would not be able to do.
Christie then repeatedly tried to get DeSantis to answer whether he thought Trump was mentally fit, leading to extended cross-talk and bickering between the two.
DeSantis said of Trump: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how he would score on a test.鈥
The Florida governor said he did not think Trump 鈥渋s as bad as Biden,鈥 who is 81, but said, 鈥淚 do think that over a four-year period, it is not a job for somebody that鈥檚 pushing 80. We need somebody that鈥檚 younger.鈥
Fourth debate reveals little on positions on immigration and border
The fourth Republican presidential debate, like those before it, is revealing little about a core issue to many primary voters: immigration and border security.
A nine-minute segment focused largely on the fentanyl scourge, with Haley and Ramaswamy focused more on China than Mexico as a source of the drug. DeSantis defended his vow to shoot smugglers at the border, even though 90% of fentanyl seized at the border during the latest budget year was at official crossings 鈥 not between them 鈥 and nearly 3 of 4 fentanyl seizures at the border have been carried out by U.S. citizens.
There have been some wrinkles along the way, such as Ramaswamy鈥檚 call in the third debate for a border wall with Canada, but candidates were once again largely in lockstep and unwilling or unable to draw contrasts.
It is hard to out-Trump Trump on an issue that helped catapult him to the White House and would be a thrust of his second term. He has hinted at mass detentions of people in the country illegally and flirted with resurrecting a policy to separate children from their parents at the border, a bridge that his opponents have yet to cross.
Expect the issue to become more prominent ahead of the general election, where contrasts with Biden and Democrats are much sharper.
Fiery exchange follows questions about Hamas and Iran
Questions about how to handle the conflicts with Hamas and Iran opened a fiery exchange about the candidates' foreign policy experience and smarts.
Asked whether they would send U.S. troops to rescue American hostages held in Gaza, Christie answered, 鈥淒amn right, I would.鈥 DeSantis didn鈥檛 appear to answer the question directly.
Ramaswamy, asked about his position that the U.S. shouldn鈥檛 be lending military support to Israel, acknowledged his policy on that was 鈥渁 little bit different.鈥
鈥淚srael absolutely has the right to defend itself without the U.S., U.N. or EU second-guessing its decisions,鈥 he said.
Ramaswamy, who is often faulted for his lack of foreign policy experience, then turned the focus to Haley, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
鈥淔oreign policy experience is not the same as foreign policy wisdom,鈥 Ramaswamy said. He followed up with a challenge to Haley to name three provinces in eastern Ukraine, prompting Christie to rebuke him for being rude.
Haley did not bite on the Ukraine-province challenge.
Christie defends Haley against Ramaswamy's attacks
They are facing off for the GOP nomination, but Christie has come to Haley鈥檚 defense during his own debate screed against Ramaswamy.
After Ramaswamy repeatedly railed against Haley for what he characterized as her inability to name some of Ukraine鈥檚 provinces, Christie called Haley 鈥渁 smart accomplished woman鈥 and said Ramaswamy 鈥渟hould stop insulting her.鈥
Christie also said Ramaswamy would be voted 鈥渢he most obnoxious blowhard in America.鈥
Christie and Haley were both elected governors of their respected states in 2010 and were friends during Christie鈥檚 time chairing the Republican Governors Association.
Haley turned to Christie and seemingly uttered a 鈥渢hank you鈥 when he defended her.
Christie challenges rivals for not taking on Trump directly
Just like in past debates, Christie appears to be the only candidate on stage interested in taking on Trump directly.
He was the first to target the front-runner, calling Trump a 鈥渄ictator鈥 and a 鈥渂ully鈥 who 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 have the guts to show up and stand here.鈥
鈥淭he fact of the matter is that he is unfit to be president,鈥 Christie said about 15 minutes into the debate.
The former New Jersey governor called out his competitors for ignoring 鈥渉e who shall not be named.鈥
鈥淭hese three are acting as if the race is between the four of us,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 often very difficult to be the only person on stage who鈥檚 telling the truth.鈥
First questions of debate are unusually pointed
The fourth GOP primary debate began with unusually pointed questions, particularly from moderator Megyn Kelly.
You entered the race with so much momentum and are now trailing in the polls. Is it fair to say that voters are telling you not, 鈥楴o,' but 鈥楴ot now?' she asked DeSantis.
鈥淎ren鈥檛 you too tight with the banks and the billionaires to win over the GOP鈥檚 working-class base, which mostly wants to break the system, not elect someone beholden to it?鈥 she questioned Haley.
How could you possibly be the nominee of a party that does not appear to like you very much? Kelly challenged Christie,
Kelly famously tangled with former President Donald Trump during the first debate of the 2016 campaign, when she called him out for calling women he doesn鈥檛 like 鈥渇at pigs鈥 and 鈥渄isgusting animals.鈥 The question sparked a yearslong rivalry.
Ramaswamy and DeSantis go after Haley from the start
Ramaswamy used his first question of the debate to go directly after Haley, as he has done in previous on-stage clashes.
Asked if his critiques of other candidates made his candidacy seem less serious, Ramaswamy criticized Haley for being 鈥渂ankrupt鈥 when she stepped down as United Nations ambassador and then going on to serve on the board of aerospace giant Boeing Co.
In response, Haley defended her 10-month service on Boeing鈥檚 board, noting that she left during a dispute over COVID-19 bailout funds. 鈥淚 love Boeing,鈥 Haley responded.
In the third debate, Haley called Ramaswamy 鈥渟cum鈥 after the entrepreneur was critical of her daughter鈥檚 use of TikTok.
DeSantis joined in to criticize Haley, who he said 鈥渃aves any time the left comes after her, anytime the media comes after her.鈥 DeSantis also opened with criticism of Haley for meeting with executives from investment firm BlackRock.
Haley said her opponents were 鈥渏ust jealous鈥 of the attention she鈥檚 been getting from donors.
DeSantis: 鈥業鈥檓 sick of hearing about these polls'
The first debate question went to DeSantis, who was asked whether he should drop out of the race as his candidacy has failed to close in on Trump鈥檚 large polling despite his campaign and super PAC spending large amounts of money.
The Florida governor gave an impassioned and defiant answer, declaring, 鈥淚鈥檓 sick of hearing about these polls.鈥
DeSantis said he will win the Republican nomination and said he鈥檚 been underestimated before. He said he鈥檚 鈥渟ick鈥 of Republicans 鈥渨ho are not willing to stand up and fight back against what the left is doing to this country.鈥
DeSantis, who has campaigned as a pugilistic candidate, claimed he鈥檚 the only Republican presidential candidate who has 鈥渂eaten鈥 teachers unions, former chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci and George Soros, among other targets.
Smallest field of candidates yet kick off the fourth debate
A diminishing field of Republican presidential candidates has begun its fourth debate of the 2024 primary campaign, the last scheduled debate before the Iowa caucuses kick off the nominating process in January.
Again, Trump, the front-runner, will not be on the stage.
Haley and DeSantis are positioned in the middle, while Christie and Ramaswamy are standing at podiums on the outside.
The debate is airing on NewsNation. The cable network is still trying to build its audience after taking over WGN America three years ago. NewsNation鈥檚 Elizabeth Vargas will moderate alongside Megyn Kelly, a former Fox News anchor who now hosts a podcast, and Eliana Johnson of the conservative news site Washington Free Beacon.
Trump snags Alabama endorsement as rivals flock to the state
Trump is reminding his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination of his domination of the primary by rolling out new endorsements.
On Wednesday, he announced the backing of Sen. Katie Britt, a University of Alabama alumna and former student body president who is widely viewed as a Senate up-and-comer. He was endorsed earlier this week by North Dakota Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer.
Britt has never been a Trump critic, but she's also not a Trump acolyte, and she hails more from the old-guard Republican establishment. Before winning her seat, she was president of the Business Council of Alabama and served as chief of staff to her predecessor, Richard Shelby.
Dropping the Britt endorsement a day that Republicans came to her state and her alma mater is another example of just how overwhelming a favorite Trump is just six weeks before 2024 voting begins with the Iowa caucuses.
Notable lack of buzz ahead of the fourth debate
With Trump absent from Wednesday鈥檚 debate, the scene in Tuscaloosa lacks some of the buzz associated with debates in previous years, especially in ostensibly open primaries.
Less than two hours before the opening salvo, the media room, which is normally the practice hall for the University of Alabama鈥檚 Million Dollar Band, was barely half full. The television and radio platforms around the periphery 鈥 the spin room, in debate parlance 鈥- were noticeably quiet. It lacked the high-profile surrogates or campaign staffers who might normally be appearing live on cable news or talk radio pitching on their candidates鈥 behalf.
Outside Moody Music Hall on campus, more buzz came from state high school football championship games being played in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Will they take on Trump as the gloves come off?
In case you haven鈥檛 noticed, some of these candidates don鈥檛 like one another very much. And six weeks before Iowa votes, the increasing pressure to break out, combined with the participants鈥 animus, could produce fireworks early and often.
In the last debate, Haley called Ramaswamy 鈥渟cum鈥 after he picked on her daughter鈥檚 social media habits. Ramaswamy slapped at DeSantis鈥 choice of footwear. In recent days, DeSantis attacked Haley as the 鈥渓ast gasp of a failed political establishment.鈥 And don鈥檛 sleep on Christie, who once upon a time almost single-handedly ended Marco Rubio鈥檚 presidential aspirations on the debate stage.
Perhaps most importantly, the participants also have an opportunity to go after Trump, who will not be on stage to defend himself.
They have poked at the absentee front-runner to varying degrees in prior debates, but nothing they have done to date has weakened his grip on the nomination.
Could another Democrat beat Trump? 鈥楶robably 50 of them,鈥 Biden says
Biden has said it is imperative that Trump doesn't get reelected to the White House and has framed that as the reason he is running for reelection at age 81.
But on Wednesday, asked if another Democrat could defeat Trump in 2024, Biden answered, 鈥淧robably 50 of them.鈥
Biden declined to elaborate on who else he believed could best the Republican front-runner and former U.S. president. 鈥淚鈥檓 not the only one, but I will defeat him,鈥 Biden said.
Democrats say Trump's GOP rivals are just as extreme as he is
Democrats gathered at the University of Alabama for the Republican presidential debate are framing the GOP field as being every bit as extreme as their absent front-runner.
Biden鈥檚 deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, said, 鈥淓very Republican on stage tonight is desperate to mirror Donald Trump鈥檚 MAGA agenda.鈥 Fulks argued that a Republican administration would hurt middle-class Americans economically and impose a national abortion ban.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones joined Fulks at a news conference adjacent to the debate site. Jones was especially critical of Trump suggesting in a Fox News town hall Tuesday night that he would on 鈥渄ay one鈥 of another White House term.
Jones says the rhetoric from Donald Trump and the far-right agenda are dangerous, and he criticized Trump鈥檚 Republican rivals for not condemning his rhetoric. He says their silence allows 鈥渄angerous ideologies to fester鈥 and 鈥渢hreatens the very institutions that uphold our democracy.鈥
