11 months ago
When four of the top Republican presidential candidates take the stage in Tuscaloosa, Ala., tonight, they will once more do so in the shadow of the candidate not there.
Former President Donald Trump is skipping the debate, as he has the first three times it’s been held. But his presence will undoubtedly be felt by those watching and attending the forum at the University of Alabama. That’s not because of his prodigious and persistent lead in the polls but because of comments he offered the night before.
Appearing at a town hall with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday, Trump was pressed on whether he would, as his critics have warned, act like a dictator should he re-enter office. “Except for Day One,” he replied.
Trump’s defenders embraced the comment. Some have dismissed it as a clear joke, noting that he went on to say that it was for the purpose of closing the border and drilling for oil. His opponents have made the point that one should take seriously what he says.
Either way, the utterance seems extremely likely to come up tonight when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — especially because moderators have promised to make the candidates engage with Trump, even if he's not there.
As POLITICO’s Adam Wren notes, how they respond will provide an X-ray of sorts for the id of the party. At a minimum, it will show that Trump still is the axis around which they rotate.
Below are highlights of Wednesday’s debate.
Haley pressed on private earnings and paid speeches
The former U.N. ambassador, who has recently surged into second place in some polls, faced an opening question about her corporate board memberships and ties to Wall Street — after DeSantis had already gone after her in his opening remarks, singling her out as not conservative enough.
In response, Haley touted her recent endorsement from Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers-linked group that opted to back her over DeSantis, as well as her conservative record.
From her account on X, Haley’s campaign tweeted the following right as she was answering the question: “I opposed the Wall Street bailouts when many Republicans supported them. I tell donors what I believe. They don’t tell me.”
After she finished Ramaswamy attacked her for the news that broke this week that prominent Democratic donor Reid Hoffman had given $250,000 to her allied super PAC.
Hoffman, he said, “is effectively George Soros Jr.”
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