Elections

Second Republican Primary Debate: Live Updates

From left: North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Senator Tim Scott (R., S.C.), and former vice president Mike Pence attend the second Republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., September 27, 2023. (Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images)
The 2024 Republican presidential candidates meet Wednesday night for their second debate, this time in Simi Valley, Calif., hosted by Fox Business Network. Front-runner Donald Trump, once more, is not attending. A total of seven candidates are: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Doug Burgum. Follow along for live updates and analysis from the NR team:
Michael Brendan Dougherty

Doug Burgum again coming in hot and correct on how the federal government actually harmed American health care. Honestly would love it if he got some traction after this.

Jeffrey Blehar

The debate has been chaos, and my primary takeaway will be that it was chaos, and ultimately a sideshow given that Trump essentially seems to be running against Biden and ignoring his competitors. But: Nikki Haley has impressed me again, she simply carries an appealing “serious mom” vibe that, in any other cycle without Trump looming large, would travel.

Rich Lowry

Theme of this debate so far is somewhat frenzied, rapid-fire over-promising by nearly everyone

Philip Klein

Putting aside the issues with a “federally expedited death penalty” that MBD raises, I don’t see how Pence’s idea of executing mass shooters would deter mass shootings given that many mass shooters get killed (or commit suicide) during the shootings. The typical profile of a mass shooter is somebody who has given up on life and is prepared to die.

Michael Brendan Dougherty

Sorry, I’m still just blown away by Pence’s idea that the Federal Government’s job is to intervene in state’s administration of justice to make sure people meet the hangman faster.

Jim Geraghty

So Mike Pence’s position is that life in prison for mass shooters is soft on crime?

Noah Rothman

Mike Pence threatens mass shooters with a federal expedited death penalty, which is unlikely to deter mass shooters, many of whom suffer from suicidal ideation and delusions of martyrdom.

Dominic Pino

It’s officially a GOP primary debate: We’ve heard a promise to abolish the Department of Education.

Michael Brendan Dougherty

Federal expedited death penalty?

Why not just promise to drone mass shooters when the drones are on their way back from Jalisco.

Michael Brendan Dougherty

I think viewers who haven’t been tuning in to the thinking developing at the edges of conservative think tanks where these issues are being broached tentatively will give Vivek points for doing something relevant and original by addressing both fentanyl and social-media addiction among teens.

NR Staff comprises members of the National Review editorial and operational teams.
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