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:
Rich Lowry

Tim Scott uses union question to hit Biden on border

Mark Wright

Why do the moderators insist on speechifying (in a question bizarrely split up between all three of them)?

Was there a question buried in there somewhere?

Dan McLaughlin

Tim Scott already talking like a senator, going on about Finance Committee hearings.

Scott’s a tremendous senator, but he still sounds like a senator.

Dominic Pino

The Reagan library auditorium should be called the PATCO Memorial Auditorium.

Michael Brendan Dougherty

I spy NR friend Karol Markowicz in the front row of the audience in the audience.

Noah Rothman

A better opening question for this debate — the general state of anxiety in the country — than the first debate: Candidates, do you or do you not like the song?

Jim Geraghty

“Keep it civilized,” Stuart Varney warns. Good luck, moderators!

Dan McLaughlin

We should hear for these candidates on many topics having nothing to do with Donald Trump. But here’s the question I’d ask about Trump if I was the moderator:

Trump is far ahead in the polls. Lots of Republican voters have voted for him twice, or three times if you count the 2016 primaries. Sure, some Republican voters are on the Trump Train all the way, and some are done with him. But a lot are considering him but not sold. Why should they change horses? And if so, how are you different?

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Just arrived in Detroit. Hotel room TV was already set to Fox News. This is clearly not NY. Even if it’s Whitmerland.

I predict she’s the Democratic nominee for president when all is said and done, for what it’s worth.

Jim Geraghty

Dan, we may not have an inflatable Trump substitute, but reportedly unsuccessful Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is at the Reagan Library, lobbying to be on stage as a stand-in for Donald Trump.

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