The debate set for Wednesday night will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
Analysis, key moments from Republican presidential debate
Updated September 27, 2023 at 11:35 p.m. EDT ... Published September 27, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. EDT
Welcome to The Washington Post’s debate chat, in which some of our most experienced and knowledgeable political reporters engaged in a real-time conversation about what they saw onstage.
Key updates
Seven candidates will take the stage — but Trump’s absence looms large
Here are the moderators and how you can watch the debate
11:35 p.m. EDT
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By Missy Khamvongsa
Deputy editor of National Politics breaking news team
11:13 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
One topic that Ron DeSantis’s team wishes had come up tonight: covid-19. DeSantis’s handling of the pandemic put him on the map for many GOP voters, and he’s grown increasingly critical of the coronavirus vaccines, including the new booster shots recommended by federal health authorities.
11:10 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Trump has welcomed a large and fractured field because the other candidates splinter the non-Trump vote. On Wednesday night, the candidates didn’t want to touch the question of who should be voted off the island to shrink the field so non-Trump voters can consolidate behind an alternative. Privately, strategists, consultants and even some of the candidates know that Trump will walk to a big win if the GOP field remains this crowded (and might walk to a big win anyway.) But the candidates want SOMEONE ELSE to drop out first — not THEM.
11:08 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
One last look at what hardly came up or didn’t come up at all. Most surprisingly, there was almost no mention of Hunter Biden and his recent indictment. I didn’t hear any discussion of the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. Nothing on covid. The shutdown barely came up. And there wasn’t much substantive discussion on inflation. It felt like we spent a disproportionate amount of time on the border, fentanyl, immigration and China.
11:07 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
The candidates did not really hit President Biden on age tonight, one of his major vulnerabilities in the polling. There wasn’t much discussion of “generational change” which Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy have spoken about in the past.
11:03 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Donald Trump has not commented in real time on either of the first two debates, as he tries to avoid drawing attention to his rivals. But the same rule does not apply to his campaign. With the candidates still talking, the campaign released a statement by senior adviser Chris LaCivita, calling the event “as boring and inconsequential as the first debate.”
“The RNC should immediately put an end to any further primary debates so we can train our fire on Crooked Joe Biden,” LaCivita continued. Don’t expect the Republican National Committee to comply.
11:02 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, called the debate “boring and inconsequential.”
“The RNC should immediately put an end to any further primary debates so we can train our fire on Crooked Joe Biden and quit wasting time and money that could be going to evicting Biden from the White House,” he said in a statement.
11:02 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
So Dana Perino asks the candidates who should be voted off the island and tells them to write the answer down on materials they were given — and they say they won’t respond and the debate just moves on? Interesting!
11:01 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
We made it to the end. I’m not sure we learned anything new tonight about where these candidates stand on major issues, and it felt like we circled the same couple of issues for almost the entire two hours.
11:01 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Ramaswamy has positioned himself as Trump’s most vociferous defender … which has won him lots of fans, but also irked Republicans who say that to beat Trump you need to draw a contrast with him.
11:00 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
“Vivek, put your hand down for a second,” Christie says. We’ve seen a few of these digs toward Ramaswamy tonight, who did raise his hand more than once …
10:59 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
DeSantis touches on the stakes of the 2024 election while talking about how he’ll take down Trump. Making the electability argument against the former president has gotten harder as polls come out showing him really competitive with Biden in a hypothetical rematch. And to top it off, most Republicans believe Trump is more likely to beat Biden than other Republicans — despite four indictments!
10:58 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Oof … the moderators asked the candidates to vote another candidate “off the island” … and they all declined. The moderators have struggled quite a bit tonight.
10:56 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
After Nikki Haley attacked Tim Scott for being a Washingtonian, he came back at her about 10 minutes later with a series of attacks that he seemed uncomfortable delivering.
“Bring it, Tim!” she said, encouraging him.
He said Nikki Haley offered a “10 cent gas tax in South Carolina” and had never “seen a federal dollar she didn’t like.” She fired back, saying she’d opposed the tax in the state and that the curtains were put in the apartment before she arrived (which is true.)
The whole fight became so loud — with both of them, and others, raising their voices — that it was hard to hear what all was said.
Around the same time, Trump’s team sent out a list of criticisms of the “Real Nikki Haley.”
10:55 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
To your point, Hannah: The Trump team just sent out an email attacking Nikki Haley. It’s clear her rise in the polls and willingness to take on several candidates during this debate is registering with the front-runner’s campaign.
10:54 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Haley has really gone after everyone tonight! And notable that Scott hit back at Haley, who, after the last debate, sort of displaced him as the up-and-coming Trump alternative threatening DeSantis’s standing.
10:53 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
As Nikki Haley has a strong debate, Trump’s campaign sends out an email titled, “The Real Nikki Haley.” It’s full of opposition research that points out her past comments praising Hillary Clinton and vowing not to run against Trump in 2024.
10:51 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
As we said earlier … a totally different Scott this debate.
10:50 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Wow, that was a short abortion debate. I think we clocked 3 or 4 minutes. This is an issue Democrats think gives them a huge advantage in next year’s elections, as it did in the 2022 midterms.
10:50 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Good point, Tyler. Christie finally emerged and tried to make the case that as a governor from a blue state, he could make inroads to win key states. His message about treatment for fentanyl also offered a much less strident tone to the debate. It’s still unclear what his lane could be in this primary.
10:50 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
After nearly two hours of debate, it is clear that Doug Burgum is wearing the largest American flag pin.
10:48 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Ron DeSantis has ramped up his attacks on Trump recently and Trump’s comments that Florida’s six-week abortion ban is “terrible” gave him a terrific opening, especially as DeSantis tries to appeal to evangelical Christians and social conservatives in Iowa.
10:48 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Asked how he’d win over voters who support abortion access, DeSantis pointed to his landslide reelection last fall. But he helped pass Florida’s strict six-week abortion ban after his reelection, making many Republicans nervous about political blowback.
10:46 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Trump’s team is attacking Christie online tonight, and Christie’s team has noticed. A top Christie adviser noted in a text message that Christie is the only candidate who seems to have drawn Trump’s fire tonight on social media. The attacks include a series of unflattering photos of the former New Jersey governor, highlighting his weight. Christie has enjoyed poking Trump in recent months and watching him respond, knowing his psyche for almost two decades.
10:46 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Where did Chris Christie go? Feels like we haven’t heard from him in a long while.
10:46 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
All right, here we go. We’ve only got a few minutes to debate abortion. Let’s see how this goes.
10:43 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Look, Josh — Doug Burgum found another opening!
10:43 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
The debate is nearing its end, and so is the window for a breakout moment for the lowest polling candidates. Nikki Haley has made the most of her night so far, but could this be the final appearance for candidates such as Doug Burgum, who just barely qualified for the stage tonight?
10:43 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
“I’ve done it while others have talked about it.” This is the core of DeSantis’s pitch — his record in Florida.
10:42 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Haley and Scott have a genuine and deep relationship in South Carolina, people in that state say. It’s not surprising that when he gets a question encouraging him to contrast himself with her that he doesn’t attack her. But then when the same question comes back to her, she begins attacking him, and Scott seems genuinely surprised.
10:42 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Haley attacks DeSantis on fracking policy
1:21
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley (R) attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over his fracking policy during a Republican primary debate on Sept. 27. (Video: Fox Business)
Nikki Haley goes after Ron DeSantis for supporting a fracking ban in Florida. He says that is not true.
“With Florida’s geological makeup of limestone and shallow water sources, fracking presents a danger to our state that is not acceptable,” the DeSantis campaign website read in 2018, according to PolitiFact.
After he became governor, DeSantis issued an order to “take necessary actions to adamantly oppose all offshore oil and gas activities off every coast in Florida and hydraulic fracturing in Florida.”
10:42 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
As Haley attacks Scott over his Senate record, it’s worth remembering that she first appointed Scott to the Senate to fill a vacancy in 2012.
10:41 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Twenty minutes left in this debate. Are we going to make it all the way through without talking about abortion?
10:40 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Doug Burgum keeps demanding time and he’s not getting it. The moderators have gotten increasingly strident against his interruptions. Is the GOP and the country clamoring to hear more from North Dakota’s governor, who barely made it on the stage tonight and is barely registering in the polls? He sure seems to think so!
10:40 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
DeSantis took a question about Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan and said colleges would use that money to expand their gender studies departments. Interesting pivot.
10:39 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Pence has tried to extensively praise the accomplishments of the “Trump-Pence administration” while also criticizing Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his actions threatening Pence and his family’s life. Pence has said Trump is not fit to serve again while also repeatedly mentioning what he and Trump did together. Doesn’t seem to be working so far for Pence.
10:37 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Nikki Haley going after Ron DeSantis! Before this debate they’ve clashed over DeSantis’s war with Disney.
10:37 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
It’s worth taking a step back and thinking about some of the policy ideas we’ve heard tonight: End all trade with China over fentanyl. Use special ops forces to go after cartels in Mexico, even over the objection of the Mexican government. Use the Justice Department to “go after” local prosecutors. Reduce the federal workforce by 75 percent. Take on the insurance companies. … From cutting taxes to shrinking government’s influence, many Reagan-era policies have become afterthoughts in the era of Trump.
10:35 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Calling to downsize the federal government is nothing new, but candidates like Ramaswamy have taken them to new heights with dramatic plans to slash or abolish federal agencies such as the FBI.
10:32 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
The candidates keep taking scattered shots at Trump, but we haven’t talked about him in a sustained way.
10:28 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
One text from a Biden staffer watching the debate: “Beyond the cringe moments, no one is offering actual plans and where they do have `plans’ it’s not on everyday issues that matter to people … This is not the A Team also.” Team Biden has to like the increasing attacks on Donald Trump. But at the same time, the image of the economy reflected in the debate is not a good one for President Biden’s prospects.
10:25 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Amid the conversation around Ukraine funding, it’s worth remembering that Christie recently visited Kyiv and met with Zelensky.
10:23 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
I’m trying to think of a better presidential debate put-down than Nikki Haley just now, shutting down Vivek Ramaswamy’s performative “Candidate 2.0″ monologue.
“Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say.”
It’s like that scene in the first “Indiana Jones” movie where the guy waves around the sword in the crowded marketplace, and Harrison Ford just pulls out his pistol.
10:23 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
The candidates keep coming back to China, which some cast as the threat the U.S. should be focused on rather than the war in Ukraine.
10:22 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
This debate over Ukraine funding reflects a broader intraparty fight. Haley, Pence and Christie are hawkish and are all for continuing to send money and weapons, which is a more traditional Republican stance. Ramaswamy and DeSantis are much more skeptical and more aligned with hard-line Republicans in the House.
10:21 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
I’m getting texts from a lot of friends and some sources who say they’ve turned it off tonight. I’ll be curious to see how the ratings of this debate compare to the last one — which drew about 13 million voters. Some 24 million people watched the first primary debate of 2016, which included Donald Trump. The former president paid close attention to the first debate’s ratings.
10:19 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
DeSantis says we’re “going to end” the Ukraine war if he’s elected president, but doesn’t really say how other than saying the United States won’t send “blank checks” to Ukraine. He faced a lot of criticism from fellow Republicans earlier this year when he said defending Ukraine was not a “vital” national interest.
10:19 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
DeSantis also got pressed on U.S. aid to Ukraine at the first debate. I was with him on the trail in Iowa afterward and it was really striking how many voters wanted more clarity from him on that issue. (One guy at a Pizza Ranch asked if he’d understood correctly that DeSantis supports “sending more of my money over to the corrupt nation of Ukraine.” DeSantis tried to clarify that he said he thinks Europe should bear more of the cost).
10:17 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley attacked businessman Vivek Ramaswamy during a Republican primary debate on Sept. 27. (Video: Fox Business)
Nikki Haley goes after Vivek Ramaswamy again with one of the harshest and most memorable zingers of the night: “Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber.” Expect to see that over and over again on the debate recaps.
10:17 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
I was wondering when we’d get more attacks on Ramaswamy, a favorite punching bag in the first debate.
10:17 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
More than an hour in this debate, no one has mentioned Trump’s four indictments — and the 91 felony charges he faces in four different jurisdictions. Nor the New York judge who ruled against him yesterday and said his company had committed fraud. His criminal issues are likely to dominate the headlines in 2024 and are the looming issue over the 2024 election. But most of the candidates don’t want to attack Trump over the indictments because his legal woes have helped him with Republican voters, according to the polls. Some of the candidates — Christie most prominently among them — have mentioned his conduct in the past. But so far, nothing tonight.
10:15 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Vivek Ramaswamy, who wants to raise the voting age to 25, talks about the importance of encouraging young people to vote?
10:13 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Pence’s grandfatherly style of speaking has a way of slowing down the debate. His mid-sentence deep breaths and slow pace of speaking give the rest of the candidates a breather. It’s one reason Pence had the most speaking time in the first debate. He could end up competing for the top spot again this time.
10:13 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
We’re about 75 minutes into this debate and a whole host of issues still haven’t come up: Trump’s legal woes. Covid. Abortion. Ukraine funding. And we’ve touched very little on inflation.
10:12 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Lots of talk about China tonight … and very little (so far) about Ukraine, a much more divisive foreign policy issue for the GOP right now.
10:12 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Do you get that feeling that something is missing from this debate? A glue that would bring it all together? Another octave to bring the choir together? That secret spice?
Two words: Asa Hutchinson.
10:09 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Burgum has often steered clear of the culture war issues that animate other candidates — and many GOP voters — exemplified by the contrast between his last answer and Ramaswamy’s.
10:09 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Vivek Ramaswamy responds to a question about parental rights on gender-affirming care by calling it “genital mutilation” and “chemical castration.” That’s very explicit language, but it reflects a hard-line stance that many Republicans have embraced.
10:08 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Tim Scott gets his moment. Placing conservatism in the timeline of Civil Rights is one thing he has proven most comfortable doing in his campaign. He cares. He knows what he believes. It doesn’t sound canned. He can preach it.
10:07 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Tim Scott just interrupted the debate by saying: “Are you guys having trouble seeing me?” The debate moved on without anyone answering. Scott is doing everything he can tonight to have a breakout moment after his performance in the first debate was widely judged as lackluster — and he remains at the bottom of the polls. Some of the candidates like Scott know they have to improve their standing or they might not be on the stage much longer.
10:05 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Wow, Tim Scott leans into his previous clash with DeSantis over Florida’s school standards on slavery!
10:03 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
DeSantis is purposely mispronouncing Kamala Harris’s name.
10:03 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Chris Christie just gave an entire answer to a question — about education — without mentioning Donald Trump.
An elephant angel gets its wings.
10:03 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Hannah, I wonder if they’re not going after each other because they know that will give the person they attack another opportunity to speak in a rebuttal. The moderators also aren’t playing up the differences and tensions between the candidates. It’s like they’re trying to avoid some of the fireworks of the last debate.
10:02 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
I’m waiting to see if any of these candidates blame covid-19 shutdowns for poor test scores. The left has largely moved on from covid policies, but there’s still a lot of anger — particularly about prolonged school shutdowns — among Republicans.
10:02 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
There were a few attacks on Vivek Ramaswamy early on, but you’re right, Hannah, the candidates are really only attacking Joe Biden and Democrats.
10:02 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Haley mentions “DEI” and “CRT” but doesn’t lean that hard into the culture war issues that have dominated Republicans’ discussions of school issues on the trail. There was less emphasis on this than I expected in the first debate, too.
9:59 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
It feels like the candidates haven’t gone after each other that much, either?
9:59 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
An hour into the debate, I’m surprised that we haven’t heard much mention of Vice President Harris. Given Biden’s advanced age, many Republican candidates — especially Haley — have tried to elevate Harris as their real opponent in the race. But so far, Harris has been an afterthought.
9:59 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
To Hannah’s point, the candidates are still struggling to figure out how to take on Trump. With the exception of Christie, their criticism of him has largely been mild, and no one has seemed to make strides in cutting into his massive polling lead.
9:58 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
The winner of the first hour: Meh.
The loser: Any candidate looking for a breakout.
9:58 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
That’s a great point, Tolu. The cost of health care consistently polls as a top voter concern, but it’s typically a losing issue for Republicans.
9:57 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
These candidates on the stage all need more — more momentum, more activists, more donors, more attention. They all trail Donald Trump among Republican voters by large margins. So far, an hour in, it’s hard to see how anything that has happened would move the needle in this GOP primary. “This is a snooze fest,” one prominent GOP strategist texted a bit ago. “Trump seems smarter each time to skip these,” another said. Trump strategist Chris LaCivita posted online: “Once again @realDonaldTrump decision not to participate affirmed in first 30 minutes ‘debate to be the designated survivor’ is a sh$ show,” he wrote on Twitter.
9:56 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Haley is sounding somewhat liberal on health insurance, leaning into populism on the issue. She calls out the U.S. for having “the most expensive health care in the world” and attacks insurance companies. That’s a message that Bernie Sanders often embraces.
9:55 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Even though the candidates have hit Trump more sharply tonight — especially for not showing up to debate — he hasn’t been a focal point.
9:54 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
That was a very wonky health-care answer from Nikki Haley. She talked about PBMs and torte law, which I’m not sure is the fiery answer Americans want to hear about how she’s going to bring down health-care costs.
9:54 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
I’m not sure I’ve heard candidates talk about health care much at all on the trail? Interesting to hear this come up in detail now.
9:54 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
The moderators came prepared with research to challenge the candidates on their records on a range of policy issues. And yet, they are struggling to actually get the candidates to answer their questions.
9:53 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
We’re almost an hour in and no mention of abortion yet. This has been a difficult issue for Republicans, as voters have repeatedly rejected early bans and these candidates have been all over the map.
9:51 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
“My former running mate, Donald Trump,” Pence says as he mildly criticizes Trump’s plan to consolidate power in Washington.
9:51 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
DeSantis pivots from a tough state issue for him — insurance — to a more comfortable one — inflation.
9:49 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
DeSantis’s comment saying he would use the U.S. military to go after the cartels is showing how immigration has become such a critical part of the GOP 2024 primary. The Bomb-the-Cartels message has become a stand-in for Trump’s 2016 Build-the-Wall pledge.
9:49 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
There’s an impending government shutdown that looks all but inevitable this weekend and it’s come up very little tonight. I wonder if all this hard line rhetoric on immigration will embolden hard-right members of the House who reneged on the bipartisan budget deal they struck earlier this summer.
9:49 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
What if the moderators could just turn the microphones off when the candidates went far over their time or interrupted when they weren’t called on? The dinging bell doesn’t seem to deter these folks.
9:47 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
To Yasmeen’s point about Ron DeSantis’s push to use the Justice Department to go after locally elected prosecutors, it would be quite unprecedented expansion of federal power to use the Justice Department in that way. Interesting to see that kind of rhetoric in a GOP debate in the Reagan Library.
9:47 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
The moderators have no control.
9:46 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
We’re 45 minutes into the debate and it’s been overwhelmingly dominated by the border, immigration and law and order. This is obviously a top issue for Republican voters, but it’s striking we haven’t really gotten to other issues yet.
9:45 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign just sent out a fundraising email: “As you read this email, disloyal “Republicans” (RINOs, as we like to call them) are dishonestly attacking yours truly in tonight’s GOP debate and are playing right into Crooked Joe’s hands.”
9:45 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Trump’s campaign team is already declaring victory. Chris LaCivita, a top strategist on the campaign who is in California to work the spin room, declares in a statement that the “ 'debate to be designated survivor’ is a sh-t show.” Bad news for wannabe vice presidents onstage. Good news for South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem and her state-funded advertising strategy.
9:44 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
One of the most dramatic moments of the evening so far came minutes ago when Christie turned directly to the camera and derisively called Trump “Donald,” and then mocked him for skipping the debate, taunting him by saying he knew Trump was watching. “We’re going to call you Donald Duck,” Christie said, referencing Trump skipping the debates. Some in the crowd booed. The two men have known each other for almost 20 years, and Christie was one of Trump’s biggest validators in 2016, and advised him in the White House. But the two men had a break after the 2020 election over Trump’s false claims that it was stolen, and Christie has tried to get under Trump’s skin in this election in a way he thinks only he can. It seems to be working at times: Trump has issued dozens of slashing and personal attacks against Christie, who is trailing him significantly in the polls.
9:43 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Ron DeSantis just said as president he would use the Justice Department to go after liberal prosecutors. It’s worth remembering he has suspended two elected Florida prosecutors, both Democrats, from office.
9:43 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
As all these candidates talk about law and order, it’s worth noting that they have overwhelmingly rallied to Trump’s side as he faces four criminal indictments, often attacking law enforcement and prosecutors as politically motivated.
9:42 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
DeSantis has really leaned into a Red State-Blue State contrast with Florida and California and is even going to debate California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this fall.
9:42 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Christie goes hard after Trump and says they will call him “Donald Duck” if he keeps skipping debates.
9:41 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
One thing the White House and Biden campaign have been doing lately is citing comments from Republicans in the primary and using them to bolster Biden’s case. Biden did it again, citing DeSantis’s comment about Trump adding $7.8 trillion to the debt. “Couldn’t agree more,” Biden wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Expect to see more Republican attacks on Trump become Biden attacks on Trump.
9:39 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s office bought an ad in the first debate break, apparently using state funds to advertise the appeal of her state and her leadership. If anyone doubts that this is a not-so-subtle plea for attention in the veepstakes, she ended the spot by taking a shot at the other candidates on stage: “Now if you excuse me, I have my real job to do.”
9:38 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
More than a quarter of the way through, and we’re at the first commercial break, I’m not sure that any candidate has really had a “moment” that will redefine the race. But there’s definitely a different mood than the first debate. Candidates realize time is running out to change the race.
9:37 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Ron DeSantis’s campaign is blasting out his criticism of Trump over email: “Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight.”
9:36 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Vivek Ramaswamy came out swinging tonight. He seems to be angling for as much airtime as possible, and so far it seems to be working.
9:35 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
We’re seeing very different performances from some candidates tonight. Ron DeSantis spent the first debate touting his record and avoiding conflict; this time he came out swinging at Donald Trump and others. On Tim Scott, who faded into the background last time, veteran Iowa operative Nicole Schlinger texts: “Well this is a whole new Tim Scott.”
9:33 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Pence and Scott both go on the attack against Vivek Ramaswamy, who had a star turn in the first debate
9:33 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Tim Scott is leaning in with sharper elbows tonight. He was less visible during the first debate, and some allies accused him of being too nice. He clearly went into the debate determined to take on Ramaswamy, revealing a new attack line on his business dealings.
9:33 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
The debate is seemingly getting out of hand a bit, as the candidates are screaming over each other as they did the last time, for long periods of time. It all seemed to focus, as it did in the last debate, around Vivek Ramaswamy. “People can’t even understand what is going on!” Ron DeSantis has said as others shouted. DeSantis also tried to move the conversation to Joe Biden, but he was talked over and went quiet. Chris Christie complained that moderators at the last debate let it get out of control. We’ll see if that continues tonight.
9:33 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Univision anchor Ilia Calderón, a Colombian journalist, has asked four pointed questions about immigration to the assembled group. She’s representing her audience, and carrying the flag of Jorge Ramos, the Univision anchor who played this role in the 2016 election as the Univision debate moderator.
9:30 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Josh mentioned how much the candidates are bringing up fentanyl. It’s interesting that candidates always talk about the issue to argue for more border security — but I have yet to hear anything from them, in the first debate or this one, about actually dealing with overdoses and deaths inside the United States.
9:30 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
So far, candidates have spent less time attacking each other than the last debate. More ire has been directed at the front-runner, Trump. A clear change as time is running out for these candidates to change the trajectory of the race, which Trump is leading by wide margins.
9:29 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Some of Trump’s rivals have noted that he didn’t follow through on his (legally dubious) vow to end birthright citizenship.
9:26 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
There seems to be a new f-word at the debate tonight: fentanyl. No matter what the questions are, the GOP candidates bring up fentanyl and the scourge of deaths related to the drug — and the role of Mexican drug cartels in supplying it to Americans. Here is some remarkable Washington Post reporting on how Washington faltered as fentanyl gripped America.
9:26 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
Nikki Haley argues that members of Congress should not get paid when the government shuts down. Wonder how current members would feel about that.
9:25 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
That’s right, Yasmeen. It took less than five minutes for a candidate (Tim Scott) to bring up the border. This section of the debate about the border is one that Republicans are excited to talk about and some allies of President Biden are nervous about. The irregular migration at the border has consistently shown up in polls as one of Biden’s worst issues.
9:24 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Doug Burgum spent $5,945,099 on ads to get on this debate stage, according to AdImpact. About $3 million per out-of-line interruption so far. Did he overpay? A bargain?
9:24 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
My colleagues Isaac Arnsdorf and Mary Beth Sheridan have a good look here at how the GOP conversation on the southern border has shifted — with this cycle’s presidential candidates talking about not just a border wall but also sending military forces into Mexico to strike drug cartels.
9:22 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Donald Trump has skipped both debates — a decision both Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis attacked him for onstage in the first 15 minutes of the debate. His calculation: he’s so far ahead that he does not need to attend, and he will only give traction and oxygen to those attacking him — and boost the ratings — should he attend. So far, the Republican voters have not sharply punished him for skipping debates, even as some party officials, operatives and Republican National Committee members grumble about his absence. And some of his advisers say he might change his mind and attend a future debate.
9:21 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
On to the border and immigration. This is what everyone has been waiting for.
9:20 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Burgum got the least speaking time in the first debate and is clearly trying to make up for it.
9:19 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
DeSantis joined Christie in calling out Trump for skipping the debate, but then he quickly returned to his safer ground: touting his record as governor of Florida
9:18 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
We got the first prop of the night. A veto pen emerges from Ron DeSantis. We’ll be watching for pocket Constitutions and other gimmicks the candidates might flash for the cameras.
9:18 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Christie offers the first criticism of the night of Trump, noting that the deficit grew astronomically under his watch. (Haley attacked Trump in the first debate on the same topic.) Christie also then said Donald Trump “hides behind the walls of his golf club” and mocked him for not showing up tonight. Christie, who has never served in federal government, criticized “Washington” in general when asked who was responsible for any potential government shutdown — which could happen this weekend. Christie has been willing to sharply attack Trump, who he was friends with for 15 years, but trails Trump in the polls by a large margin.
9:17 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Finally, Ron DeSantis is going after Trump directly.
9:17 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Ron DeSantis, the top polling challenger to Trump, speaks, after 16 minutes. He has to pull a Burgum and get an assist from the moderator to grab the floor. But he’s speaking.
9:16 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Government spending is one of the issues where the GOP candidates seem most comfortable hitting Trump.
9:15 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
All the candidates have criticized Biden for going to the picket line yesterday, but so far no mention of Trump’s competing event in Detroit tonight.
9:14 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Question: What do you think about wealth inequality?
Candidates: Biden is bad.
Doug Burgum: Let me tell you about rare earth minerals.
9:14 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Mike Pence’s first dig of the night — “Joe Biden doesn’t belong on the picket line, he belongs on the unemployment line” — drew few cheers in the room. During the last debate, audience members said there were audible groans in the debate hall when the former vice president spoke. It’s part of Pence’s challenge as Trump’s former vice president who has now broken with Trump: How can he gain traction in the party? He often offers a sunny conservatism that sounds much different than the message from many of the others onstage, and he has repeatedly pitched himself as a Christian conservative. So far, few GOP voters seem to be buying it — he remains mired in low single-digits in the polls.
9:14 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
To Hannah’s point, Tim Scott has sometimes struggled to get his personal biography (raised by a single mother, rising out of poverty, “cotton to Congress” upward mobility, etc.) into these debates. It’s key to his presidential pitch, so I wasn’t surprised to hear his soaring, positive message about America in one of his first answers.
9:13 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Doug Burgum muscles his way in!
9:12 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Mike Pence gets a few laughs with this line: “Joe Biden doesn’t belong on a picket line. He belongs on the unemployment line.”
9:12 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) quickly comes back to the biography that’s central to his campaign.
9:11 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Vivek Ramaswamy’s decision to express empathy for the striking autoworkers, while also attacking Biden policies, marks a different approach from some Republicans who have harshly criticized unions in recent years. Ramaswamy is trying to address the growing sense of populism in the party.
9:11 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
The plane that the cameras keep panning to is the Air Force One jet that Reagan flew on as president. The Reagan Library website says it’s the same Air Force One that flew the president “over 660,000 miles — to 26 foreign countries and 46 U.S. states.”
9:10 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Ron DeSantis will get to speak at some point. Probably.
9:09 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
The moderators begin with a question about Bidenomics and the president’s visit to the picket line yesterday. But for now, all of these candidates are not running against Biden. They first have to beat Trump, and so far, none of them seem to be making traction on that front.
9:08 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Tim Scott barely got a word in during the first debate. A gift that he gets to start this one off with a bunch of one-liners — “French workweek,” Biden should be on the southern border, etc. Also bringing a slight goatee. A new day, a new campaign.
9:08 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
It’s been interesting watching the GOP candidates thread the needle between populist sympathy for workers and antipathy for unions.
9:02 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Hunter Biden’s picture flashes in the pre-roll. Fox News knows its audience.
9:02 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Just got a text from a Biden campaign staffer about the Trump speech in Michigan: “incoherent and low energy. Boring.” The Biden campaign is monitoring the GOP debate, but many Biden allies are already looking at Trump as their likely rival in the general election. Biden and Trump don’t agree on much — but they are both viewing this debate as an undercard event.
9:02 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Trump has loved watching Vivek Ramaswamy defend him onstage, according to the former president’s advisers. During the last debate, Ramaswamy demanded that others on the stage offer to pardon Trump and lavishly praised the former president. Tonight, we’ll see if Ramaswamy, who seems to be falling in some polls, finds another way to try to appeal to Trump voters.
9:00 p.m. EDT
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By Tyler Pager
White House reporter
Just as the debate is about to begin, President Biden is a few hundred miles away at his second fundraiser of the day in San Francisco. The third quarter for fundraising ends on Sept. 30, and Biden is trying to bolster his haul in the final days.
8:59 p.m. EDT
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
White House Reporter
I’ll be interested to see whether and how covid comes up tonight. Covid cases are rising again and vaccine skepticism has become widespread among the GOP. Ron DeSantis in particular has made his covid response a centerpiece of his campaign. It’s worth remembering he started out very pro-vaccine and was actually celebrated for the early vaccine rollout in Florida, only to do a 180 a few months later.
8:58 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
The site of this debate, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, has been hostile to Donald Trump for a while. After he left office, the library hosted a “Time for Choosing” speaker series, lending Reagan’s posthumous platform to all the potential 2024 GOP candidates, save one. Trump was never invited. The excuse? “No former president has been included,” said a spokesman. “We’re looking to surface new voices.”
8:57 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
Interesting to see a Biden campaign ad right before the debate kicks off. It’s part of a $25 million blitz by the president to sell his agenda and attack his opponents on TV while Republicans duke it out in a contentious primary. Look for President Biden to try to capitalize on any GOP comments on abortion, democracy and Trump.
8:53 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
This is a debate. But it is also a plea for relevance. Everyone onstage is losing badly right now. Even in Iowa, none of these candidates gets a third of Donald Trump’s polling right now, per RealClearPolitics averages. All together, the seven onstage would lose to him 46 to 49. That could change. Iowa loves violent late polling moves. But first they need to be noticed.
8:47 p.m. EDT
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By Toluse Olorunnipa
White House Bureau Chief
In the last debate, it took less than a minute for a candidate to refer to Hunter Biden. Since then, he’s been indicted on gun charges and his business dealings are at the center of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden — I’ll be watching to see how early and how often we hear even more about the president’s son.
8:45 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Donald Trump has just taken the stage in Michigan, where he is giving a competing speech with tonight’s debate. His Detroit event is expected to focus on the auto industry — with workers on strike en masse in the state. President Biden was in Michigan on Tuesday.
Trump has sought to avoid the GOP debates because he is so far ahead in the polls. The goal, advisers say, is to signal his nomination is inevitable. One of his top advisers, Chris LaCivita, is in California to defend Trump’s record and appear in the spin room after the debate. And Trump, advisers say, has been raging for the last 24 hours about a New York judge ruling that he committed fraud.
8:42 p.m. EDT
Where the candidates will stand onstage
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By Marisa Iati
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando on Feb. 24. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will take center stage at Wednesday’s debate, with former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy flanking him on either side, according to Fox Business, which is hosting the event.
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) will be next to Haley and Ramaswamy, with former vice president Mike Pence and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on the wings of the stage.
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8:41 p.m. EDT
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By Hannah Knowles
National politics reporter covering campaigns
My main question heading in: Who will make the case against Trump? Chris Christie, Nikki Haley and Mike Pence did at the first debate, to different degrees. (So did Asa Hutchinson, who didn’t make the cut this time). And the pressure has grown for Ron DeSantis to take Trump on more directly while he has millions of people watching.
8:40 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
I asked Asa Chat Bot, the new AI Asa Hutchinson, who would win tonight’s debate, since he didn’t make the stage. Robot Asa says he wants to “focus on the issues and vision for our country, rather than speculating on the outcome of debates.” Weak.
8:39 p.m. EDT
Across GOP, many see Trump as likely nominee — including some supporting rivals
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By Colby Itkowitz and Marianne LeVine
Many Republican Party observers are beginning to acknowledge that former president Donald Trump is likely to be the party's nominee for president in 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota is backing his home-state governor Doug Burgum’s long-shot bid for president. But he believes Donald Trump will be the nominee.
Robert Gleason, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, attended a fundraiser this month for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Yet he too expects the former president to win the primary.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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8:38 p.m. EDT
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By Josh Dawsey
Political investigations and enterprise reporter
Allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis say he will attack Donald Trump tonight more than he did in the past debate as his struggling campaign looks for momentum. We’ll see if he follows through. The Florida governor, who trails Trump badly in the polls, has been loath to attack Trump on his indictments knowing most Republicans are skeptical of the charges. Expect attacks to be about Trump’s record as president, his allies say.
8:30 p.m. EDT
What to watch for with Ron DeSantis
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). (U.S. House of Representatives)
What to know about the candidate: DeSantis, the governor of Florida, is struggling to hold onto his initial position as Trump’s most viable GOP challenger. He’s fallen behind or is running about even with other rivals such as Nikki Haley in the early-nominating states of New Hampshire and South Carolina. And Trump’s lead over everyone — both nationally and at the state level — remains enormous.
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8:19 p.m. EDT
What to watch with Vivek Ramaswamy
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. (Courtesy of campaign)
What to know about the candidate: Ramaswamy, a businessman and first-time candidate, seized the spotlight at the first GOP debate in August. His fiery speeches — touting a Trump-like platform — have gotten him further in the primary than many more established Republicans. But that rising profile has also brought more scrutiny of Ramaswamy and his inconsistent statements.
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8:07 p.m. EDT
What to watch with Nikki Haley
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley. (U.S. State Department)
What to know about the candidate: The first debate proved a breakout moment for Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and ex-U.N. ambassador. She delivered some of the sharpest lines against her rivals — including Donald Trump — and saw the most dramatic increase in viewers considering her. She’s parlayed that into early-state momentum, with recent polls showing her gaining in Iowa and New Hampshire and running second to Trump in her home state of South Carolina.
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7:55 p.m. EDT
AsaBot, the AI candidate, goes live as Asa Hutchinson misses debate
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By Michael Scherer
Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters after the first Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee on Aug. 23. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post)
Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson is the only candidate from the first GOP debate who will not appear onstage tonight, having failed to poll high enough in state or national polls. But he has a chatbot for that.
His campaign released a new artificial intelligence interface on his website Wednesday so that viewers can interact with an algorithmic version of him that will “allow voters to ask questions on their most important issues and get a response back from me.”
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7:49 p.m. EDT
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By Maeve Reston
National political reporter covering the 2024 presidential race and the politics of the West.
After gaining traction following her strong debate performance in Milwaukee, Nikki Haley’s team expects her to be a target onstage tonight. Many donors who have been on the sidelines are eyeing her rise in key early-state polls. They’ll be watching tonight to see whether she can emerge as a stronger challenger to Donald Trump than Ron DeSantis. Haley allies are eager to see her mix it up with rivals — believing it can only be helpful to her effort.
7:41 p.m. EDT
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By Maeve Reston
National political reporter covering the 2024 presidential race and the politics of the West.
Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) was overshadowed by the other GOP contenders at the first debate in Milwaukee, but his allies say that won’t happen again. He’ll maintain his positive message and try to stay above the fray, but expect to see him be more assertive about claiming his time tonight. He won’t be afraid to run out the clock — or to interject when he sees a chance to draw policy contrasts with the other contenders.
7:35 p.m. EDT
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By Maeve Reston
National political reporter covering the 2024 presidential race and the politics of the West.
Advisers with all the rival GOP campaigns are milling around on the sunny terrace outside the Reagan Library, and a small plane chartered by the Democratic National Committee is circling overhead with a banner that reads: “GOP 2024: A race for the extreme MAGA base.”
7:33 p.m. EDT
The RNC raised the threshold for participating in this debate
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By Maeve Reston
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel shakes hands with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) before the taping of Cruz's podcast “Verdict” in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 27, 2020. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)
The Republican National Committee is raising the threshold required to qualify for each successive debate.
To make the Simi Valley stage, candidates had to prove that they had at least 50,000 unique donors to their campaigns, and they had to register at least 3 percent in two national polls or 3 percent in one national poll and two polls from separate early-nominating states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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7:29 p.m. EDT
Biden is in California on debate day
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By Matt Viser
President Biden speaks during a meeting with the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on Wednesday in San Francisco. (Evan Vucci/AP)
SAN FRANCISCO — President Biden may be in the same state as the bevy of Republican presidential candidates, but he’s about as far away from their debate as can be.
As the debate is about to get underway about 400 miles away, he will be wrapping up his second fundraiser of the day. He has targeted Republicans a few times while here but has generally focused his ire on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his unwillingness to abide by a previous deal they had struck.
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7:14 p.m. EDT
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By Michael Scherer
National political reporter covering campaigns, Congress and the White House
Taken together, the seven candidates on the debate stage tonight have the support of 36 percent of Republican primary voters, according to the RealClearPolitics national polling average.
Former president Donald Trump, who will not appear, is now polling nationally at 56 percent — 20 points higher.
It’s a dilemma that will hang heavily over an event that is typically seen as pivotal.
7:12 p.m. EDT
How long each candidate spoke during the last GOP presidential debate
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By Maegan Vazquez
How long each candidate spoke
0
5
10
Pence
12:37
Christie
11:36
Ramaswamy
11:17
DeSantis
9:33
Haley
8:32
Burgum
7:57
Scott
7:56
Hutchinson
7:33
Republican presidential candidates’ rankings in the polls did not always correspond with the amount of time they spoke during the first GOP presidential debate held last month in Milwaukee, a Washington Post analysis shows.
Former vice president Mike Pence, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy managed to talk the most over the course of August’s two-hour debate, according to The Post’s analysis, with each holding the floor for more than 11 minutes.
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7:01 p.m. EDT
Koch-backed LIBRE Initiative runs anti-‘Bidenomics’ ads on Univision
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By Sabrina Rodriguez
The LIBRE Initiative, backed by Charles Koch, launched new ads Wednesday criticizing “Bidenomics” that will run on Univision the day of the Republican presidential primary debate.
The LIBRE Initiative’s six-figure ad buy is part of the Hispanic libertarian-leaning group’s campaign to counter the White House’s messaging on “Bidenomics,” which the Biden administration has adopted to describe the president’s economic vision and record.
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6:50 p.m. EDT
Who you won’t see: Donald Trump
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Former president Donald Trump. (Shealah Craighead/White House)
What to know about the candidate: Trump and his team were happy with their decision to skip the first debate, which they counterprogrammed with a pretaped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The former president has suggested that he will skip “the debates” in general and said he has no reason to engage when he’s so far ahead in the polls. Instead of taking the stage in Simi Valley on Wednesday, he’ll be in Michigan speaking to autoworkers, a day after Biden joined the Detroit picket line with union members on strike.
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6:39 p.m. EDT
DNC rolls out Detroit billboard campaign to castigate Trump
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By Marisa Iati
Striking members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) picket outside GM’s Willow Run Distribution Center in Belleville, Mich., on Sept. 26. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The Democratic National Committee introduced a new billboard campaign Wednesday to correspond with former president Donald Trump’s trip to Michigan to speak to autoworkers at a nonunion facility.
The billboards, which will appear Wednesday and Thursday in the Detroit area, slam Trump “for creating incentives for companies to ship jobs overseas, letting down the auto and manufacturing industry, and failing America’s autoworkers,” Emily Soong, a spokeswoman for the DNC, said in a statement.
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6:27 p.m. EDT
Tim Scott’s donors say he’s ‘too nice’ to brawl for speaking time
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By Meryl Kornfield
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) during the debate on Aug. 23. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post)
Those who have met and worked with Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) describe him as “a nice guy.”
He is not one to interrupt. He won’t confront. And he has kept his message positive on the campaign trail.
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6:13 p.m. EDT
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By Meryl Kornfield
Reporter
Trump supporters gather Wednesday near the entrance to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., where the second GOP presidential primary debate is being held. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)
Donald Trump won’t be at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for the second GOP debate, but his supporters are there. A small group decked out in red, white and blue garb and waving American and Trump flags gathered near the entrance to the venue — a clear sign that the former president and leading candidate maintains a presence even when not present.
6:05 p.m. EDT
What to watch with Chris Christie
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie (R). (Governor of New Jersey)
What to know about the candidate: The ex-New Jersey governor’s biggest selling point among those who urged him to enter the race was that he stood the best chance of making the case against Donald Trump on the debate stage. But Trump’s absence has made it difficult for Christie, also a former U.S. attorney, to create those kinds of viral moments.
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5:44 p.m. EDT
DeSantis is betting big on Iowa to rescue stumbling campaign
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By Hannah Knowles, Josh Dawsey and Isaac Arnsdorf
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential hopeful, at the Field of Dreams site in Dyersville, Iowa, in August. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)
DES MOINES — Abandoned by some of his largest donors, bashed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and polling behind other Donald Trump alternatives in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies are increasingly focused on Iowa — where Trump has alienated prominent Republicans such as Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and this past week denounced the six-week abortion bans that Iowa and other states have passed.
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5:20 p.m. EDT
What to watch with Tim Scott
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). (U.S. Senate)
What to know about the candidate: Scott’s advisers have insisted that he will maintain a positive message throughout the campaign and that he will win over voters by looking like the adult on the debate stage if others squabble. But he often receded on the stage in the first debate, failing to create a memorable moment.
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4:55 p.m. EDT
Trump dominates GOP field while campaigning less than foes
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By Josh Dawsey, Isaac Arnsdorf and Hannah Knowles
Former president Donald Trump plays in the LIV Golf Pro-Am at Trump National Golf Club in May. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)
Many days this summer, former president Donald Trump played golf.
Trump skipped the first GOP debate and has said he is skipping the second one.
As rivals circled primary states, he largely stayed in New Jersey, discussed the felony charges against him with his lawyers, posted thousands of times on Truth Social, strategized for a general-election campaign against President Biden, criticized challenger Ron DeSantis and DJed music on his golf club’s patio.
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KEY UPDATE
4:50 p.m. EDT
Seven candidates will take the stage — but Trump’s absence looms large
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By Washington Post Staff
Former vice president Mike Pence, left, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at the Republican debate in August. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post)
Seven Republican candidates for president will meet Wednesday night for the second GOP debate — with the dominant polling leader Donald Trump again absent and trying to upstage the event with a speech near Detroit.
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KEY UPDATE
4:45 p.m. EDT
Here are the moderators and how you can watch the debate
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By Washington Post Staff
The Reagan Presidential Library will be the host site for the second Republican debate.
Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney and Fox News Channel host Dana Perino, as well as Univision anchor Ilia Calderón, will moderate the two-hour debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
Fox News Channel and Fox Business will air the debate at 9 p.m. Eastern. You can also watch on the network’s website and other streaming and digital platforms. A Spanish-language feed will air on Univision.
4:38 p.m. EDT
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By Missy Khamvongsa
Deputy editor of National Politics breaking news team
Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd said he will head to New Hampshire to campaign after failing to qualify for Wednesday’s debate.
“Unfortunately, we narrowly missed the cut for the second debate and our campaign is at an inflection point,” Hurd said in a statement.
“If the Republican Party nominates Donald Trump or the various personalities jockeying to imitate his divisive, crass behavior, we will lose,” he added.
KEY UPDATE
4:25 p.m. EDT
Where is Trump?
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By Washington Post Staff
Attendees arrive ahead of a campaign event for former president Donald Trump in Clinton Township, Mich., on Wednesday night. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg News)
Former president Donald Trump plans to visit the Detroit area Wednesday night to make a pitch to working-class voters as members of the United Auto Workers protest their contract with the nation’s largest car manufacturers. Trump’s trip comes a day after President Biden joined a UAW picket line.
4:20 p.m. EDT
What to watch with Doug Burgum
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R). (Dan Koeck/Reuters)
What to know about the candidate: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum had very little name recognition when he announced his bid for the White House, but his wealth has allowed him to introduce himself to voters as a problem-solving conservative with small-town values. He was at risk of not making the debate stage, criticizing the Republican National Committee’s polling criteria as a “goofy clubhouse rule.”
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3:58 p.m. EDT
What to watch for with Mike Pence
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Former vice president Mike Pence. (D. Myles Cullen/White House)
What to know about the candidate: As the former vice president, Mike Pence had enviable advantages entering the GOP race including strong name recognition and a deep Rolodex of donors. But among voters loyal to Donald Trump, he has struggled to overcome the perception that he was disloyal to the former president after refusing to join his failed effort to try to overturn his election defeat. His favorability ratings have lagged behind other GOP candidates among Republican voters.
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3:56 p.m. EDT
What Republican v to make a pitch to working-class voters as members of the United Auto Workers protest their contract with the nation’s largest car manufacturers. Trump’s trip comes a day after President Biden joined a UAW picket line.
4:20 p.m. EDT
What to watch with Doug Burgum
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R). (Dan Koeck/Reuters)
What to know about the candidate: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum had very little name recognition when he announced his bid for the White House, but his wealth has allowed him to introduce himself to voters as a problem-solving conservative with small-town values. He was at risk of not making the debate stage, criticizing the Republican National Committee’s polling criteria as a “goofy clubhouse rule.”
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3:58 p.m. EDT
What to watch for with Mike Pence
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By Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston
Former vice president Mike Pence. (D. Myles Cullen/White House)
What to know about the candidate: As the former vice president, Mike Pence had enviable advantages entering the GOP race including strong name recognition and a deep Rolodex of donors. But among voters loyal to Donald Trump, he has struggled to overcome the perception that he was disloyal to the former president after refusing to join his failed effort to try to overturn his election defeat. His favorability ratings have lagged behind other GOP candidates among Republican voters.
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3:56 p.m. EDT
What Republican voters think of candidates be
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