Analysis | Invasion of Mexico and five other takeaways from the GOP debate (2023)

All but two of the eight Republican presidential candidates on the debate stage last night raised their hands and pledged their support for the former presidentDonald Trump"As Your Party's Choice"even if he was found guilty. former governorChris ChristieAndAsa HutchinsonNO.

The former president faces four charges, including attempting to unlawfully overthrow himPresident BidenAfter his victory, a month-long election campaign culminated in hundreds of his supporters looting the Capitol and disrupting the peaceful transfer of power.

It was just one of the big moments in the Fox News-moderated debate that Trump left out.Demolition derby in debateWho will win zero people who think voters know more from in-depth interviews with individual candidates?

Here are five more.

will Martha McCallum be co-host, DeSantis asked,Support for the use of the US special forcesCross the southern border and beat out the cartels that make fentanyl, a synthetic opioid believed to be the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49.

"Yes," he answered confidently. "I'll do that on the first day."

"Would I use violence? Would I treat them like a foreign terrorist organization? You're right, I would," he continued.

This is an act of war without Mexico's consentWith its southern neighbor and largest trading partner, the United States relies on cooperation to stop undocumented immigrants.

during an interviewFox NewsSean Hannity, DeSantis made it clear that he was right:

"When I talk about using the military to fight drug cartels for killing tens of thousands of our citizens, we have every right to do so."I will do it. I don't want to go into the office and say forget it" He said.

Hailey hatFirst direct criticism of Trump that evening: "Donald Trump has increased our debt by $8 trillion!"

Unsurprisingly, however, the most sustained attack came from Christie, who repeatedly blamed the former president.

“Someone has to stop normalizing this behavior. OK? Well, whether you believe the criminal charges are right or wrong, that kind of behavior is within the purview of the President of the United States," the former New Jersey governor said. Audience.

"It's a great thing for this country," he said. "Bab was allowed, but that doesn't change the facts. It doesn't change the facts.”

Ramaswamy had the debate, we'll get into more detail on him later in the columnHis most trivial defense of Trump- In reply to Christy.

"If the people of the country want a bunch of people to blindly bang on Donald Trump without having a single vision of the country, they can switch to MSNBC right away," Ramaswamy said. But I'm not running for President of MSNBC. " "I'm running for President of the United States."

Or apply for positions in the Trump administration. But here it is: criticism of Trump, reduced to the expertise of the opposing cable broadcaster.

We'll let the Republican primary choose who had a good night or a bad night. But the candidate, once Trump's worst rival, has tried to circumvent or even undermine an issue on several occasions.

First, a "show of hands" question: Do you think human activities are causing climate change?

DeSantis chimed in, "Listen, we're not schoolboys. Let's have a debate.” He lowered his hands but didn't answer the question directly.

What advice do you have for advocates who see a national ban on abortion as a political loser?

DeSantis attacked the Democrats and did not answer questions.

Will You Sign A Statewide Abortion Ban Six Weeks After You Sign In Florida?

“Wisconsin will do it differently than Texas. I know Iowa and New Hampshire will do things differently. But I will support the cause of life as governor and as president," he said.

There was no direct reaction to the six-week ban.

Ramaswamy, who sounds like a double-speed right-wing TED talk, has drawn almost as much criticism as Biden - with Christie deriding him as "the same amateur guy" as the ex-presidentBarack ObamaHe said it "sounds like Chat GPT".

On Wednesday he was the only one to say he would freeze aid to Ukraine, said he would pardon Trump and unsuccessfully encouraged a non-binding pence to do so, calling climate change a "hoax" and at odds with Christie and Haley gotSeems to be trying to steal the spotlight in general。

Whether that works or not is up to the Republican primary voters.

"The alleged death of a high-ranking leader of the Russian Wagner group not only raises deep doubts about the future of the mercenaries,Wagner's brief uprising in June made President Vladimir Putin look weak and paralyzed, which also bolstered his strength.”Reporting by Robyn Dixon, Catherine Belton, Mary Ilyushina and Francesca Ebel。

“The United States has decided to extend the exemption by one yearEnable South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers to continue to introduce advanced semiconductor technology and related equipment to China”Nikkeis Rintaro Toda Reporter。

"Researchpublished on WednesdayShows teacher shortages are worse in several states but not an anomaly caused by the pandemic. instead,This appears to be part of a worrying trend: more and more teachers are leaving the classroom, and there are not enough graduates to replace them”Moriah Balingit narrates this。

"Passenger listcontain Yevgeny PrigoschinThe leader of the Russian Wagner mercenary group that led a brief but dramatic uprising against the Kremlin earlier this year.It was not immediately clear whether Prigozhin was on the plane”Reporting by Andrew Jeong, Bryan Pietsch and Adela Suliman。

“Annual inflation has fallen to around 3% from over 9% in 2022, fueling hope that the US will avoid a recession. But while the outlook is better than many economists expect,[Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell] and other Fed policymakers are not yet ready to conclude that prices will continue to fall”politicallyVictoria Guidah reports。

„The proliferation of decades-old symbols of unity and equality is undoubtedly part of what happened on Friday.California business owner shot deadAllegedly for putting up a Pride flag in his store,got a big shockand the grief of LGBTQ advocates, politicians and celebrities from across the country,”NBC NewsMatt Lavitts reports。

„The Biden administration is expected to announce the first ten prescription drugs for Medicare price negotiations early next weekAhead of Tuesday's White House event to celebrate this milestone, four people involved in the program told Politico: "politicallyReporting by David Lim and Adam Cancryn。

“The Biden administration's policy of allowing thousands of people from Latin America and the Caribbean to live and work temporarily in the United States isA group of Republican states filed a lawsuit in court Thursday challenging the legality of the law.”NBC NewsThat's what Daniela Silva said。

The lucrative new tax breaks and other advanced manufacturing stimulus signed into law by President Biden appear to be transforming foreign direct investment into the US economy, according to a White House analysis.A much larger share of spending in new and expanded firms shifted to manufacturing”TheNew York TimesReporting by Jim Tanksley。

“Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is not the front runner for the Republican nomination.But in the first Republican debate on Wednesday evening, he was targeted by more experienced politicians”Reporting by Nick Mourtoupalas, Hanna Zakharenko and Hannah Dormido。

"After delving into conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol,Some supporters of former President Donald Trump are concerned that Trump is promoting a rally outside the Fulton County Jail in Georgia ahead of his inauguration.expected surrenderIinterference in state electionsis the attitude of the FBI”NBC NewsRyan J. Reilly Reporter for。

Biden at Lake Tahoe. Nothing in his public schedule.

Thank you for reading. See you in the morning.