Candidates faced off in the third GOP debate in Miami Wednesday night, with some candidates emerging on top.
Republican 2024 presidential contenders faced high stakes in the third primary debate, but some candidates fared better than others Wednesday night in Miami, Florida.
Candidates sparred over issues from federal spending, Ukraine and China in the showdown, which arrived roughly two months before the first votes of the election will be cast in the Iowa caucuses. Five candidates—former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley; Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie; South Carolina Senator Tim Scott; and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy—verbally wrangled on the stage.
The GOP race front-runner, however, was again a no-show. Former President Donald Trump, who continues to hold a substantial lead over his Republican rivals, skipped the debate, as he did the first two. He has pointed to his poll numbers as the reason for his snubbing of the debates. Trump’s absence left the other five qualifying candidates aiming to prove they deserve the GOP nomination.
Here’s an overview of who won and who lost on the big stage.
Israel emerged as a major victor during the debate. Candidates rallied behind the nation amid its war against Hamas, which on October 7 launched thousands of missiles into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israel has since cut off food, water and electricity to Gaza, launching its own attacks, including a ground operation.
Candidates all voiced support for Israel, saying they would tell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he has the right and responsibility to respond to the Hamas attack.
„The last thing we need to do is to tell Israel what to do. The only thing we should be doing is supporting them in eliminating Hamas,“ Haley said.
Ukraine, however, emerged as a loser. Candidates, as in past debates, voiced disagreement over whether the United States should provide aid for Ukraine as it defends itself against the invasion from Russia. More traditional conservatives, such as Haley, have called for continued support, but more MAGA-aligned candidates have called for more limits on aid.
DeSantis said he would not send U.S. troops to Ukraine, while Scott said he disagreed with coupling aid to Israel and Ukraine, a move that Ukraine aid supporters hope would boost its chances of passing Congress.
Ramaswamy took a stronger stance against Ukraine, calling President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, „a Nazi.“
„[Ukraine] has celebrated a Nazi in its ranks, the comedian in cargo pants, a man called Zelensky,“ he said.
