The recent GOP presidential debate held last night was devoid of one notable name―Donald Trump. Despite this, the former president still managed to dominate the evening. Trump’s commanding lead in the national polls remains unchallenged; he is more than 40 points ahead of Ron DeSantis, whose popularity is waning. Nothing that occurred during the debate in Milwaukee will alter this status quo.
Viewers of the debate will recall pivotal moments throughout the evening, some positive and others negative. From my perspective, the standout performers were two former governors, Nikki Haley and Chris Christie. Haley demonstrated her strength in foreign policy, passionately criticizing Vivek Ramaswamy’s positions on Ukraine, Israel, and China. She emphasized the importance of supporting friends in the international arena and called out Republicans for their failure to deliver on their promises of spending cuts.
Christie, on the other hand, exhibited exceptional debating skills, effectively challenging Trump’s corruption and defending former Vice President Mike Pence for his refusal to engage in election theft. Christie also moved the audience with his harrowing account of the atrocities witnessed in Kyiv. However, his absence from the debate stage left him unable to dismantle Trump, a task he is uniquely equipped for.
I concur with my colleague David A. Graham’s assessment that the tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was the main character of the night. Ramaswamy is young, eloquent, shallow, and cynical―a performance artist who appeals to Trump’s base. He positions himself as the heir to the former president, making him Trump’s most ardent defender. Donald Trump Jr. even praised Ramaswamy as the standout performer of the evening. I predict that his poll numbers will significantly rise in the coming days.
Vice President Mike Pence made his presence known during the debate, displaying occasional feistiness and an offensive stance. However, Pence’s demeanor often comes across as sanctimonious. Governor DeSantis, on the other hand, once again proved to be a mediocre political talent, delivering rehearsed lines in a robotic manner, which only accentuated his unlikable and perpetually angry persona. Senator Tim Scott missed a golden opportunity to shine during the debate, giving a forgettable performance. Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum were inconsequential figures throughout the evening.
Had this debate taken place late last year or earlier this year, DeSantis would have been the primary target of criticism. However, the fact that the other candidates largely ignored him demonstrates the decline of his campaign. He is simply not worth attacking. One of the most remarkable political developments of this year is the continued surge in Trump’s popularity. Equally notable is the absence of a credible challenger among the other candidates.
The debate last night also underscored the prevalence of a dark view of America within the GOP. This perspective has been a defining characteristic of Trump’s rhetoric, with his dystopian “American carnage” inaugural address. However, it is not unique to him. DeSantis and Ramaswamy, the second and third candidates in the polls, share this grim outlook, portraying America as besieged from all sides.
During an exchange with Pence, Ramaswamy rejected the idea of an optimistic “morning in America” tone, stating, “We live in a dark moment, and we have to confront the fact that we’re in an internal sort of cold cultural civil war.” According to Ramaswamy, values such as family, faith, patriotism, and hard work have disappeared. This viewpoint resonates strongly within the GOP. Positive empirical trends in the country, such as economic improvements, decreased violent crime rates, and a long-term decrease in the number of abortions, are met with agitation from many on the right. They are psychologically invested in a bleak narrative that reinforces their militancy.
However, the most enlightening moment of the debate came when Christie addressed whether he would support Trump if he were convicted of crimes. Christie firmly stated that such behavior should not be normalized, regardless of one’s opinion on the criminal charges. He confronted the audience’s disapproval head-on, asserting that booing does not change the truth. However, these statements only stoked further boos and enraged the audience, revealing their unwillingness to accept criticism of the corrupt and lawless actions of Trump, whom they revere.
To add to the spectacle, Trump is set to appear in court today in Fulton County, Georgia, for his involvement in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. This marks his fourth indictment and he faces 91 felony counts. These numbers surpass the combined total of all previous presidents in American history, making him the most corrupt president to date. Astonishingly, rather than deterring Republican voters, Trump’s legal troubles only strengthen their support. They view him as a martyr and believe that the entire government has been weaponized against them. Each indictment further fuels their determination to turn out in droves at the polls.
These responses resemble those you would expect from a cult, not a political party. Nevertheless, the current iteration of the Republican Party has become highly cult-like, with Donald Trump as its revered leader. This was evident once again during the Milwaukee debate, despite Trump’s physical absence. This is far from normal, and any nation that treats it as such will inevitably succumb to self-destruction, as warned by Abraham Lincoln.
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