Who was the winner of the GOP debate? Pence gets spicy. Trump doesn't show (again)
WASHINGTON — In a feisty second GOP presidential debate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley struck aggressive stances, lashing out at their opponents on stage and even at Donald Trump, the party's frontrunner who chose to skip the event.
It was the type of fierce in-your-face tone that has proven popular with the GOP base.
A riskier approach: Mike Pence making a joke about sleeping with his wife.
At the end of the showdown at the Ronald Reagan presidential library, there were no clear winners and losers in the crowded GOP field that Trump is leading by a landslide. But DeSantis and Haley stood out among GOP candidates as the most aggressive on the debate stage.
As was the case at the first presidential debate, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy took much of the incoming, and found himself on the defensive by his opponents.
"Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,” Haley sniffed to Ramaswamy.
Here is a look at the possible winners and losers of the debate.
'Bring it': Nikki Haley spars over TikTok, and her political record
Haley sparred with just about everyone on the stage Wednesday night. She took the fight to Sen. Tim Scott, a fellow South Carolinian, over their political tenures.
“Bring it, Tim,” she said as they went at it.
Haley also shot back at Ramaswamy after he defended his use of the popular video app TikTok.
“I have a radical idea for the Republican Party: We need to win elections,” he said. “Part of how we win elections is reaching the next generation of young Americans where they are.”
But Haley told Ramaswamy on the debate stage “TikTok is one of the most dangerous social media assets that we can have.”
DeSantis versus Trump: Number two in the polls goes after number one
DeSantis took aim at GOP frontrunner Trump early in the debate. The governor accused President Joe Biden of “missing in action,” especially as the nation faces a looming government shutdown, the United Auto Workers strike and other challenges.
''You know who else is missing in action?'' DeSantis said, referring to the former president's choice to skip the second GOP debate. "Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be here!"
Sleeping with a teacher? Mike Pence gets spicy
Pence, the former vice president, had one of the most memorable one-liners of the debate, telling his fellow Republican candidates and voters at that he has “been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years.”
The moment came after former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie criticized Biden and said he was “sleeping with” a union member, an apparent reference to first lady Jill Biden, a professor.
“By way of full disclosure, Chris, you've mentioned the president's situation,” Pence said. “My wife is not a member of the teachers union, but I got to admit, I have been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years.”
Who won the Republican debate?
Pollster Frank Luntz, who has long done focus groups of Republican voters, said the “chaos” of the argumentative debate made no one a winner.
“Tonight just makes it more likely that Donald Trump is the Republican nominee,” Luntz said.
He added: “Several times the debate devolved into chaos. This format is not conducive to anyone other than Trump because it rewards soundbites rather than substance.”
But the pollster did make one prediction: “Trump won by not participating. And it irritates me to say that.”
Mark your calendar: Paste BN to host town halls with six GOP presidential candidates in New Hampshire
Contributing: David Jackson, Paste BN