Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Republicans Face Growing Urgency to Stop Trump as They Enter the Second Presidential Debate
By admin
Published 2 years ago on
September 27, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SIMI VALLEY — Republicans are meeting for their second presidential debate on Wednesday as Donald Trump’s top rivals seek to blunt the momentum of the former president, who is so confident of cruising through the party’s primary that he again won’t share a stage with them.

Seven GOP candidates will be at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for an event hosted by Fox Business Network. Trump will be in Michigan, delivering a prime-time speech attempting to capitalize on the Auto Workers Union strike and trying to appeal to rank-and-file union members in a key state for the general election.

The Importance of the Debate

The debate comes at a critical moment in the GOP campaign, with less than four months before the Iowa caucuses formally launch the presidential nomination process. For now, Trump is dominating the field even as he faces a range of vulnerabilities, including four criminal indictments that raise the prospect of decades in prison. His rivals are running out of time to dent his lead, which is building a sense of urgency among some to more directly take on the former president before an audience of millions.

“This is not a nomination that’s going to fall in your lap. You have to go and beat the other candidates and one of those happens to be Donald Trump,” said Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and veteran of Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. “This debate, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not folks realize that the sand is going through the hourglass pretty quickly right now.”

The former president also skipped the first debate last month in Milwaukee, where the participants laid into one another while mostly avoiding attacks on Trump. Nearly 13 million people tuned in anyway.

Key Players in the Debate

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, drew larger crowds and new interest after her first debate performance in which she attacked entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on foreign policy and pointed out that she was the only woman in the field.

Her team has raised expectations even higher going into Wednesday night, telling donors in a recent pitch that they are “ready to capitalize on the momentum after Nikki walks off stage.”

“As more voters across America tune in to watch the second debate, it’ll be a great opportunity to bring even more supporters into the fold,” Haley’s campaign manager, Betsy Ankney, wrote in her email.

Also hoping for a big night is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will be at center stage despite recent struggles to emerge as the field’s top Trump alternative. His campaign announced that he also saw a jump in fundraising after the first debate, but a strong performance on Wednesday will likely be necessary to replicate that.

“It’s too late for just a fine performance,” said Christine Matthews, a national Republican pollster. “DeSantis has gone from leading alternative to Trump to just one of the pack of challengers and he will be under pressure to perform.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Ramaswamy are similarly looking for breakout moments. Ramaswamy seized the spotlight frequently in Milwaukee, but was criticized by many candidates who sought to expose his lack of political experience.

Also on stage will be North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor, who has built his White House bid around slamming Trump.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson failed to qualify after making the first debate. Hutchinson’s campaign says he’ll also go to Michigan to hold a press conference criticizing Trump.

Looking Forward

Ahead of the debate, many participants were meeting with top supporters, donors and reporters to make the case that they are best positioned going forward.

Reed Galen, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an organization founded by conservatives who oppose Trump, said that while he still believes the former president will ultimately be the Republican nominee in 2024, Wednesday’s debate offers a chance for others to make up ground.

“There are opportunities in the offing because Trump is taking this for granted,” Galen said.

The site is symbolic given that Reagan has long been a Republican icon whose words and key moments still shape GOP politics today. But in addition to fighting with the Reagan library’s leaders, Trump has reshaped the party and pushed away from traditional GOP policy positions — including a muscular foreign policy and opposition to Moscow.

While Reagan is remembered for going to a divided Berlin and calling on Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” Trump has often sympathized with Russian President Vladimir Putin and recently said, “I was the apple of his eye.”

Pence, in a recent speech, called on conservatives to reject Trump’s “siren song of populism.” But Ramaswamy attacked Pence in the first debate by declaring “it’s not morning in America” — a reversal of Reagan’s famous 1984 campaign slogan — and saying Republicans following Reagan were out of step with a Trump-dominated party.

“The sad thing is, the irony — and I don’t know how many people there will get it — is that Ronald Reagan could not get the Republican nomination today,” said former Republican New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, who is now teaming with Democratic voices to promote the centrist Forward Party. “He’s not far enough out there.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Israel’s War of Choice With Iran Puts Trump in a Bind

Tulare County Authorities Arrest Man in Dinuba Shooting

39 minutes ago

Fresno Murder Suspect Arrested in Madera County Following Shooting

45 minutes ago

Spyware From US-Backed Israeli Firm Targeted European Journalists, Report Finds

Spyware developed by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company backed by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and with U.S. government contracts, wa...

7 minutes ago

Spyware from U.S.-backed Israeli firm Paragon Solutions was used to target prominent European journalists’ phones, raising concerns about government surveillance and commercial spyware abuse. (Shutterstock)
7 minutes ago

Spyware From US-Backed Israeli Firm Targeted European Journalists, Report Finds

President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a military parade to commemorate the U.S. Army's 250th Birthday, on the day of his 79th birthday, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
13 minutes ago

Israel’s War of Choice With Iran Puts Trump in a Bind

The Oak Fire near Morgan Canyon Road and Country Oak Lane in Prather remains active at 46% containment, burning 14 acres with 45 personnel working alongside multiple air tankers to strengthen containment lines. (CalFire)
20 minutes ago

Prather’s Oak Fire Active in Fresno County, 46% Contained

Gilberto Lopez Mendez, 23, was arrested after pistol-whipping and shooting a victim in the leg near Dinuba on , with deputies recovering a converted fully automatic firearm. (Tulare County SO)
39 minutes ago

Tulare County Authorities Arrest Man in Dinuba Shooting

Fresno police have arrested Scott Alvarado, 41, in the shooting death of Nicholas Bolanos, 33, on Friday, June 13, 2025. (Fresno PD)
45 minutes ago

Fresno Murder Suspect Arrested in Madera County Following Shooting

Trump Takes Questions about Pope Image
56 minutes ago

Millions of Americans Like Trump Better in Theory Than in Practice

Economist Jeffrey Sachs warns of potential US-Iran war in an interview with Tucker Carlson (pictured), citing decades of Israeli-influenced foreign policy in the Middle East. (Shutterstock)
1 hour ago

Tucker Carlson Says Trump ‘Complicit’ in Israel’s Attack on Iran

A man was slashed in the chin with a machete in a North Fresno apartment complex on Sunday, June 15, 2025,, prompting a seven-hour SWAT standoff that ended Monday, June 16, 2025. The suspect has been identified as Ronny Harris, 51. (Fresno PD)
2 hours ago

Fresno Stabbing Leads to 7-Hour SWAT Standoff and Arrest, Suspect Identified

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend