This is the first major meeting of the 2024 American election. The Republican presidential candidates began debating on Wednesday August 23, without the favorite Donald Trump, surrounded by investigations and determined to play the spoilsports . Inflation, insecurity, abortion… but especially Trump: the candidates fought over many issues during this first major campaign meeting.
The four indictments of the stormy billionaire, which are the subject of dizzying media attention, have given rise to the most acrimonious exchanges. But also to a most bizarre sequence: when asked whether Donald Trump should be given the keys to the White House, even if he were criminally convicted, all the candidates – except two – raised their hands , rather hesitantly.
Including Ron DeSantis, the former president’s main rival, but whose status as a rising star on the hard-right has been heavily questioned in recent weeks. “It’s high time to stop normalizing his behavior,” said Chris Christie, one of Donald Trump’s most critical candidates, but who was strongly booed by the public.
The main interested party, Donald Trump, had chosen to snub this meeting, organized in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, because according to him of his very large lead in the Republican opinion polls. This is the paradox: criminally charged four times in less than six months, the former leader has so far crushed all the competition in the race for the Republican nomination.
Each twist in his long legal saga brings him millions of dollars in donations, paid by Trumpists convinced that the septuagenarian is the victim of a “witch hunt”. For the rivals of the ex-real estate magnate, who struggle to exist in a political and media universe completely centered around the legal setbacks of the former president, this evening was the chance to distinguish themselves not to be missed.
Some of the sharpest stings were fired when the issue of abortion came up – a politically plagued topic for Republicans, who have recently had a string of setbacks on the issue at the polls. Especially between Nikki Haley, the only woman to claim the Republican nomination, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who “dedicated his life to Jesus Christ”. A loyal supporter of Donald Trump, this sixty-year-old changed his tone following the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 – another hotly-discussed subject in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Other candidates relatively unknown to the general public and possible contenders for a vice-presidential position have sought to have their moment of glory. “Let me answer the question everyone is asking at home tonight: who is that skinny guy with a funny last name?” launched Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who made his fortune in biotechnology, sparking laughter in the assembly.
But the equation was all the more perilous since Donald Trump himself had decided to provide counter-programming. The former president, willingly provocative, gave an interview to Tucker Carlson, former star host of Fox News, broadcast on X (ex-Twitter) voluntarily at the same time as the debate.
During an exchange of about 45 minutes, Donald Trump covered a wide variety of and sometimes unexpected subjects, such as the death in prison of fallen financier Jeffrey Epstein, or his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The Republican assured that his priority, if he returned to the White House, would be to “close the border” with Mexico to reduce immigration. He also ramped up attacks on Joe Biden, calling him “the worst president in the history of [their] country.”
Illustration of the funny campaign in which the former reality TV star is launched, Donald Trump will travel to Atlanta this Thursday to present himself to the authorities of the American state of Georgia, where he is accused of having attempted to reverse the result of the 2020 presidential election.
In practice, Donald Trump will be formally placed under arrest. The authorities of this state in the south-east of the country should then take his forensic photo, the famous “mugshot”, with the potentially infamous effect for the Republican candidate. He will then come out free, having posted a bond of 200,000 dollars.
Among the viewers of the Fox News debate was to include Joe Biden, who will face, unless there is a big surprise, the winner of these Republican primaries on November 5, 2024. He himself accelerated the tempo of his campaign, with a commercial broadcast just before the program of Fox News, yet the favorite channel of the conservatives.