Debate Primer: What You Missed, Trump Town Hall, Desantis-Haley Debate
Former president Trump held a solo town hall with an audience live on Fox News, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis squared off with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on CNN.
This has been a busy political week.
Chris Christie dropped out of the race, putting a whimpering end to a multiple-time presidential candidate.
Rumors circulated that DeSantis may drop out after the Iowa Caucus and some legal scholars suggested Haley is not constitutionally qualified to run for president. (READ MORE: Can Nikki Haley Be Removed From The Ballot?)
Trump was greeted with cheers of “USA” when he assumed the stage.
Haley and DeSantis shook hands and shared an unintentionally synchronized wave with the audience before the debate began.
Key Moments
Trump made it clear he has two goals for his second term, “securing the border” and “energy dominance”
The Haley-DeSantis debate was low energy, too long (2 hours compared to Trump’s one hour event), and overly granular on issues
Trump hinted he had already selected his VP, although he declined to identify who it was.
Desantis promised a “reckoning” on those who lied and violated constitutional freedoms during COVID, he singled out the CDC is one of the worst offenders during the pandemic.
Haley stated she believed DeSantis “has been a good governor”
The difference between the events was best summarized by this tweet from Megyn Kelly.
Immigration
Both audience questioners and Trump focused on Madison, New York’s public schools being closed to house illegal immigrants. This appeared to be a point of immense frustration in the audience and a rallying point for Trump and the grassroots on the dire state of immigration in America.
Haley’s suggested border solution was “boots on the ground”, while DeSantis expanded his pro-wall position to include denying amnesty and welfare benefits to illegal aliens.
Energy
Trump promised stated energy independence would not be enough for the second Trump administration and that he would aim for “energy dominance”.
Trump anchored his energy policy in national security terms, explaining that the Biden Administration's allowance of skyrocketing oil prices is what enriched the Russians enough to prosecute the war in Ukraine.
Most of Haley and DeSantis’s exchange on energy focused on an excruciatingly long debate over who support the “reliable energy fuel standard” and why.
Defense
“We have the greatest military in the world except for the top’, Trump said referencing wokeness and the inability of the military to defeat most enemies since World War II before noting “I am the only president that had no wars in 72 years.”
He also reaffirmed his commitment to avoiding foreign wars.
(An Iowan questioner gives Trump a sign of support while Trump responds to his question on avoiding foreign wars)
Haley’s defense positions were mostly Israeli-centric. The former governor reiterated her phrase, “It has never been that Israel needs America, it has been America needs Israel.”
DeSantis remained elusive on foreign policy.
DeSantis signaled that he is open to allowing Israel to conduct mass deportations of Palestinians from Gaza. He did not signal if a DeSantis Administration would allow Gazan refugees into the United States, but he did say Saudi and Egypt should become post-eviction homes to Palestinians.
Abortion
Trump drew a centrist position on abortion, noting that his presidency created the Supreme Court that struck down Roe v. Wade, but clarifying that he supports exceptions on certain exceptions on abortions policy like for rape and incest because “[at six weeks] some women may not know they are pregnant.”
Education
Haley signaled her support for school vouchers and other forms of educational innovation. DeSantis highlighted that Haley promised school choice for South Carolina during her time as governor but failed to deliver. The moderator likewise highlighted South Carolina’s abysmal educational rankings.
DeSantis declared he wanted to “get rid of the Department of Education.”
Funny Moments
After Christie announced his retirement, local cattlemen told the Cowtown Caller that the former New Jersey governor will be put out to pasture until it comes time to use his lard for candles and hooves for glue.
DeSantis noted Haley’s “Ballistic pediatry” because of her propensity to “shoot herself in the foot [now that her record is under scrutiny].”
DeSantis’s son (pictured below) can be seen rushing the stairs on the stage the moment the debate ended.
When Trump joked that he might pick Christie as VP–– the audience was overcome with laughter.
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