Former United States President Donald Trump skipped the first GOP Republican presidential debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee while the others highlighted and discussed topics on policy, Ukraine war, and ban on abortion.
Presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Mike Pence, Dough Burgum, Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson were present for the debate.
Ramaswamy (38) was alongside Floria Governor DeSantis took the center of the stage.
Former Vice President Pence took a jibe at Ramaswamy saying that the President of the United States has to confront every crisis facing America. Reportedly, Ramaswamy had said earlier that “President can’t do everything.”
“I have been on the hallway...I have been in the West Wing. The President of the US has to confront every crisis facing America,” he said.
The ban on abortion policy was also raised by the candidates. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said that a "respectful" approach should be adopted towards the topic of abortion.
Instead of imposing a ban, a consensus approach on the issue including encouraging adoption was put forward by Haley.
While, Pence wasn’t willing to go further than endorsing a 15-week federal abortion ban, the cutoff offered in a bill South Carolina Sen, reported CNN.
Two candidates who have signed a six-week abortion ban into law — DeSantis and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum — stopped short of saying they would do the same nationally.
Haley also slammed Ramaswamy for having "no foreign policy experience”
"I do think that I am the only person bringing clear strategic vision to our foreign policy rather than just going the talking points memorized in 1990," Ramaswamy later told CNN .
Meanwhile, seven of the eight candidates raised hands when asked whether they would support Trump if he is convicted. Trump is facing many criminal charges including overturning 2020 Georgia election case. Trump has been indicted in four separate criminal cases.
Also, Trump is gearing to surrender to Georgia authorities in connection with the alleged overturning 2020 election case on Thursday. Trump has announced his plans of surrendering, at Fulton County sheriff’s office, through his social media platform. The decision to surrender was made after his lawyers met with the Fulton County district attorney's office and agreed to a bond of $2,00,000.
The bond agreement signed by Trump’s defense attorney, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and others barred Trump from intimidating 18 co-defendants in the case, witnesses or victims.
“The Defendant shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice,” states the order signed by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee. “The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media,” read the order.
Trump now faces 91 charges across four separate criminal cases at a time when is running for president in 2024.
