Headline Roundup • September 28th, 2023
Winners and Losers from the 2nd 2024 GOP Presidential Debate
Summary from the AllSides News Team
News sources from the right, left and center picked their winners and losers from the second 2024 Republican presidential primary debate.
Winners: Many agreed that former President Donald Trump was a winner even though he was not on the debate stage. Trump remains far ahead of his competitors in national polls, and several of his rivals called for his border policies to be reinstated. Of those on stage, many agreed that Nikki Haley was a winner for appearing experienced and strong, with the Washington Times (Lean Right bias) also praising Tim Scott for being more forceful in the second debate.
Mixed Reviews: The Hill (Center bias) gave Ron DeSantis and Scott mixed reviews for performing well but not having any break-out moments. The Hill also gave mixed reviews to Chris Christie, who may not have won over primary voters but did stay on his message of attacking Trump.
Losers: The Washington Post (Lean Left) and the Washington Times gave low marks to DeSantis, saying he did nothing to change his second-place status. Others on the right and in the center added a few names to the "losers" list: Vivek Ramaswamy (for struggling with attacks), Mike Pence (for weak responses), and Doug Burgum (for not landing a punch).
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AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
The second GOP presidential debate sparked passionate discussions on illegal immigration, China and a wide range of other topics. Here are the winners and losers:
WINNERS:
Tim Scott: The South Carolina senator was much more forceful than in the first debate, delivering a body-blow attack line against rival Vivek Ramaswamy by accusing the entrepreneur of being “in business with the Chinese Communist Party.” He also got in one of the first applause lines of the night when asked about President Biden joining striking autoworkers on the picket line this week.
“Joe Biden should...
Illustration by Emily Sabens/The Washington Post
Seven Republican candidates for president faced off at the second presidential debate of the 2024 election Wednesday night in Simi Valley, Calif. Again absent was the GOP’s runaway front-runner, former president Donald Trump.
The first debate seemed to put businessman Vivek Ramaswamy on the map for many voters, but former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley appeared to gather the most momentum from it. None of them, however, is close to within striking distance of depriving Trump of a third straight GOP presidential nomination.
Below are some winners and losers from the second debate.
Winners - Nikki Haley
The strength...
Seven GOP presidential rivals tangled Wednesday night on a Simi Valley, Calif., stage, arguing over who is the best to take on President Biden next fall.
It was a rambunctious night filled with personal attacks by candidates battling for survival, culminating in a clash over curtains between Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and his state’s former Gov. Nikki Haley.
None of the contenders are within spitting distance in polls to former President Trump, who for a second time didn’t bother showing up for the debate.
That added to the sense of desperation for...
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