Winners and Losers From the First Republican Presidential Debate

Sources across the political spectrum picked their winners and losers from Wednesday's 2024 Republican primary debate.

Winners: Both the Washington Times (Lean Right bias) and the Washington Post (Lean Left bias) agreed that Vivek Ramaswamy performed well, and was often able to make himself the center of attention. The Times also listed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as winners, and noted that country folk singer Oliver Anthony got big exposure for his song, “Rich Men North of Richmond." The Post also listed former Vice President Mike Pence's Jan. 6 position as a winning point, and said former President Donald Trump won points in his decision not to attend, since he ended up not having to defend himself.

Losers: Both the Times and the Post picked Scott as a loser who was not able to get much air time. Both the Post and The Hill (Center Bias) saw DeSantis as underwhelming and suggested he didn't hold up his center-stage position, and "did not impose himself on the debate at any point." The Times also listed North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as a loser, and Trump because he didn't enter the discussion much. The Post also listed Pence as a loser for trying to "make a case to a Republican party that doesn’t really exist anymore."