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Donald Trump’s rivals were quick to lay into him during the second presidential debate on Wednesday, ripping the former president for skipping the event as they sought to blunt the momentum that has seen him build a commanding early lead in the Republican primary.
“He should be on this stage tonight,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was at centre stage despite recent struggles to emerge as the field’s top Trump alternative. “He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt. That set the stage for the inflation we have now.”
Seven Republican candidates were debating at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., while Trump was giving a speech in Michigan, attempting to capitalize on the Auto Workers Union strike and appeal to rank-and-file union members in a key state.
DeSantis’s criticism came shortly after a similar attack from former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who said Trump “hides behind the walls of his golf clubs” instead of answering questions. He later got in another dig as he broke out a new nickname for Trump.
Speaking into the camera, Christie said, “I know you’re watching,” because “you can’t help yourself.” And he accused Trump of being absent because “you’re afraid of being on this stage and defending your record.
“No one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We’re going to call you Donald Duck.”
Former U.S. vice-president Mike Pence called Trump “my former running mate.”
The debate comes at a critical moment in the campaign, with less than four months before the Iowa caucuses formally launch the presidential nomination process.
For now, Trump is dominating the field, even as he faces a range of vulnerabilities, including four criminal indictments that raise the prospect of decades in prison.
Trump himself made only a passing mention of the debate during his speech, drawing boos when he said, “We’re competing with the job candidates” and poking fun at them for not drawing crowds as large as his. The former president’s competitors are running out of time to dent his lead, which is building a sense of urgency among some to more directly take on the former president before an audience of millions.
Debate addresses auto workers strike
The debate started with questions about the autoworkers strike, but the Republicans kept the focus squarely on Biden.
“Joe Biden should not be on the picket line. He should be on the southern border,” said South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who got the first question.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said the workers should “go picket in front of the White House in Washington, D.C.,” because “that’s really where the protest needs to be.”
Pence took a swing next, saying, Biden “doesn’t belong on the picket line. He belongs on the unemployment line.”
Border questions
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador spoke at length about the Biden administration failing to secure the U.S.-Mexico border during the second one.
After going on the offensive during the first debate, Ramaswamy struck a softer stance early during the second one, talking about his upbringing as the candidates talked about the strike. “My father stared down layoffs at GE under Jack Welch’s tenure at the GE plant in Evendale, Ohio. My mom had to work overtime in nursing homes in southwest Ohio to make ends meet and pay off our home loan. So I understand that hardship is not a choice. But victimhood is a choice.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum steered clear of Ramaswamy, but repeatedly jumped in to answer questions he wasn’t asked to get himself more screen time in the debate’s early going.
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