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No-show Trump wins first GOP debate

Jon Lieber, head of Eurasia Group's coverage of political and policy developments in Washington, DC shares his perspective on US politics.

Who were the big winners and the big losers from this week's Republican debate?

Three clear winners were probably Vivek Ramaswamy, who's done pretty well in making a name for himself as a first time politician, and came across as likable and energetic, full of some fresh ideas that are probably going to appeal to a lot of Republican voters who were otherwise thinking about supporting President Trump. Two is Nikki Haley, the former UN ambassador and governor of South Carolina, who had herself a pretty good night scoring some points against Ramaswamy on foreign policy, and coming across as competent and credible. And of course, the third winner is Donald Trump, who didn't show up but kind of dominated the proceedings anyway and continues to be the front-runner even after the debate.

On the loser side, you had a couple of people who just didn't have great nights. Chris Christie got resoundingly booed for his strategy of attacking Trump and presenting himself as the alternative, or trying to create space for somebody else to get in that lane. Mike Pence really did nothing to distinguish himself. In fact, I kind of forgot he was up there at times, as I've forgotten that he's even running for president right now. Same with Tim Scott, who I think has a very great story and is a very likable guy, but just isn't resonating with a lot of Republicans.

And the biggest loser was probably Ron DeSantis, who's presented himself as the most credible alternative to Trump so far but has really been tailing off in the polling, has shown himself to be vulnerable to people like Ramaswamy, and last night didn't really do much to change that narrative. He kind of has his line of attack against the cultural left, which resonates with a lot of Republican voters. But there's no real reason to prefer him over President Trump at this point, and there probably aren't enough Republican voters who will do so, that will help propel him to the next level.

There won't be any votes cast in this election until Iowa, which is next year. And in the meantime, there's going to be another debate, probably also without Trump, in California, in late September. So, stay tuned for an entertaining Republican primary, but one that kind of feels like they're play-acting a little bit without the dominant force, former President Trump, up on stage.

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Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Reuters

Christie takes aim at Trump

No one can win the 2024 Republican Party nomination for president without winning over millions of voters who like Donald Trump. For now, the polls say those voters are happy with Trump. This creates a dilemma for his rivals. All of them need someone to dent Trump’s popularity via direct attacks on the man and his candidacy. But no one wants to infuriate Trump supporters by leading those attacks, allowing other candidates to benefit. They all want someone else to lead the charge.

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Chris Christie interview: The truth about the 2024 GOP primary race

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is playing coy on whether he'll throw his hat in the ring for the Republican presidential nomination for 2024, indicating he might simply influence the conversation from afar. In a wide-ranging interview with Ian Bremmer, Christie outlines the stark reality he sees about the GOP primary as things begin to heat up on the campaign trail. "I think there's one lane for the nomination, and right now, Donald Trump's in the front of that lane," Christie tells Bremmer. "And if you want to get in the front of that lane, you better intervene and go right through him because otherwise trying to go around him, I don't think it's a strategy."

Note: This interview was first featured in the GZERO World episode "Republican identity crisis: Chris Christie vs. Donald Trump," published on May 15, 2023.

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Will the US default on its debt? Ask GZERO World's guests

It's the question swirling around Washington this week (and last week, and the week before, etc, etc). It's of concern to US allies and of great interest to US adversaries: Will the United States government default on its debt for the first time in history? Depending on the day of the week, or the hour of the day, you may get a different answer from politicians and pundits alike.

On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, though, guests from the past few months, including Utah Senator Mitt Romney, World Bank Group President David Malpass, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have struck a common chord: it won't happen, but if it does, we're in for a hurting. Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer on public television stations nationwide. Check local listings.

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Why Chris Christie calls DeSantis "anti-conservative"

The Republican Party is in the midst of an identity crisis. Between the far-right MAGA supporters and more traditional “Never Trump” conservatives, there doesn’t seem to be a coherent through-line for GOP priorities ahead of the 2024 race for US president.

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Republican identity crisis: Chris Christie vs. Donald Trump

The only way out is through. That's how former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie views the 2024 GOP primary, and more specifically, how he views its frontrunner, former President Donald Trump.

"I think there's one lane for the nomination, and right now Donald Trump's in the front of that lane," Christie tells Ian Bremmer in a wide-ranging interview for GZERO World. "And if you want to get in the front of that lane, you better intervene and go right through him because, otherwise, trying to go around him? I don't think it's a strategy."

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Podcast: Conservatives no more? Why Chris Christie is criticizing Trump and DeSantis

Transcript

Listen:The upcoming GOP presidential primary will be many things – expensive, long, chaotic – but one thing we know for sure is that it won't be pretty. And one potential Trump rival, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, is ready to embrace the ugly. In a wide-ranging interview with Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World podcast, Christie outlines the stark reality he sees as things begin to heat up on the campaign trail. "I think there's one lane for the nomination, and right now, Donald Trump's in the front of that lane," Christie tells Bremmer. "And if you want to get in the front of that lane, you better intervene and go right through him because otherwise, trying to go around him, I don't think it's a strategy."

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Christie: US should keep leading Ukraine aid

Should the United States be doing more or less in its support for Ukraine? It depends on who you ask.

There is a growing rift within the Republican Party over how much the United States should be assisting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. At town hall discussion on CNN May 10, former president Donald Trump refused to commit to sending more aid to the country if he wins the White House, reflecting the growing anti-war sentiment from the MAGA wing of the party.

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