The Third Republican Debate: War, Ideology and Hypocrisy

And a few surprises along the way

With contributions by

Nikos Biggs-Chiropolos

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On Wednesday night, five candidates seeking the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election took the stage in Miami, Florida for their third debate. The event was co-hosted by the Republican National Committee and NBC News, and was live-streamed to Rumble. Notably absent from the lineup was former President Donald Trump, who chose to host his own competing event instead of joining his competitors onstage. Trump has boycotted all the debates this election cycle, and likely will continue to do so, all while holding a massive polling lead against the competitors who did appear on stage.

The five candidates who participated in the debate (in order of polling averages) were Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, biotech CEO and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. 

Independent presidential candidate

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

tuned in to provide live commentary throughout, participating in the larger national discourse on issues affecting Americans across political lines.

Opening statements

The candidates’ opening statements largely summarized their key positions, setting the tone for the remainder of the evening. DeSantis and Ramaswamy pitched themselves against the “Deep State” and the “cancer in the Republican establishment,” respectively; Haley focused on the severe economic problems affecting Americans amidst war and terrorism; Christie conveyed a vision of America as the world’s peacekeeper against Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Scott took aim at the “radical left,” with a goal to re-establish America’s Judeo-Christian foundation. 

Each candidate offered harsh criticism of former President Trump, highlighting the unprecedented number of state and federal lawsuits against him, his failure to follow through on promises to “Drain the Swamp” and “build the wall,” and his calls for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In a surprise move right out of the gate, Ramaswamy singled out debate host Kristin Welker, criticizing her for participating in spreading the now widely disproven “Trump-Russia” story “for years.” He also accused the media of having “rigged” both the 2016 and 2020 elections. 

Click the thumbnail to watch the video clip on Politico

Middle East conflict

A majority of the debate understandably focused on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, a highly-divisive topic which has left Americans demanding action to prevent further harm to Israeli and Palestinian civilians alike. While countries around the world are calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to allow for humanitarian aid, the Republican candidates seemed to be competing for who could take the harshest position towards Hamas, with all unanimously advocating for an aggressive and total military solution. 

Each of the candidates took turns reiterating their unconditional support for Israel, vowing to provide as much money and equipment as necessary. The five of them also agreed that Iran was the ultimate puppeteer of Hamas, while also throwing blame at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Joe Biden, and former President Barack Obama for allowing the deadly attack to occur. Christie referred to an “evil foursome” of countries conspiring against the West.

Ramaswamy flatly rejected the notion of sending Americans overseas to fight and die in the Middle East, as he had already seen far too many in his generation do so during the misguided wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He took a swing at Hunter Biden for receiving $6.5 million from Ukraine on behalf of his family—as explained in a report published by the House Committee On Oversight and Accountability—which Ramaswamy described as a bribe. He also accused ambassador Haley of war profiteering through her position on the board of directors of Boeing, described by ExecutiveGov as “a top exporter and defense contractor,” and described both Haley and DeSantis as “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels.” 

Led by a question from Matt Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition, the discussion quickly morphed into a debate over how violently the United States should go after Iran. Haley reiterated that Iran is “giving the green light” to Hamas, while DeSantis joined Ramaswamy in rejecting calls to send American servicemen and women into harm’s way.

In his response on X, RFK Jr. noted the near-unanimity among the candidates seeking to escalate against Iran.

Antisemitism and response to pro-Hamas protests

Brooks then asked the candidates to address the recent rise in high-profile cases of Jewish students being harassed on university campuses. Ramaswamy condemned antisemitism as a symptom of a “deeper cancer in a society that is lost.” Citing his 2017 book, Woke Inc, Ramaswamy argued that bigotry is a problem in any form, regardless of ethnicity or religion, and the root cause of the problem needs to be addressed. The solution, he offered, is “leadership, not censorship.” He listed several other examples of topics of recent history to illustrate his point, including vilifying those who question “a vaccine and its side effects” or advocate for the pardoning of those incarcerated for their involvement in the January 6, 2021 protest at the Capitol. To end his short monologue (which was strikingly reminiscent of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s position on censorship and open debate), Ramaswamy pledged to address antisemitism “while respecting our Constitution.”

The responses from the remaining candidates were significantly less specific, highlighting the ability to cut federal funding to universities that knowingly advocate for acts of terrorism. Regardless, every candidate agreed that Jewish students should not face harassment, while Christie in particular emphasized the need to oppose prejudicial treatment of both Jewish and Islamic Americans.

Ukraine-Russia war

Of course, no modern political discussion would be complete without addressing the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Asked if they would continue funding Ukraine’s military efforts, the candidates largely responded by pledging support to Israel and Taiwan, with Haley suggesting that “Ukrainians want America to support Israelis.” Scott focused on Russia as the primary threat to be eliminated; Haley invoked World War II and asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to take over a large section of Europe. The candidates also frequently tied together China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, using terms such as “unholy alliance.”

Ramaswamy, however, said he was “unpersuaded” by Ukraine’s continued requests for American funding. He said that Ukraine was “not a paragon of democracy,” with the country having consolidated its media into a single state-run outlet, outlawed opposition political parties, closed most churches, and threatened to cancel their next election. He referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “a Nazi” and a “comedian in cargo pants,” and contended that the contested sections of Eastern Ukraine are Russian-speaking territories that have not functionally been part of Ukraine since 2014. 

Once again, Kennedy was not impressed with where the debate was going:

China, Taiwan and TikTok

Indeed, war continued to be a primary theme as the discussion moved to China. Haley, Scott and Christie each argued for aggressive expansion of America’s military capabilities in cyberwarfare, artificial intelligence and space; domestic industrial production capacity for ships and planes; and nuclear submarines, respectively. DeSantis claimed to have banned China from buying land in Florida and accused Haley of welcoming the country into her home state of South Carolina. In response, Haley accused DeSantis of allowing loopholes for Chinese companies to manufacture military planes, and expanding training sites near airports. The candidates largely agreed with the idea of banning TikTok, on the grounds that it was used as a mass surveillance tool by the Chinese government and contributed to a worsening mental health crisis among young people.

However, as RFK Jr. noted in a post on X, the issue of mass surveillance and data collection goes far beyond the actions of the Chinese government. Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 that the United States government was engaged in a program of domestic espionage, using the National Security Agency to capture, record and analyze information from Americans’ phone calls and emails through its Prism program, as reported by the BBC. Similar and complementary surveillance programs led by big tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter have also been well documented in the recent past, all of which far exceed the scale of activity the Republican candidates attempted to lay at the feet of TikTok and the Chinese government.

Finally, several of the candidates noted that former President Trump attempted to ban TikTok on two separate occasions, both of which were unsuccessful.

Dealing with Venezuela

Continuing the trend of focusing on America’s role as the world’s policeman, the candidates then discussed how they would handle relations with the turbulent South American nation of Venezuela — a country which the hosts suggested was a threat to the United States because many refugees from Venezuela are fleeing to the U.S and, under President Nicholas Maduro, the country is holding a referendum on annexing a large part of neighboring Guyana. DeSantis criticized Biden’s decision to purchase oil from Venezuela after the American President “sold off nearly half” of America’s strategic oil reserve to foreign nations, as covered by Politico. Describing Venezuela as “a dictatorial regime,” DeSantis vowed to “unleash all regulations” in order to lower the price of energy. He also said he would quash the Green New Deal, which he asserted was favorable for Venezuela, China and Russia. Haley and DeSantis agreed on needing to reimpose sanctions on Venezuela’s Maduro. 

Cost of living crisis

Finally, the debate turned to an issue that is currently affecting Americans across party lines: the cost of living crisis. The solution according to the Republican candidates? Oil, oil, oil.

Despite being asked what specific measures the candidates would take in the short term to reduce prices on everyday goods, most candidates dodged the question and continued their prior discussions of energy policy. Scott explained that this was because, economically speaking, the price of energy dictates the price of everything else.

Haley noted that “the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer.” She advocated for beefing up the middle class, but failed to offer concrete solutions beyond further discussion of reigning in Congressional spending.

Social security

The candidates were asked whether they would make changes to social security, which the hosts warned was “running out of money.” One change would be to increase the retirement age at which point people qualify to receive social security payments. Christie was in favor of this idea, arguing that young people should be able to adjust to the new expectations and work harder in response. He stopped short, however, of suggesting that taxes be raised to compensate, and asserted that billionaires such as Warren Buffett should not be receiving social security checks. 

Ramaswamy pointed out that much of the math cited by candidates such as Haley failed to account for the massive amount of money earmarked for wars. He suggested applying a “zero-based budgeting” system, in which each annual budget negotiation began with the assumption that zero dollars were required to fund the government, and work up from there. He also argued against sending aid overseas “willy-nilly.” Scott and DeSantis assured the audience that they would not cut social security.

Fentanyl and the southern border

As noted by Kennedy, the Republican candidates frequently invoked the crisis on the US-Mexico border as a top priority. The candidates were unanimous that Chinese-manufactured fentanyl was pouring through the border, while human trafficking by the cartels continues unabated. The solutions offered, however, were often vague and unpersuasive.

Scott called for “military grade technology” to be deployed to the border to increase electronic surveillance, which would help reduce the outside threat enough to allow the government to turn its attention inward and address the underlying mental health crisis leading so many Americans to turn towards toxic drugs.

Christie enthusiastically endorsed the idea of providing law enforcement with enhanced technology. He vowed to sign an executive order to send the National Guard to help the beleaguered Customs and Border Patrol agents. Mental health was also the root problem for drug abuse, he argued, and suggested reducing demand for opioids like fentanyl by treating addiction in the same way as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

DeSantis took it a step further by suggesting that he would declare a national emergency on the first day of his presidency, complete the border wall Trump failed to build (and have Mexico pay for it), designate the Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and authorize the use of deadly force against drug traffickers — allowing maritime forces to “shoot ‘em stone cold dead.”

Haley turned the blame squarely on China, which she accused of murdering Americans by exporting the precursor chemicals that are then manufactured into fentanyl in Mexico. She promised to deploy U.S. Special Forces to deal with the cartels, and re-establish a “catch-and-deport” policy for immigrants crossing the border illegally.

Ramaswamy offered a more nuanced take on the crisis. He suggested that the term “overdose” was less technically correct than “poisoning,” given the frequency at which people die after consuming pharmaceutical drugs unknowingly laced with fentanyl. Ramaswamy noted that the current President of Mexico is not a fan of his, but that an election was coming up and he intended to develop a positive relationship with his successor. But for Ramaswamy, it’s not just the southern border in crisis. He declared that he would also “build a wall” along the northern border with Canada, which he asserted was also a significant point of entry for fentanyl. 

Abortion and Republican electoral failures

On the day before the third Republican debate, voters in various states went to the polls to vote on a wide range of issues and candidates. As reported by CNN, Democrat candidates won handsomely over their Republican challengers in states such as Kansas and Kentucky. Particularly notable results included the passing of a constitutional amendment in Ohio to enshrine broad rights to abortion in the state. Needless to say, the issue of abortion remains top of mind for both Democrats and Republicans following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Nearly all of the candidates emphasized their “pro-life” stances as conservatives. DeSantis described himself as standing for a “culture of life,” while accepting the reality that each state will have their own approach to abortion laws. “Texas won’t do it the same as New Hampshire.” He highlighted the failure of Republicans to succeed on the level of referenda, calling on his colleagues to engage “from the bottom up” to win support from the majority of voters on this issue.

Echoing DeSantis’ respect for states’ rights, Haley scolded those who celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade and those who subsequently called for federal bans on abortion. She took a surprisingly moderate stance, saying she wished for mutual respect while engaging with people who hold a different perspective than she does. She also emphasized that any such federal abortion ban would be nearly impossible to enact due to the very high threshold of support required in Congress. 

Christie agreed, criticizing conservatives for their hypocrisy. He also argued that “pro-life” should not stop at the womb, calling on the federal government to continue supporting the wellbeing of individuals through adulthood.

Taking a distinctly different position, Scott called for a firm 15-week national limit on abortions. He explained that states like California and New York must not be allowed to abort babies all the way up to birth, asserting that his position was supported by ¾ of Americans and 47 out of 50 countries in Europe. Haley clarified that she would support any such bill with a chance of passing. 

Ramaswamy praised Scott for being honest in his position — a compliment that he did not extend to Haley, whom he accused of following the political winds. He aggressively condemned Ohio’s constitutional amendment, and echoed calls for Republicans to better organize and advocate their cause at the local level. Finally, he advocated for “sexual responsibility for men,” enforced through the use of genetic paternity tests which he described as “100% reliable.”

Closing remarks

After a turbulent yet insightful debate, the candidates offered their closing thoughts. 

Scott re-emphasized his view that America was under spiritual attack and required a “Great Awakening,” and called for individuals born as biological males to be restricted to playing sports against men. Amid applause from the audience, host Lester Holt interrupted and abruptly ended Scott’s remarks.

Christie described being American as “a gift,” and said that Americans are tired of conflict based on personal politics. He described individual differences as being a strength, and called in broad terms for the opening of hearts to all Americans.

Painting a starker picture, Ramaswamy declared that America is in “the middle of a war at home” –– between those who believe in the country’s founding ideals, and “a fringe minority who hates the USA.” He said that the country requires a commander-in-chief from the next generation of politicians who is aware of this war and can’t be captured. He vowed to “shut down the Deep State,” end economic dependence on China, and revive pride in America. Finally, he called on the Democratic Party to “end the farce” of pretending Joe Biden is their intended nominee, suggesting instead that Gavin Newsom or Michelle Obama was likely waiting in the wings. “Let’s have an honest debate.”

Haley warned that “the world is on fire,” with wars in Europe and the Middle East foreshadowing an outbreak of violence between China and Taiwan. She called for the defense of freedom through the defeat of terrorism and socialism, which, to achieve, would require a 21st century candidate.

Finally, DeSantis repeated his opening remarks nearly verbatim. He vowed to lean on his experience as a veteran of Iraq and the Navy, and to leave the country in a better position for the next generation.