By Emma Barrett 
Simi Valley, California, September 27—Wednesday night marked the second Republican primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Over the course of two hours, seven Republican nominee hopefuls—North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina—took the stage to discuss government spending, the border, education, China, and aid for Ukraine. The debate, described as “fiery” by both Fox News and the New York Times, was characterized by numerous attacks.
Absent from the stage was former President Donald Trump, who instead spoke to autoworkers in battleground state Michigan. Despite attending neither debate, he continues to lead in most national polls by 40 to 50 points.
Unlike the first Republican debate, candidates attacked former President Trump for his past policy decisions and debate absence. Early in the evening, former Governor Christie spoke directly to the camera, saying, “Donald, I know you’re watching. You can’t help yourself…you’re not here tonight because you’re afraid.” Governor DeSantis also criticized former President Trump’s addition to the national debt.
Governor DeSantis was applauded by pundits from both the left and right for his debate performance; Alan Rappeport from the New York times called DeSantis “crisp” and “measured”, and Fox News host Will Cain named him the “winner” of the debate. Governor DeSantis had the longest speaking time of the candidates, focusing on immigration, his changes to the Florida public education system, and remarks regarding the Biden administration’s economic platform (frequently referred to as “Bidenomics” during the debate) and aid to Ukraine. He also criticized former President Trump for the first time in a debate, accusing him of being “missing in action” and adding $7.8 trillion to the national debt during his presidency. Governor Desantis also attacked Trump’s stance on abortion (The former President previously called Florida’s six-week abortion ban, signed under DeSantis, a “terrible thing and a terrible mistake”). Gov. DeSantis later went on to say he would sign a 15-week national abortion ban if elected.
In the hours following the debate, polling from FiveThirtyEight revealed that Republican primary voters who watched the debate felt that Governor DeSantis had the best performance. However, it is unclear whether the Florida Governor has the time to catch up to former President Trump in donations and polling.
Tim Scott
After the first debate, Senator Scott received criticism for not making much of a splash. Wednesday’s performance was quite different; Senator Scott made headlines after asserting that Ms. Haley spent $50,000 on curtains during her time as the US ambassador to the United Nations (the New York Times later reported that, in reality, it was the State Department under the Obama Administration that made this purchase).
Senator Scott also pushed back against Gov. DeSantis’s defense of Florida’s new public school curriculum, which teaches “how slaves developed skills, which in some instances could be applied for their personal benefit.” In response, Senator Scott asserted that there is “not a redeeming quality in slavery.” He went on to say that while he has faced discrimination in the past, “America is not a racist country…we are the greatest country on God’s green earth.”
Nikki Haley
The former governor was commended for her strong showing on Wednesday night from the New York Times’ Peter Wehner and The Hill’s Caroline Vakil, with various attacks at former President Trump, Senator Scott, and Mr. Ramaswamy. Former Gov. Haley made headlines on both liberal and conservative news sites for her response to Ramaswamy’s use of TikTok, saying, “honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a bit dumber.”
Haley was also prepared to spar with Senator Scott when he accused her of spending thousands on curtains, replying, “Bring it, Tim,” and disparaged Gov. DeSantis for opposing fracking and offshore drilling in Florida. The governor laughed and denied former Gov. Haley’s accusations.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Mr. Ramaswamy’s national debut at the first debate garnered attention from both the left and the right, and set him apart as a clear target on Wednesday evening. Haley, Scott, and Pence did not hesitate to go after the entrepreneur regarding his business involvements in China, his sparse voting record, and his use of TikTok, a Chinese-owned company.
Mr. Ramaswamy went on to accuse his opponents of a disregard for the Constitution, pledging to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. He also asserted that transgenderism is a “mental health disorder” and announced his plans to ban “genital mutilation or chemical castration” for those under the age of 18.
Looking Forward
While former Gov. Haley, Senator Scott, and Gov. DeSantis were all applauded for their performances on Wednesday, pundits concurred that no candidate managed to have a stand-out moment that drastically moved the needle regarding their polling. Since the debate, former President Trump’s lead in the polls has increased; he now leads with 58% of support, compared to DeSantis’s 15%. Following Wednesday night, writers at the Washington Post and Brookings asserted the debate has become a competition for second place and former President Trump’s vice president role. Following the debate, a spokesperson for Donald Trump’s campaign took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to state that they felt the debate was “inconsequential” and to call for the RNC to “immediately put an end to any further primary debates.” The third GOP debate is planned for November 8, 2023 in Miami, Florida.