Republican debate: Four things at stake for GOP candidates onstage

The first Republican presidential debate will be the first opportunity for most GOP candidates to appear onstage at the same time in a two-hour event and could mark a sink-or-swim moment for several campaigns.

While former President Donald Trump will not be participating in the debate in Milwaukee, other contenders, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), will be on the stage, among others. Here is what is at stake for the Republican candidates who will appear onstage going into the highly anticipated event.

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Ron DeSantis

DeSantis’s campaign has had a turbulent summer after launching in late May. The popular Florida governor has remained stagnant and far behind Trump in the national polls but is still the closest of any of the candidates to the former president, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

With Trump being absent, DeSantis will be the de-facto front-runner onstage at the debate, meaning he will be placed in the center of the stage and likely the center of most attacks. Trump’s campaign has tried to make DeSantis into what he labeled former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the 2016 Republican primary, an unlikable establishment politician.

While the attacks on DeSantis have not landed as well as the ones against Bush in 2016, the current Florida governor has a chance to dispel this notion and gain some momentum with a strong debate performance. A weak debate performance could increase doubts that DeSantis is the best alternative to Trump and elevate a different candidate or further clear the way for a third consecutive Republican nomination for the former president.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old entrepreneur and author with no political experience, has branded himself as an outsider, but heading into the debate in Milwaukee, he has been dogged with allegations of flip-flopping on various issues including Juneteenth, pardons for the Biden family, and drug legalization, among others.

The most recent controversy for Ramaswamy includes comments questioning whether federal agents were on the planes that hit the twin towers as part of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In an interview with the Atlantic, Ramaswamy brought up the idea, saying he did not believe it but that it should have been questioned whether federal agents were involved in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He claimed to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that he was misquoted, but audio released by the Atlantic proved he was not.

Nikki Haley and Tim Scott

Haley and Scott, both from South Carolina, have been discussed as alternatives to Trump and DeSantis, but both remain far behind in the polls outside of their home state. A strong performance in the debate could catapult them into the conversation against Trump, with their built-in advantage in one of the early primary states.

Neither have caused headlines this campaign, positive or negative, but they could pitch themselves in front of the debate audience, especially if DeSantis falters. A weak performance or misstep, however, could cost them their candidacy because of their lower poll numbers.

The other candidates

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will all be on the debate stage as well and could play a role in disrupting the higher polling candidates.

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Christie famously sank Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) 2016 presidential campaign and could do the same with one of the candidates in this debate. The debate will also be the first exposure to Burgum for most voters, and the North Dakota governor could build momentum for his campaign with a strong outing in Milwaukee.

The first Republican debate is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EDT and will be televised by Fox News.