The Second Republican Debate: Summary and Fact Checking
Reported By: Sierra Reisman
Illustrated By: Addie Patterson
On Sept. 27, seven Republican presidential hopefuls gathered in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to earn the support of the American people. The candidates included Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgam. Conspicuously absent was former President Donald Trump. Candidates discussed a wide range of issues while stepping on each other's toes and spread some misinformation in the process.
Starting with the economy, most of the candidates denounced President Biden’s economic policies, and called for tax cuts, the lowering of inflation, and a reversal of anti-climate change policies. DeSantis emphasized the need to eliminate America’s economic reliance on China as a path for economic growth. Pence called for American energy independence and suggested that “unleashing American energy” was the path forward to reducing gas prices.
Burgam blamed mishandled government subsidies as responsible for rising insurance costs. Ramaswamy repeatedly emphasized the importance of “putting Americans back to work” as a key to economic growth even though the US unemployment rate is already the lowest it’s been in fifty-four years. And, it was noted that none of the candidates who encouraged reliance on fossil fuels for economic growth addressed how such a decision would impact climate change.
Another issue the debate focused on was immigration. Christie called for the US to treat undocumented immigration as a “law enforcement issue” and invoked strong law and order rhetoric in his stance. Haley called for the US to defund sanctuary cities, and in a particularly radical statement, Ramaswmay declared a plan to end birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented migrants–such a move which would violate the Fourteenth Amendment.
Many candidates addressed the issue of fentanyl use and overdose in the United States. Haley and Scott called for cracking down on Mexican drug cartels bringing fentanyl over the border, and Haley also blamed China for sending fentanyl to the United States. Most candidates framed fentanyl trafficking as an immigration/foreign policy issue; however, in 2022, 88% of fentanyl trafficking convictions were US citizens, and only 0.02% of those arrested at the border were carrying fentanyl.
Finally, the debate shifted to focus on pressing social and cultural issues. DeSantis and Christie emphasized their anti-abortion stances. Ramaswamy and Haley expressed concerns about TikTok and general social media use by American youth. Most candidates endorsed school choice and increased parental involvement and transparency in the classroom to combat ‘indoctrination.’
Ramaswamy took another radical stance on transgender healthcare stating that “transgenderism in children is a mental health disorder.” This is a position that even the American Psychological Association does not support. Also, Pence and Ramaswamy both made statements against access to gender-affirming care.
The absence of Donald Trump was keenly felt in this debate, as he has a massive lead in the polls. In a survey of George Fox University (GFU) history and politics students, one student shared that “we can’t actually see what we’re working with […] until Trump participates in a debate.” Another student called the debate a “disaster of a disunified Republican party” and expressed that none of the candidates were able to provide a compelling Republican alternative to Trump. A majority of the students surveyed agreed that the debate was a mixed bag and only some of the candidates successfully communicated their campaign platforms.
Finally, in case you found the politics depressing, here are the best quotes of the night:
“No one up here’s gonna call you Donald Trump anymore; we’re gonna call you Donald Duck.” - Chris Christie on Trump’s absence.
“I gotta admit, I’ve been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years” - Mike Pence
“Everytime I hear you speak, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say.” - Nikki Haley
Honorable mention: “Thank you for speaking while I’m interrupting…” - Vivek Ramaswamy