Trump-less debate underscores GOP divisions on key issues
| Washington
The Republican debate Wednesday night in Miami did nothing to change the trajectory of the party鈥檚 2024 presidential nomination race. Former President Donald Trump, who staged a rally nearby rather than spar with primary challengers, remains the prohibitive front-runner.
But the debate was still revealing, laying bare deep divides and uncertainties in a GOP dominated today by Mr. Trump but still with strong strains of old-school Republicanism.聽These discussion points are likely to carry on into the post-Trump era.聽
Isolationism vs. internationalism聽
Why We Wrote This
Donald Trump remains the party鈥檚 likely nominee, but last night鈥檚 Republican debate highlighted widening crosscurrents 鈥� on foreign policy, abortion bans, and Social Security.
鈥淭he world is on fire,鈥� said former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, arguing for a strong U.S. posture around the world 鈥� in Ukraine, the Middle East, and potentially China.聽Ms. Haley鈥檚 position, echoed by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, contrasted sharply with that of tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who presented a Trumpian 鈥淎merica First鈥� view on Ukraine, in particular, which could mean a sharp pullback in aid.聽
Social Security
鈥淯nder no circumstances should Republicans cut entitlements,鈥� Mr. Trump has said. But some Republicans appear willing to touch what has been called the 鈥渢hird rail鈥� of politics, in light of an expected shortfall beginning in 2032.聽Ms. Haley and Mr. Christie said they鈥檇 increase the retirement age, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said they would not. Ms. Haley highlighted her fiscal hawkishness, blaming Mr. Trump for adding $8 trillion to the national debt.聽
Abortion
Republicans were stung Tuesday by election losses in races and a ballot measure in which reproductive rights were center stage. This issue, which Mr. Trump generally avoids, could be the GOP鈥檚 Achilles鈥� heel in 2024. While no GOP candidates presented themselves as favoring abortion rights, they differed in approach and tone.聽
Governor DeSantis, who trails Mr. Trump in distant second place for the nomination, asserted his support for 鈥渁 culture of life鈥� and blamed abortion opponents for being 鈥渇lat-footed鈥� on an Ohio referendum. Ms. Haley, who is gaining traction and tied Mr. DeSantis for second place聽, emphasized her desire for consensus. She called herself 鈥渦napologetically pro-life鈥� but struck a note of realism, noting that a nationwide ban on abortion at 15 weeks鈥� gestation cannot realistically pass the Senate unless Republicans somehow gain a filibuster-proof majority.
So given Mr. Trump鈥檚 dominance in GOP primary polls, was Wednesday night鈥檚 debate pointless? Not necessarily.聽It鈥檚 not impossible that something could shift the dynamics of the race. And聽many of these candidates 鈥� Ms. Haley and Mr. Desantis, in particular 鈥� could try again in 2028.
