Biggest Winners and Losers From Republican Primary Debate

Republican presidential candidates traded jabs during the first primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, as they sought to distinguish themselves from former President Donald Trump without alienating the party's conservative voter base.

Trump did not participate in the debate, but his voter base is expected to dominate the primary elections next year. Syracuse University Professor of Political Science Grant Davis Reeher told Newsweek striking this balance is the "basic challenge" for each of the eight candidates who qualified for and attended the debate.

"Each candidate has to distinguish him or herself from Trump, and provide some critical contrasts, while not going so all-in on deep criticism as to completely alienate themselves from those primary voters who are at this point inclined to support the former president," Reeher told Newsweek. "Of course, for Trump's deepest supporters, anything other than praise will be perceived as treason."

Meena Bose, the executive dean of Hofstra University's Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, told Newsweek that candidates needed to show "steadiness," avoid errors and convey a "seriousness" that they could be a feasible presidential candidate.

Winner: Nikki Haley

Former South Carolina Governor and United States Ambassador Nikki Haley secured social media praise for her debate performance, including many who sided with her during a discussion on how the party should tackle abortion, which has become a complicated issue for Republicans in recent years.

"We need to stop demonizing this issue. This is talking about the fact that unelected justices didn't need to decide something this personal," said Haley, adding that Republicans need to "humanize the situation" and find consensus on the issue.

She did not shy away from calling out her own party on issues like abortion and the national debt while remaining sharply critical of President Joe Biden, scoring her some praise on social media.

Claudia Conway, the daughter of former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway who has been sharply critical of the GOP, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in response to her remarks: "Nikki Haley saying we need to humanize the reproductive health issue instead of demonize it and that no woman should be penalized for getting an abortion is probably the most refreshing thing i've heard so far. obviously don't agree with everything she said but the accountability is great."

Beyond abortion, Haley went head-to-head with her opponents on Ukraine, calling for "moral clarity" on the issue while slamming entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy's stance on Ukraine aid.

"You are choosing a murderer over a pro-American country," Haley said.

Winner: Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced a tumultuous few weeks leading up to the debate, dealing with struggling poll numbers, concerns that he has struggled to connect with voters, and criticism about his conservative social policies surrounding abortion.

Bose told Newsweek that DeSantis needed to work on "regaining momentum" after dropping in the polls. She said: "Governor DeSantis needs a public reset to show that in fact he can move past the Trump presidency, and present a more effective governing platform for the GOP."

During the debate, he highlighted his success in passing conservative policies in Florida, a state that is roughly evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. He focused on his policies surrounding education and the economy, while walking a fine line on abortion.

He said he would "stand on the side of life" if elected president, while also noting that states will handle the issue differently from one another.

"Wisconsin is going to do it differently from Texas. Iowa and New Hampshire are going to do it differently," he said.

Loser: Chris Christie

From the moment Fox News moderator Bret Baier brought up Trump as the "elephant not in the room" to boos from the audience at his remark, Christie knew he was in unfriendly territory. Christie stuck to his previous statements, making his case against Trump in measured ways and refusing to normalize Trump's conduct. He stayed the course despite repeated jeers from the audience.

Ramaswamy stuck by Trump's side, agreeing to support him if he becomes the eventual GOP nominee and being the only candidate to declare that he'd pardon Trump if he should be found guilty on federal charges related to election interference and the January 6 Capitol riots. "These are politicized indictments," Ramaswamy shot back at Christie to continued boos from the audience.

Christie's vocal stance refuting Trump and his actions continues to hold him back among primary voters who overwhelmingly support Trump as the eventual Republican nominee.

Reeher explained to Newsweek the challenge Christie faced going into the debate.

"For him, he is hoping that the deeply critical voice will distinguish himself from both the former president and the rest of the pack, and that he'll be able to withstand the blowback," he said.

Winners: Moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum

Reining in strong personalities in presidential debates is a big task. In 2020, Chris Wallace referred to the Trump-Biden debates as "out of control," and it reached the point where a mute button was hastily added for the final debate.

Compared to those 2020 fireworks, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum allowed candidates enough space to make their positions heard while throwing in some of their pre-planned soundbites and allowing feisty interactions. Despite rule-bending side conversations and regular bell ringing from the moderators, nothing got too far off of the pre-planned track.

The two managed to curtail a loud rabble between candidates through chiding and cutoffs when needed. "When we hear this bell, that means your time is done," noted Baier at one point as MacCallum said, "We need some ground rules, people."

MacCallum and Baier filled the 2-hour run time with a broad array of topics that made candidates' common ground and differences clear. From economics and border security to pro-life stances to opinions on Trump, the moderators were able to keep candidates from long monologues that kept the debate away from a single-issue stance.

Losers: Asa Hutchinson and Doug Bergum

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and incumbent North Dakota Governor Doug Bergum have struggled in the polls compared with the other candidates on the stage, meaning the stakes were especially high for the two as they aim to secure enough support to make the next debate stage.

While neither had any major slip-ups or mistakes, they struggled to stand out.

Hutchinson highlighted his deeply conservative stance on abortion but faced boos from some audience members over his criticisms of Trump. Bergum, meanwhile, stuck to discussing policy but struggled to excite the audience. The crowd's lukewarm reaction to the two may signal that Republican voters could move to support other candidates, jeopardizing their participation in future debates, the next of which is scheduled for September 27 in Simi Valley, California.