Republicans' Identical Outfits at Debate Spark Flood of Memes, Jokes

The first Republican primary debate was full of tension, pointing fingers, and red ties.

Eight candidates running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination faced off at a Fox News-hosted forum Wednesday night, the first official GOP debate of the election. Those on the debate stage were questioned about their stances on abortion, aid for Ukraine, and former President Donald Trump—who was notably not in attendance.

But despite offering varying opinions on the top issues pressing Republican voters, most of the candidates had one thing in common Wednesday—their outfits.

All seven men in attendance were sporting a navy blue jacket, red tie and an American flag pin. The only candidate who stood out on the surface was former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the only woman on the stage, who was wearing a light blue jacket.

The matching outfits sparked a flood of jokes on social media, including from former Democratic Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger, who wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, "[Were] they all issued the same red tie."

Vanessa Friedman, journalist and chief fashion critic at the New York Times, also noted the matching uniforms in a post on X, writing along with a photo of the debate stage, "Way to distinguish yourselves from the get-go, guys."

Retired editorial cartoonist at the Philadelphia Daily News Signe Wilkinson posted a drawing of the debate candidates on her X account, writing, "Who's the angriest of them all?"

"Thanks to Nikki Haley for not wearing dark blue and a red tie," Wilkinson added.

WWE host Scott Stanford also joked on his X account, "I think the guy in the blue suit and red tie is doing a great job in this debate!"

Menswear blogger Derek Guy noted that the navy blue jacket and red tie combination is also Trump's "signature" look. The former president is usually spotted in the same uniform during his campaign events, including during the 2016 and 2020 presidential debates.

Mike Crispi, former New Jersey congressional candidate and host of the conservative podcast "Mike Crispi Unafraid," posted a photo of the debate state noted the matching outfits, writing, "They all want to be Trump. But they'll never be Trump."

Trump claimed he did not need to participate in Wednesday's debate due to his leading polling numbers, which have consistently placed him with a double-digit lead over his Republican challengers. Instead, the former president pre-recorded an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, which Carlson released on his X account at the same time that the debate began.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign via email for comment.