7 Republican candidates are participating in the second debate. Here’s who missed the cut — Here’s how to watch tonight’s debate — Republicans face growing urgency to stop Trump ahead of debate — Trump is in Michigan to compete with Biden for union votes — Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidates.
The Associated Press has the story:
2nd GOP debate: A hard line against illegal immigration
Newslooks- SIMI VALLEY, California, (AP)
No new ground broken on immigration at debate
Candidates have devoted significant time to discussing the border but said nothing significantly new. Their policy prescriptions were largely in line with each other and with Trump, who made it a signature issue.
Pence, ignoring a question about what he would do to protect immigrants who came to the country as young children, spoke about a Trump-era policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings and cracking down on asylum. Ramaswamy spoke about repealing a constitutional right to birthright citizenship, a position that Trump has entertained.
Candidates spoke as if the influx of asylum-seekers began under Biden’s watch, but it began years earlier. By 2017, the United States became the world’s most popular destination for asylum-seekers, a position it has held ever since, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
Migration has unquestionably grown sharply under Biden. Border arrests topped 2.2 million at the Mexican border in the 2022 fiscal year, which runs from October to September, the highest on record and more than twice the peak year of 852,000 under Trump in 2019. Arrests topped 400,000 during Obama’s last full year in office.
People arriving in families with children under 18 are again behind surging numbers, reaching 93,108 arrests in August, surpassing the previous high of 84,486 under Trump’s watch in May 2019.So far, no talk of funding for Ukraine
The debate’s more than halfway done, but there has been no mention so far of the big political issue that is threatening a government shutdown as soon as this weekend — funding for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
Much discussion in the candidates’ first debate on Ukraine funding.
Youngest candidate says teens should avoid ‘addictive social media’
He’s the only GOP presidential candidate on TikTok, but Ramaswamy is talking about teens staying away from “addictive social media.”
In a question about security, Ramaswamy pivoted to a discussion of border security, talking about teens turning to social media like Snapchat to procure pharmaceuticals.
“If you’re 16 years old or under, you should not be using an addictive social media product, period,” he said.
Ramaswamy, who at 38 is the youngest candidate on stage, has referred to TikTok as “digital fentanyl” but earlier this month joined the platform, with his campaign saying he was angling to appeal to younger voters.
The platform has been met with bipartisan criticism that it is a potential spy mechanism for China.
Border wall won’t stop fentanyl from coming across border
DeSantis raises the possibility of military intervention in Mexico when asked about fentanyl. Ramaswamy calls for more border wall when asked about fentanyl. Both ignore some critical facts about how the drug gets into the country.
Fentanyl seizures occurred predominantly at official land crossings, where commuters and visitors smuggle drugs on their bodies or in their vehicles. From September through August, 11.4 tons of the 12.8 tons of fentanyl seized at the border Mexico were discovered at land crossings, while the remaining 1.4 tons were in between border crossings, where people enter the country illegally.
At a hearing July 12, James Mandryck, a Customs and Border Protection deputy assistant commissioner, said 73% of fentanyl seizures at the border since the previous October were smuggling attempts carried out by U.S. citizens, with the rest being done by Mexican citizens.Trump gets a nickname of his own: Donald Duck
Christie has a new name for Trump — Donald Duck.
A former ally who broke with Trump over his election denial, Christie awarded the moniker to the absent Republican front-runner for skipping the debate.
Speaking into the camera, Christie said, “I know you’re watching” because “you can’t help yourself.” And he accused Trump of being absent because “you’re afraid of being on this stage and defending your record.”
“No one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We’re going to call you Donald Duck.”
Pence is using his time onstage to remind viewers he’s a White House alumnus.
Twice asked a question about working to protect immigrants from deportation if they came with their parents as young children, Pence ignored it and emphasized his resume instead. Pence reminds voters of his time as VP.
The former vice president recalled how during the Trump administration, he had negotiated the policy to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico for court hearings in the U.S.
“This is no time for on the job training,” Pence said. “I’m going to be ready on Day 1.”Scott accuses Ramaswamy of being in business with CCP
Scott briefly shed his Mr. Nice Guy reputation to flame Ramaswamy for being “in business with the Chinese Communist Party.”
The attack line, a reference to Ramaswamy’s former career as an entrepreneur, fulfilled a promise from Scott’s campaign that the South Carolina senator would be more aggressive after being overshadowed in the first debate.
Ramaswamy responded angrily, leading to a long stretch of crosstalk that the moderators struggled to rein in.
“When you all speak at the same time, no can understand you,” said Univision anchor Ilia Calderón.Some of DeSantis’ ideas for China match Biden’s actions
DeSantis says the United States needs a “totally new approach to China.”
Part of what he calls for Biden is already doing. That includes strengthening U.S. hard power in the Indo-Pacific. DeSantis does call for “decoupling” the U.S. economy from China.
Biden is trying to wean the U.S. supply chain off China but denies seeking to decouple the two economies.
