Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy “the most obnoxious blowhard in America.” Ramaswamy said former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is “the only person more fascist” than Democratic President Joe Biden. Later in the fourth Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, he waved a handwritten note reading “Nikki = Corrupt,” as the audience audibly groaned.
Quick Read
- Heated Exchanges in GOP Debate: The fourth Republican presidential debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, featured intense and personal attacks among candidates. Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy were particularly confrontational, with Christie calling Ramaswamy “the most obnoxious blowhard in America,” and Ramaswamy labeling Nikki Haley as more fascist than Joe Biden.
- Ramaswamy’s Aggressive Attacks: Ramaswamy, currently fourth in most polls, aggressively attacked his rivals. He mocked Christie’s weight and past political scandal, telling him to “get the hell out of this race.” He also accused Haley of corruption and challenged her foreign policy knowledge.
- Candidates Focus on Breakout Moments: With less than six weeks until the Iowa caucuses, candidates were looking for moments to stand out and cut into Donald Trump’s significant lead in the polls.
- Haley Attempts to Stay Above Fray: Nikki Haley, despite being a frequent target of Ramaswamy’s attacks, tried to maintain composure, often choosing not to respond directly to his accusations.
- Christie’s Critique of Trump: Chris Christie, who has consistently criticized Trump, compared him to Voldemort, indicating that other candidates are afraid to speak against Trump openly.
- Debate Dynamics: The debate dynamics highlighted the candidates’ awareness of the need for impactful moments to challenge Trump’s dominance in the Republican primary race.
- Haley Under Attack: During the fourth Republican presidential debate, Nikki Haley faced attacks from fellow candidates, reflecting her perceived threat as she gains interest from voters and donors.
- Trump’s Absence: The debate showed former President Donald Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party, with most candidates focusing on each other rather than criticizing Trump.
- DeSantis and Haley’s Rivalry: The debate highlighted a rivalry between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, particularly over their stances on China and corporate interests.
- Christie’s Stand Against Trump: Chris Christie was vocal in his criticism of Trump, challenging DeSantis to openly declare whether he thinks Trump is fit for presidency.
- Ramaswamy’s Tactics: Vivek Ramaswamy continued his pattern of aggressive and personal attacks against his rivals, particularly targeting Haley and Christie.
- Limited Impact of Debate: The debate’s impact on the presidential race is uncertain, given its airing on a lesser-known network and absence of major campaign surrogates in the spin room.
- Candidates’ Focus: The debate’s focus was more on personal attacks and defending against accusations rather than substantive policy discussions.
- Trump’s Dominance: The debate setting in Alabama, along with recent endorsements, underscored Trump’s strong position in the Republican primary race.
Reuters has the story:
‘Obnoxious Blowhard,’ ‘Fascist,’ ‘Voldemort’: Attacks got Personal at 4th GOP debate
Newslooks- TUSCALOOSA, Alabama, (Reuters)
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy “the most obnoxious blowhard in America.” Ramaswamy said former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is “the only person more fascist” than Democratic President Joe Biden. Later in the fourth Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, he waved a handwritten note reading “Nikki = Corrupt,” as the audience audibly groaned.
The four candidates on stage in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, showed little reticence in attacking each other in what could be their last face-off before the Iowa caucuses, which kick off the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest in less than six weeks’ time.
Christie and Ramaswamy, in particular, did not hold back on the insults during fiery exchanges.
Ramaswamy, who sits in fourth place in most national polls and has frequently attacked his rivals at previous debates, was particularly acid.
At one point, he appeared to poke fun at Christie’s weight, while referencing a past scandal in which allies of the former governor closed a bridge to exact retribution on political rivals.
“Chris, your version of foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York,” Ramaswamy said. “So do everybody a favor, just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal and get the hell out of this race.”
All the candidates on stage were keenly aware of the need for a breakout moment that will help them eat into frontrunner Donald Trump‘s more than 40-point-plus lead in most polls. If that meant hitting low, so be it.
In a discussion about foreign policy, Ramaswamy said he was happy to get his three-year-old son to help Haley find Israel on a map.
Haley accused both Ramaswamy and DeSantis of lying several times during the debate but tried to stay above the fray.
“No, it’s not worth my time to respond to him,” she said at one point when asked if she wanted to respond to Ramaswamy’s accusation that she was corrupt.
Christie rebuked Ramaswamy for insulting Haley’s intelligence, but that not did not stop the former New Jersey governor from disparaging Trump.
Decrying the reluctance of his rivals on stage to publicly criticize Trump, Christie compared the former president to Voldemort, the fictional wizard from the Harry Potter series who is so evil people are afraid to utter his name.
“Voldemort – he who shall not be named,” Christie said. “They don’t want to talk about it.”
The four Republican presidential candidates were given several opportunities Wednesday to criticize former President Donald Trump, who was absent from the debate again. But they mostly targeted each other, with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley taking the brunt of the attacks as she gets more interest from donors and voters.
With just over a month before the 2024 primary calendar begins, the debate demonstrated how firm Trump’s grip remains on the party.
But the focus on Haley reflected how other candidates perceive her as a threat to their chances of taking on Trump directly. Aside from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, most the candidates have spent more time in debates going after each other than taking aim at Trump, reflecting the former president’s popularity among Republicans and what many see as diminishing returns in attacking him.
The last scheduled debate before Iowa’s GOP caucuses on Jan. 15 may have limited impact on the race, airing on a lesser-known television network, NewsNation, from a state Republican presidential candidates have carried since 1980.
Trump remains dominant in national and early-state polls. And after holding counterprogramming rallies during the first three debates, he didn’t bother this time and instead went to a closed-door fundraiser. His campaign posted an ad during the debate focusing on President Joe Biden as both parties head toward a potential rematch of the 2020 election Trump lost.
Christie repeatedly tore into Trump on Wednesday and challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to answer directly if he believed Trump was fit or unfit to be president again. The crowd at the University of Alabama booed him at one point as he attacked Trump.
“His conduct is unacceptable. He’s unfit. And be careful of what you’re going to get,” warned Christie, who has been alone among leading Republicans in his focus on the race’s clear front-runner.
“There is no bigger issue in this race than Donald Trump,” he said earlier.
DeSantis suggested Trump, who is 77, is too old for the job.
“Over a four-year period, it is not a job for someone that’s pushing 80,” DeSantis said. “We need someone who’s younger.”
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy again raised his hand as a candidate who would support Trump even if he were convicted in any of the four felony indictments he faces. Ramaswamy accused his other opponents of bowing to Trump for years to secure political posts or financial gain, but the closest the 38-year-old ever came to criticizing Trump was to call for a new generation of leadership.
Haley stood silently during the extended discussion, and neither the moderators nor her rivals asked for her opinion.
The debate’s brief focus on Trump was a reprieve for Haley, who spent most of the debate on the defensive.
DeSantis accused Haley of backing down from media criticism and Ramaswamy suggested she was too close to corporate interests as she gets new attention from donors. He touted his own willingness to pick high-profile fights with his critics and went after Haley just moments into the debate, reflecting the rivalry between the two candidates reflected in dueling early-state television ads.
They also tussled over China, long an animating issue for conservatives worried about Beijing’s influence. Later in the debate, Haley credited Trump for taking a hard line with Beijing on trade but said he was too passive on other fronts, including allowing China to capture American technology for its own military use and purchase American farmland.
Interrupting Haley, DeSantis accused her of allowing Chinese investment in South Carolina when she was governor and suggested her corporate donors would never allow her to be tough on Beijing.
“First of all, he’s mad because those Wall Street donors used to support him and now they support me,” Haley retorted before accusing DeSantis of being soft on Chinese investment in Florida.
Ramaswamy, always the most eager to deliver personal barbs on the debate stage, turned a foreign policy discussion into another attack on Haley, seemingly trolling her to name provinces in Ukraine and suggesting she does not understand the country. As he kept piling on, Christie stepped in to declare Haley “a smart, accomplished woman” and dismiss Ramaswamy as “the most obnoxious blowhard in America.”
With Trump absent, the atmosphere around the debate lacked some of the buzz sometimes associated with such affairs, especially in ostensibly open primaries. Less than two hours to go before the opening salvo, the media room, which is normally the practice hall for the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band, was barely half full. The television and radio platforms around the periphery — the spin room, in debate parlance — were noticeably quiet, lacking the high-profile surrogates or campaign staffers who might normally be appearing live on cable news or talk radio to pitch on their candidates’ behalf.
Outside Moody Music Hall on campus, more buzz came from state high school football championship games being played in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The debate may have been hard to find for many prospective viewers. It aired on NewsNation, a cable network still trying to build its audience after taking over WGN America three years ago. NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas moderated alongside Megyn Kelly, a former Fox News anchor who now hosts a popular podcast, and Eliana Johnson of the conservative news site Washington Free Beacon.
The field of invited candidates has shrunk in half since eight were on the stage at the first debate in Milwaukee in August, as the Republican National Committee tightened the criteria to reach the stage each time. For Tuesday, candidates had to get at least 6% in multiple polls and amass 80,000 unique donors.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have all dropped out of the race after participating in at least one debate. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is continuing his campaign but failed to qualify.
The debate setting in Alabama was another reminder of Trump’s strong position — and how he outpaced an even larger Republican field when he first ran and won in 2016. Trump swept Southern primaries from Virginia to Arkansas and Louisiana in his first campaign.
He further demonstrated his hold this week with an endorsement from Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, who ascended in Republican politics from the party’s establishment wing but chose the debate in her home state as the right time to align herself with the former president.
