The former president, who is involved in several legal battles, opted to forego the debates in favor of meeting with employees in the car sector in the pivotal state of Michigan.
Simi Valley: At the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday, seven candidates for president of the United States sparred on immigration, China, and the economy. However, they kept some of their most vehement comments to criticize front-runner Donald Trump for skipping the event.
The former president, who is involved in several legal battles, opted to forego the debates in favor of meeting with employees in the car sector in the pivotal state of Michigan.
The former president’s greatest rival among the contenders, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, said that the 77-year-old businessman was hiding “behind the walls of his golf clubs” as a result of Trump’s absence.
“You’re avoiding these issues, and I’ll let you know what will happen. If you keep acting that way, you won’t be referred to as Donald Trump any more. The zinger earned him boos as he responded, “We’re going to call you a Donald Duck.”
As well as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, and Trump’s vice president Mike Pence, Christie was competing against Trump’s main competitor, Ron DeSantis.
Blue-collar experience
The final candidates for the debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California, hosted by Fox Business and Univision, were North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
In Michigan, more than 2,000 miles (3,000 kilometers) away, Trump was making an effort to bolster his blue-collar credentials and criticize President Joe Biden’s pro-worker image after the latter visited striking union members in the state on Tuesday.
“Joe Biden asserts to be the history’s most pro-union president. Nonsense. Consider it. In a speech at a non-union workplace, Trump claimed that his entire career had been an act of economic treason and union destruction.
The first subject of the discussion focused on how to handle the United Auto employees’ strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, which is currently in its second week, underscoring the significance of union employees as a voting group.
Ramaswamy expressed compassion for the employees, but Scott made it plain that immigration was more important than the labor conflict.
Joe Biden has no business being at the picket line. Because it is dangerous, wide open, and unsecure, he should be on the southern border fighting to seal it, Scott added.
According to a recent NBC News survey, 59 percent of Republican primary voters chose Trump as their preferred candidate, with DeSantis coming in as a distant second at 16 percent. Trump’s legal issues haven’t significantly impacted this advantage.
DeSantis went unquestioned for the first 16 minutes despite being the front-runner onstage. When it was finally his turn, he responded by criticizing the front-runner for not being present.
“Donald Trump is nowhere to be seen. He ought to be here tonight,” DeSantis declared. “He owes it to you, to defend his record, where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt that set the stage for the inflation we have.”
Christie slammed the former president’s record on immigration restriction, which is a key factor in the current federal budget impasse that is stalling Congress and endangering a government shutdown.
The presidential contenders agreed on many points despite a contentious discussion in which they sometimes shouted over one another. However, there was actual disagreement about the conflict in Ukraine, with Christie, Scott, and Pence maintaining US support for Kiev in contrast to DeSantis and Ramaswamy’s pessimism.
Ramaswamy justified his presence at an event sponsored by the Chinese-owned video app TikTok, which is prohibited on US government devices, by stating he was reaching out to young people in response to multiple inquiries regarding the rising threat from Beijing.
Haley said to the businessman, “Honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit stupid for what you say.
In particular, the border control policy suggestions that were discussed during the two-hour debate received a scathing response from the Biden team.
According to spokesperson Kevin Munoz, “Not one person on that stage is serious about passing meaningful immigration reform, and it shows.”
