Washington [US], August 25: Yesterday (August 24, Vietnam time), 8 Republican presidential candidates in the US had their first debate for the election in 2024.
The nominees include former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator Tim Scott, former governors Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
The event took place in the city of Milwaukee (Wisconsin state), coordinated by a Fox News journalist with about 4,000 live attendees. Former President Donald Trump, who is the leading candidate in the polls, did not participate in the debate. Instead, a pre-recorded interview of him with former Fox host Tucker Carlson, was posted to social media X just minutes before the debate and has been viewed more than 74 million times. , according to Reuters.
Although he did not attend, Mr. Trump still occupied the center of the debate besides topics such as the economy, abortion rights. Six out of eight candidates raised their hands to confirm they would support if Mr. Trump became the party's candidate, even if the former president was found guilty by a court of law. The two people who did not raise their hands were Mr. Hutchinson and Mr. Christie. Mr. Trump has been indicted in four cases and is the first former US president to face criminal charges.
Despite raising their hands in support, the other six candidates also made criticisms of Trump. Notably, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called her appointee "the most unpopular politician in America" and the Republicans could not win if Mr. Trump won the party's nomination. .
Meanwhile, businessman Ramaswamy is Mr. Trump's biggest supporter and calls the former White House owner "the best president of the 21st century". As a new face on the political scene, Mr. Ramaswamy (38 years old) is considered more prominent than other opponents in the debate.
As central as Mr. Ramaswamy, Mr. DeSantis has fallen dramatically short of his predictions and many, according to Reuters. Considered the second-biggest contender in the party, polls show Mr DeSantis' approval ratings are steadily declining, contradicting his claims that he is the preferred choice of voters over Mr. Trump.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
