At least seven Republican presidential hopefuls are expected to take the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday for the first GOP primary debate of the 2024 election cycle.
The debate is the biggest opportunity yet for the field of candidates to pitch themselves to millions of voters nationwide after spending weeks and months courting Republicans in early primary and caucus states like New Hampshire and Iowa.
Here’s what to watch for:
Does Ron DeSantis receive the brunt of the attacks?
DeSantis and his campaign have predicted for weeks that the Florida governor will take most of the heat on the debate stage. Andrew Romeo, the communications director for DeSantis’ campaign, told the Miami Herald last week that the governor’s GOP rivals “will have their knives out for Ron DeSantis.”
Exactly how DeSantis handles that incoming fire remains a key question. A debate strategy memo from the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down that was quietly posted online – and later removed – last week advised the governor to “hammer” entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, but focus otherwise on attacking President Joe Biden and defending former President Donald Trump against expected criticism.
DeSantis has dismissed that memo, telling Fox News over the weekend that he hasn’t read it and noting that it didn’t come from his campaign. He also said that he will be “ready to do what we need to do” to respond to any criticism he gets on the debate stage on Wednesday.
Does DeSantis moderate his message at all?
Since launching his 2024 bid in May, DeSantis has sought to carve out a lane for himself in the race by moving to the political right of Trump. He’s talked at length about a plan to “rip the woke out of the military,” called for the use of deadly force against suspected drug traffickers at the U.S. southern border and tried to one-up the former president’s pledge to “drain the swamp” by promising to “break the swamp.”
But despite his best efforts to win over the GOP’s most conservative voters, most of them are sticking with Trump, according to most early state and national polls. Some DeSantis allies and donors have suggested that the governor moderate his message in order to broaden his appeal. The debate could be a prime opportunity to test out a new strategy.
There are a few signs that DeSantis may be looking to soften his image a bit. Speaking with conservative radio host Erick Erickson at a gathering in Atlanta on Friday, DeSantis said that the debate was an opportunity to introduce himself on a more personal level to voters who haven’t paid much attention to the race so far.
How much attention does Trump get?
After weeks of teasing that he could skip the Aug. 23 Republican debate, Trump confirmed on Sunday that he won’t participate. The question now is whether he still manages to steal the show.
Some candidates like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have already indicated that they’ll go after Trump and his record during the debate.
The former president also doesn’t appear likely to cede the spotlight to his Republican rivals; a person familiar with Trump’s plans said that he will appear in a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that will be released Wednesday night.
