Originally published September 28, 2023 7:21 am PDT
During the Wednesday evening Fox News Republican debate, a moment of unity emerged amid the prevalent discord, as GOP candidates collectively refused to engage in a staged elimination stunt.
The debate, primarily marked by disputes and candidates talking over each other, took a turn when host Dana Perino presented a scenario framing the debate as a reality show popularity contest.
Perino emphasized the potential consequences of the crowded field, asserting, “It’s now obvious that if you all stay in the race, former president Donald Trump wins the nomination.”
She then posed a provocative question to the candidates, asking, “None of you have indicated that you’re dropping out. So which one of you, on stage tonight, should be voted off the island?”
The candidates were instructed by Perino to “Please use your marker to write your choice on the notepad in front of you, 15 seconds starting now.”
However, the attempt to pit the candidates against each other was met with resistance.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was the first to voice his objection, stating, “With all due respect, like we’re here, we’re happy to debate but I think that’s disrespectful to my fellow competitors.”
The overall atmosphere of the debate was one of contention, with most candidates, many of whom are polling in the low single digits, engaging in relentless back-and-forth exchanges.
However, the candidates’ refusal to participate in the elimination stunt highlighted a moment of solidarity among them.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, another candidate on the stage, was observed beginning to write something down, leading another moderator, Stuart Varney, to inquire about his choice.
Christie responded firmly, “I vote Donald Trump off the island right now.”
He continued to express his concerns about the divisive impact of Trump, saying, “Every person on this stage has shown the respect for Republican voters to come here to express their views honestly candidly and directly and to take your questions honestly.”
Christie emphasized the divisive nature of Trump’s influence, stating that he “has not only divided our party; he’s divided families all over this country. He’s divided friends all over this country.”
He illustrated his point by mentioning instances where people couldn’t converse at family gatherings like Thanksgiving dinner or birthday parties due to disagreements about Donald Trump.
“He needs to be voted off this island and taken out of this process,” he concluded.
Former President Donald Trump, who skipped the debate to instead deliver a speech to current and former union members outside Detroit, Michigan, took aim at Christie on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Chris Christie is talking about the job he did as Governor. He had a 9% approval rating. N.J. wanted to throw the ‘bum’ out,” Trump wrote in the post.
