The RNC debate on Wednesday was marked by discussions surrounding former President Donald Trump and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
With Trump absent from the event, his current legal predicaments and potential nomination dominated conversations among the candidates.
Vivek Ramaswamy, quickly signaling his unwavering support for Trump, raised his hand when asked by Fox News’ Bret Baier if they’d back Trump as the nominee.
Ramaswamy asserted, “We’re skating on thin ice,” cautioning that “we cannot set a precedent where the party in power uses police force to indict its political opponents,” The Post Millennial pointed out.
In stark contrast, Chris Christie voiced his reservations about Trump’s “conduct.”
However, his critical stance was not well-received, with the audience interrupting his response.
A defiant Christie shot back, “I know a lot better than you do,” adding, “You’ve never done anything to try to advance the interests of this government except to put yourself forward as a candidate tonight.”
Amid the growing debate, Tim Scott and Ron DeSantis both expressed concerns about the “weaponization of the Department of Justice.”
DeSantis underscored the importance of domestic issues, stating, “We’ve got to focus on reversing the decline of our country.”
The January 6 events resurfaced as Asa Hutchinson weighed in, suggesting Trump was “morally disqualified from being president again.”
He cited discussions around the 14th Amendment, which could potentially bar Trump from the presidency.
Ramaswamy, consistently taking a bolder stance than his counterparts, challenged the candidates, “Join me making a commitment that on day one, you would pardon Donald Trump.”
In response, Mike Pence highlighted the due process rights, noting, “President Trump is entitled to the presumption of innocence that every American is entitled to.”
However, Pence also recalled a contentious moment between him and the former president, revealing, “He asked me to put him over the Constitution. And I chose the Constitution, and I always will.”
The conversation then steered to the ongoing situation in Ukraine. Ramaswamy, branding himself the only “non neo-con” on the stage, shared his reluctance to support further financial aid for Ukraine.
“I find it offensive,” he declared, critiquing politicians who support Ukraine’s President Zelensky but overlook domestic issues.
He emphasized the need to “secure our own border instead of somebody else’s.”
Pence, advocating for a stronger stance on Ukraine, asserted that “anybody that thinks that we can’t solve the problems here in the United States and be the leader the free world has a pretty small view of the greatest nation on Earth.”
Pence suggested a potential deployment of troops, saying U.S. forces might “have to go and fight.”
Ramaswamy quickly retorted, pointing out historical inaccuracies in Pence’s argument, saying, “newsflash: the USSR does not exist anymore. It fell back in 1990.”
He warned of the emerging alliance between Russia and China, stressing, “The Russia China military alliance is the single greatest threat we face but nobody in either political party is talking about it.”
