MILWAUKEE — As anticipated, the initial Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday followed familiar lines: a prominent candidate at the center of attention faced strong criticism and responded aggressively to opponents who criticized him.
However, the expected target wasn't Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has consistently trailed former President Donald Trump by a wide margin in most GOP presidential primary polls. Instead, it was Vivek Ramaswamy, the emerging entrepreneur who aligns himself closely with Trump and is gaining ground on DeSantis in some of these polls.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie criticized Ramaswamy, likening him to "someone sounding like ChatGPT standing up here." Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley argued that Ramaswamy's policy proposals concerning Ukraine, China, and Israel could weaken America's security. And former Vice President Mike Pence labeled him a "novice" with no relevant experience.
In response, Ramaswamy counterattacked vigorously. He suggested that Christie was angling for a cable news contributor contract and mockingly wished Haley success in her potential future roles on the boards of defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Addressing Pence, he derided his opponents as "puppets of super PACs," even though he himself is supported by a super PAC.
According to an NBC News tracker, Ramaswamy launched more attacks than any other candidate on the stage, but he also received more criticism than his rivals.
A charismatic and eloquent speaker, 38-year-old Ramaswamy has rapidly risen from relative obscurity to the upper echelons of the Republican presidential primary. He has fully embraced Trump, engaged with a wide range of media outlets, and promised to extend the loose ideology of Trumpism beyond its original scope. However, the debate highlighted that others, including his fellow candidates, perceive Ramaswamy as lacking depth, willing to make statements without considering consequences, and exhibiting contradictions between his current positions and those he held in the recent past.
A seasoned GOP strategist not affiliated with any candidate or campaign remarked, "If you're a Trump supporter, you'll love Vivek, and those individuals will say he was fantastic. But to the broader public, he came across as a petulant, arrogant child."
After the debate, in the spin room, Ramaswamy stated that he took it as a positive sign that he received the most attention during the debate. He commented, "At least three to four different establishment politicians were targeting me."
When asked if he benefited from Trump's absence, Ramaswamy responded, "I think I did benefit from the fact that the other individuals on stage seemed very threatened by me."
Interestingly, Trump's campaign and allies appeared to relish Ramaswamy's performance, finding satisfaction in the businessman receiving more attention than the Florida governor, who has been the primary target of Trump's criticism.
Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump, expressed, "Vivek clearly demonstrated his desire to be on that stage and be part of the discussion. He seized the opportunity presented to him and put up a fight." LaCivita noted that the debate centered around the former vice president, Vivek, and occasionally Nikki and Chris Christie, with the rest of the candidates being overshadowed.
Representative Byron Donalds, a Trump supporter, humorously compared Ramaswamy to the missile that many expected Christie to be on stage. He quipped, "It was Vivek who essentially took out Christie, withstanding the attack and also targeted Mike Pence."