MILWAUKEE (AP) — He’ll be missing from the stage, but Donald Trump will still be a central figure at the first Republican presidential primary debate Wednesday night as the remaining candidates hoping to take on President Joe Biden confront each other in person for the first time.
The debate is set for 8 p.m. central time on Wednesday night. Coverage begins on WBAP at 6 p.m.
The eight contenders who are scheduled to attend the Milwaukee debate hosted by Fox News will likely face pressure to articulate how they would differ in style and substance from Trump, who holds a commanding early lead in the race. That could be a delicate task, forcing candidates to decide how closely to align themselves with the former president’s most outlandish positions, including his lies about widespread fraud during the 2020 election.
With less than five months until the Iowa caucuses jumpstart the GOP presidential nomination process, the debate is a critical opportunity for lower-polling candidates to introduce themselves to millions of voters, many of whom are just beginning to pay attention to the race. The pressure is perhaps greatest for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who announced his campaign in May to great fanfare but has since struggled to gain traction and is now fighting to maintain his distant second-place status.
“It’s really important for the whole crowd and an opportunity for them to connect,” said former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who passed on a run of his own. But the stakes, he said, are highest for DeSantis.
“It’s really do or die for him, make or break. Finally time to show that he’s a capable candidate. And if he doesn’t,” he added, “I think this could be the end.”
Beyond DeSantis, the debate will include South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also made the cut. However, Burgum may not be able to participate in Wednesday’s debate after he injured himself this week playing basketball and was taken to the emergency room.
“It’s really do or die for him, make or break. Finally time to show that he’s a capable candidate. And if he doesn’t,” he added, “I think this could be the end.”
Beyond DeSantis, the debate will include South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Copyright 2023. Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. WBAP/KLIF News contributed to a portion of this report.
