Eight Republican presidential candidates took the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night for the first GOP primary debate of the 2024 election cycle. Former President Donald Trump, who is leading the polls, chose to skip the showdown and instead taped an interview with Tucker Carlson. The debate kicked off with the candidates training their fire at President Biden, and it remains to be seen how they will fare in the coming months as they continue to campaign for the Republican nomination.
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The first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential contest is set to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eight candidates have met the qualifications and will be on stage, while former President Donald Trump plans to counterprogram the event. Questions about Trump’s character and fitness for office have been a major topic of discussion in the race, and the debate will be a key moment for the eight candidates to make their mark and stand out from the pack.
The House Ways and Means Committee, led by Republican Representative Jason Smith, has subpoenaed two senior IRS officials and four other IRS and FBI officials to testify before Congress about an October 2022 meeting. The investigation is related to the Justice Department's investigation into Hunter Biden and the committee has requested documents and communications related to the meeting. The two IRS officials subpoenaed are Michael Batdorf and Darrell Waldon, while the four other officials have yet to be identified.
A new poll released by NBC News, the Des Moines Register, and Mediacom shows that former President Donald Trump is the heavy front-runner in Iowa’s Republican presidential primary, with 42% of likely caucusgoers planning to support him as their first choice. The poll also found that 79% of Iowa Republicans approve of the job Trump did as president, and only 37% of likely caucusgoers said they would be more likely to support a candidate who is a strong supporter of Trump. The poll results come as the Iowa caucuses are set to take place on January 15th, suggesting that Trump is in a strong position to win the Republican nomination in Iowa.
The House Freedom Caucus has declared that they will not support a temporary spending bill unless it includes language on border security, new laws to address the “weaponization” of the Justice Department and FBI, and a shift in some of the Pentagon’s policies. This announcement has increased the chances of a government shutdown, as the provisions they are demanding are likely to be opposed by Senate Democrats and the White House. The Freedom Caucus has been a powerful force in the House since 2015, and their latest statement makes it clear that they will not support any bill that does not include their demands.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has suggested that former President Donald Trump should withdraw from the 2024 Republican presidential race due to his legal troubles, which Cassidy believes will lead to a conviction. Cassidy believes that any of the GOP candidates expected to participate in the first debate would be better equipped to beat Joe Biden than Trump, and that Trump will lose to Biden if the current polls are accurate. Trump has yet to officially announce his candidacy, but his legal troubles may be a major obstacle in his path to the White House.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) argued that the American people will be the real losers of Wednesday's Republican presidential debate due to the "weird" selection of GOP candidates. Walz expressed his concerns about the candidates, such as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signing a six-week abortion ban, and questioned what the candidates would debate. He believes the candidates will not be able to provide the leadership the country needs.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has qualified for the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday, while former President Donald Trump has confirmed he will be skipping the debate. Trump's campaign has also reached the minimum threshold of 40,000 unique donors to qualify for the debate, and he is expected to sign the party's pledge to support its eventual nominee. Hutchinson has thanked the tens of thousands of supporters who have contributed to his campaign and helped him qualify for the debate.