Without former President Trump on stage, the eight "underdogs" taking part in the first Republican presidential primary debate Wednesday in Milwaukee had the opportunity to "differentiate themselves in the field," reports the New York Times. Many seized on the chance and "at certain points, you could see a flash of an old kind of pre-Trump Republican Party debate, deliberating over government spending, illegal immigration, and foreign policy," per Vox. Still, "the debate had the feel of an undercard," per CNN. Indeed, many pundits see the former president and frontrunner as the clear winner of the night. Views on four key candidates:
- Ron DeSantis: A strong early candidate who has lately floundered, the Florida governor had "the most to prove and the most to lose" and in the end "seemed like the apparent leader," having touted his successes while largely evading attacks from his rivals, per the Times. However, "his monotonous responses didn't inspire much of a response from the audience either," per Vox. According to the Washington Post, DeSantis needed to make a splash, but didn't and "ceded center stage to [Vivek] Ramaswamy for most of the night."