Republican candidates attacked Joe Biden’s stewardship of the US economy at the first presidential debate of the 2024 race, with vows to dismantle an economic program the president has made a centerpiece of his reelection campaign.
“We must reverse Bidenomics so that middle class families have a chance to succeed again,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “We need to lower your gas prices — we’re going to open up all energy production. We will be energy dominant.”
US Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina said federal spending under Biden had fueled inflation that reached a four-decade high under Biden.
“What we also need to understand is that Joe Biden’s Bidenomics has led to the loss of $10,000 of spending power for the average family,” Scott said. “We can stop that by turning the spigot off at Washington, sending the money back to the states.”
The economy remains a vulnerability for Biden, with voters giving him poor remarks despite recent data showing jobs gains, steady gross domestic product, and cooling inflation — providing an opening for Republicans eager to replace him.
But the debate on the economy also highlighted the divisions on stage. Former Vice President Mike Pence defended his and former President Donald Trump’s policies, saying their administration had shored up the military and strengthened US economic security.
Pence used the moment to jab at entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a first time politician who is polling ahead of the former vice president at third in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls.
“Now is not the time for on-the-job training. We don’t need to bring in a rookie,” Pence said.
The debate took place with the GOP frontrunner, Trump, absent from the stage. Trump counter-programmed the event by airing a pre-recorded interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
“If you’re leading by at one poll 70 points, why am I doing it if I’m going to have all these people screaming at me shouting questions at me?” Trump told Carlson. As the debate unfolded, the former president’s campaign sent out emails on his record appointing conservative justices to the Supreme Court and limits on abortion.
Trump has gained support from Republican voters since he was hit with the first of now four indictments alleging a wide array of crimes from the mishandling of classified documents to trying to overturn the 2020 election results.
Read more: 2024 GOP Candidates Outline Plans Ahead of First Debate
Wednesday’s debate is a make-or-break moment for many candidates on stage, in particular DeSantis. DeSantis has consistently been a distant second to Trump, but has steadily slid in polls due to a series of political missteps and campaign problems.
Rivals including Ramaswamy and Scott have seen fresh polling gains in early primary states, like Iowa and New Hampshire. The debate affords them the opportunity to harness that energy and potentially surpass DeSantis.
Ramaswamy jokingly introduced himself as a “skinny guy with a funny name,” echoing a similar comment from then Senator Barack Obama at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
Christie seized on the moment. “The last person in one of these debates, Bret, who stood in the middle of the stage and said, ‘What’s a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here’ was Barack Obama, and I’m afraid we’re dealing with the same type of amateur,” he told moderator Bret Baier.
(Updates throughout)
Author: Laura Davison, Stephanie Lai and Gregory Korte