The most juicy moments of the first debate of the Republican Party

Potential Republican presidential candidates will hold their first debate. Without Trump

The first debate on the Republican presidential candidates will be held in Wisconsin on Wednesday. There are nine of them, but the main candidate with the largest party support - Donald Trump - will not be present at the debate.

The former president, who regained the White House, wrote on his Truth Social social platform that he would not go to Milwaukee, because he was already far ahead of the rest and saw no point in fighting for popularity.

“Society knows who I am and how successful my presidential term was. Therefore, I will not participate in the debate, ”the message says.

However, his refusal may be due to his campaign's efforts to prosecute Trump and an unwillingness to answer uncomfortable questions about the topic.

Republican debates are broadcast nationally:

The state of Wisconsin was chosen to host them for a reason. This is one of the so-called swing states, for which the participants in the presidential race are fighting especially fiercely.

In the last elections here, the Democrats in the person of Joe Biden won by a small margin. Trump himself, former US Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley are the most well-known among the Republican Party nominees.

Observers note that this time a record number of candidates entered the race for the nomination: from businessmen to mayors, senators, former and current governors.

However, in order to be admitted to the televised debate stage, applicants must not only fulfill a number of other conditions, but also receive at least 1% of the votes in three national elections.

Only nine people have overcome this barrier.

At the moment, Donald Trump is the undisputed leader of the race. According to New York Times polls, he is supported by about 54% of Republicans across the country (the results of different polls can vary by 1-2%).

His closest competitor, Ron DeSantis, scored 16%, followed by Mike Pence in third with 5%. In the next round of debates, the number of participants will be reduced and eliminated based on eligibility. It is already clear that Trump's position is not in danger; his divorce will allow him to pass all stages of selection.

But the fate of the nomination will no longer be decided by ordinary Americans, but by party elites, and this is unpredictable.

Main topics of conversation:

Issues ranging from crime prevention to immigration to LGBT rights are expected to be addressed. The most difficult topic for Republicans is the topic of abortion. The conservative wing of the party has consistently fought for the introduction of severe restrictions on this procedure, and some called for its complete ban.

However, it is this very issue that could move the swing states towards the Democrats. Even among Republicans, not everyone supports such a hard line on abortion. Republicans also pay a lot of attention to the education of members of their race.

More recently, more conservative groups have been advocating greater control over the curriculum and giving parents the ability to filter their children's learning materials and manuals. Moreover, Donald Trump himself may become a separate and important topic in the Republican debate.

The former president has been charged with four felonies, including abuse of power, and was recently released on $200,000 bail. Many Americans who support the Republican Party see him as the victim of politically motivated persecution. And some candidates for the nomination have made it clear that they intend to pardon him if they lead the White House.

At the same time, the attitude towards Trump in the highest party echelons remains very ambiguous. DeSantis is very popular in Florida. He is a former congressman with experience on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a US Army veteran who served in Iraq.

DeSantis gained national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for refusing to impose strict quarantine measures to avoid harming local businesses. He also became famous for his battle with the Disney Corporation, owner of Florida's giant Disneyworld theme park, one of the state's largest employers. The Governor has decided to limit Disneyworld's traditional autonomy after the company criticized in-state adoptions.