Post-debate analysis from Fox News' spin room talks night's top moments

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FOX Business will host the second GOP presidential primary debate on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California. 

“I am excited to announce that our second Republican primary debate will be in partnership with FOX Business, Rumble, Univision, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which will serve as an iconic venue for the debate," Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement earlier this month. 

"We are looking forward to continuing our fair, neutral and transparent primary process in Simi Valley to elect the next President of the United States,” McDaniel added. 

“FOX Business is proud to partner with Univision for the second Republican primary debate from the renowned Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to provide all Americans with an unparalleled opportunity to assess the candidates and their stances on critical issues ahead of the primary season," said Jay Wallace, President and Executive Editor of FOX News Media.

Additional details about the debate will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis used former President Donald Trump's famous line against him in the first 2024 GOP primary debate Wednesday evening hosted by Fox News.

DeSantis said he would have fired presidential adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the White House COVID-19 pandemic response under the Trump administration.

"Why are we in this mess? Part of it and a major reason is because how this federal government handled COVID-19 by locking down this economy," DeSantis said at the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"It was a mistake," he continued. "It should have never happened, and in Florida, we led the country out of lockdown. We kept our state free and open. And I can tell you this, as your president, I will never let the deep state bureaucrats lock you down."

"You don't take somebody like Fauci and coddle him. You bring Fauci and you sit him down, and you say, ‘Anthony, you are fired,'" he added, sparking applause.

Fox News' Jessica Chasmar contributed to this update.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., used his 45-second closing arguments during Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate to take a shot at biological males who identify as transgender participating in women’s sports. 

The GOP presidential candidate brought up things his mother instilled in him when he was younger, and it eventually led to his final point that received some cheers from the crowd. 

"If you’re able-bodied in America, you work. If you take out a loan, you pay it back. If you commit a violent crime, you got to jail. And if God made you a man, you play sports against men," Scott said. 

Scott is a conservative on transgender issues. He introduced legislation in 2022 to cut funding from schools that use pronouns matching transgender students' identities without parental consent. 

"Schools exist to educate children, not indoctrinate them," he said at the time. 

In an interview with NBC News, Scott said he would support a ban on biological males participating in women's sports. 

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this update.

Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley emphatically rejected allowing biological males in girls’ locker rooms during the first Republican presidential primary debate on Fox News Wednesday. 

Haley was asked about her previous statement that biological boys playing in girls' sports is the "women’s rights issue of our time."

"As a parent, the one thing you want is for your child to have a better life than you did," Haley began, taking the time to also address other educational issues. "And we can talk about all of these things and there’s a lot of crazy woke things happening in schools, but we’ve got to get these kids reading. If a child can’t read by third grade, they’re four times less likely to graduate high school. So we need to make sure we bring in reading remediation all over this country. We need transparency in the classroom because parents should never have to wonder what’s being said or taught to their children in the classroom.

She continued, "Parents need to be deciding which schools their kids go to because they know best. And let’s put vocational classes back into the high schools. Let’s teach our kids to build things again. When we do that and we allow that innovation, that’s when it’ll get back and, yes, I will always say I’m going to fight for girls all day long because strong girls become strong women. Strong women become strong leaders and biological boys don’t belong in the locker rooms of any of our girls."

Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.

Fox News host Howard Kurtz observed that the pundits got several things wrong after Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee.

"Ron DeSantis, the second-place candidate, was not the focus of attacks," the "MediaBuzz" host wrote early Thursday morning, after the debate. "Donald Trump, who wasn’t there, wasn’t substantively discussed until an hour into the debate."

In his review, Kurtz gave a rundown of who benefited and who faltered during the debate. 

"Ron DeSantis was crisp and aggressive throughout, though again he failed to display any warmth, but probably helped himself the most.

"Tim Scott, while eloquent on faith and education, too often seemed to fade into the background.

"Nikki Haley came off as sensible and reasonable–but passionate on foreign policy–yet that may not be what the party wants this cycle.

"Mike Pence was unusually feisty but spent too much time touting his Jan. 6.

"Christie didn’t get many chances to score—he even got a UFO question--instead touting his record as a former U.S. attorney who fought crime in his state.

"And Vivek Ramaswamy was a remarkably adept debater, though he kept interrupting, and on substance–from climate change is a hoax to Ukraine is not a priority–he will invite more media scrutiny."

Fox News hosts Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier moderated the first Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Wednesday.

Watch the full debate here.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum shared how they plan to combat the increasing crime rates across the country during the first GOP presidential primary debate Wednesday night.

DeSantis said he would remove Soros-funded, "radical left-wing district attorneys" from their posts, as he has in Florida, while Burgum said he would push for a return to the small-town mentality of looking out for your neighbor.

Political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy was praised by conservatives, including a fellow presidential candidate, on social media Wednesday after he addressed the issue of fatherlessness in America during the first GOP primary debate.

"The word privilege gets used a lot," the entrepreneur said. "Well, you know what? I did have the ultimate privilege of two parents in the house with a focus on educational achievement and I want every kid to enjoy that."

He continued: "So part of the problem is we also have a federal government that pays single women more not to have a man in the house than to have a man in the house contributing to an epidemic of fatherlessness and I think that goes hand in glove with the education crisis as well, because we have to remember, education starts with the family, and the nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind."

Larry Elder, another Republican candidate for president who is vocal about the lack of fathers in the home, praised Ramaswamy on X, formerly known as Twitter, for recognizing the "epidemic."

"I’m happy that Vivek recognizes there is an ‘epidemic of fatherlessness,’" Elder wrote. "It’s about time. Let’s hope the other candidates, the Democrats and the media start addressing this number one social problem in America."

GOP operative Matt Mackowiak also commended Ramaswamy on X, writing: "Good for Vivek for bringing up fatherlessness as a major issue."

"Vivek just delivered the best answer by anyone in stage tonight. The nuclear family is the best form of government on earth. It’s the answer to virtually all of our major issues," media personality T.J. Moe contributed to the praise.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley argued against former President Donald Trump becoming the GOP nomination in a post-debate interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Wednesday night.

Haley, former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor, said Trump's ongoing court cases are in the way of his 2024 campaign, and while she does mostly align with his policies, electing him as the nominee would not allow the Republican Party to beat President Biden.

"What I do believe is you're going to have Donald Trump spend more time in a courtroom next year — not through anything outside of they're weaponizing government against him — but he's going to spend more time in a courtroom than he is campaigning," Haley told Hannity during the interview.

"I served with him, I was proud to serve with him, I agree with him on most issues and he's my friend," Haley continued. "But the reality is we cannot afford Joe Biden."

Eight of the Republican candidates for president participated in the first GOP debate of the 2024 election season in Milwaukee Wednesday night.

Fox News opinion writer Mary Katharine Ham broke down the good, the bad and the underestimated following the two-hour event. Here's a rundown on her ratings of each candidate:

Under Scrutiny: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Underestimated: Former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley

Understated: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

Underwhelming: U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson

The first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle is in the books, and a number of Republican pundits, commentators, and lawmakers offered their perspectives on how they believe the eight candidates who took part in the event fared.

In a post shared to X, Ben Domenech, who co-founded The Federalist, a conservative online magazine, insisted that entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was a "lightning rod" in the first debate.

"Vivek was the lightning rod in this debate. He's so disliked by the other candidates, he took all the incoming fire," Domenech said. "DeSantis emerged not just unscathed, but solidly improved."

Weighing in on the event featuring the GOP presidential hopefuls, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, who won election to the upper chamber in the 2022 midterm elections, called for an end to the "charade" of debates and for Republicans to back former President Donald Trump in 2024.

Big-name Democrats reacted to the first GOP presidential debate, with some cursing to express their disapproval of the political showdown.

Wednesday saw the first Republican presidential debate hit the airwaves as eight candidates jockeyed on stage to gain ground and take the red party's presidential nomination.

"No one is trying to allow abortions right up to birth," disgraced former Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., tweeted. "You a--hole, DeSantis."

Democratic House Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, took issue with some of the Republican candidates who called for tighter border security. "The Republicans cheering for war with Mexico are taking the United States down a dark, dangerous path," Castro said.

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has a military background marked by service in the United States Navy. He graduated from Harvard University in 2001, earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2005, and then chose to join the military before entering into his political career. In 2004, DeSantis was commissioned as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer in the U.S. Navy.

During his military service, DeSantis was deployed to Iraq as an advisor to the U.S. Navy SEALs. He earned the Bronze Star Medal (meritorious service), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (gold star in lieu of second award), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Medal, among other distinctions.

His active duty service lasted from 2004 to 2010, and he subsequently served in the Navy Reserve. DeSantis' military background, particularly his Iraq deployment and role as a JAG officer, has often been highlighted as a testament to his dedication to service and country.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was at the receiving end of a number of attacks from his fellow presidential primary candidates on Wednesday evening -- appearing to take more heat than Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The businessman saw attacks from all sides on the debate stage, including some grueling hits from former Vice President Mike Pence and former NJ Gov. Chris Christie.

Haley tore into Ramaswamy over his foreign policy, saying his inexperience "shows" while Pence blasted the businessman on the subject of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Christie attacked Ramaswamy after Ramaswamy's statement that the "climate change agenda is a hoax."

"No, hold on, hold on. Enough," Christie said. "I've had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like Chat GPT."

Christie also accused him of "amateur tendencies" after he used a debate line similar to one used by former President Barack Obama.

Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this report.

The first GOP presidential debate covered the controversial topic of abortion. Candidates argued their sides on late-term and and up until birth abortions.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, the authority over abortion policies and reproductive rights has now shifted to individual states.

Some states have enacted regulations aimed at restricting late-term abortions, enforcing requirements for minors to notify parents prior to seeking abortion, and obligating healthcare providers to communicate potential procedure risks to patients in advance.

In California, abortion remains legally protected. Notably, California's highest court acknowledged abortion rights within the state's constitution even earlier than the Roe ruling in 1969. The state law safeguards the freedom to make reproductive choices. As recently as November 2022, Californians voted in favor of incorporating access to abortion and contraception into the state constitution.

New Jersey implemented legislation that established abortion as a fundamental right under state law in 2022. The state's highest court recognized the significance of a woman's right to control her own body and shape her destiny, as firmly rooted in the New Jersey constitution.In 2019, Illinois implemented comprehensive legislation to solidify abortion rights. Moreover, the Illinois Supreme Court validated the right to abortion through its interpretation of the state's constitution.

California, New Jersey, and Illinois have each undertaken measures to enshrine a right to abortion as a matter of reproductive healthcare in their respective jurisdictions.

Additionally, six states, New Mexico, Colorado, Alaska, New Jersey, Vermont, and Oregon, currently allow abortion at any stage or pregnancy, including abortion until birth.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at the first GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday that he would authorize military force into Mexico as a way to tackle the Mexican drug cartels funneling fentanyl into the U.S.'

DeSantis, who has previously promised to authorize lethal force at the border against drug smugglers, was asked if he would support sending U.S. Special Forces over the border into Mexico to take out fentanyl labs and the operations of drug cartels.

"Yes, and I will do it on day one," he said.

"Here's the thing. The cartels are killing tens of thousands of our fellow citizens. You want to talk about a country in decline? You have the cartels controlling a lot of your southern border. We have to reestablish the rule of law and we have to defend our people," he said.

DeSantis has taken a hard line on what he has called an "invasion" at the southern border, both in terms of migration and drug smuggling, and his previous comments about Mexico and fentanyl have upset Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this update.

The chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as "President Harris" on Wednesday while criticizing the policies of the GOP before their first primary debate. 

"The issues that propelled these elections are on the table again in 2024 and every one of the Republicans running for president at this moment is wrong on these issues," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said during a press conference. "Wisconsinites have tasted the alternative. They experienced eight years of proto MAGA extremism from Scott Walker. They experienced the attacks on workers rights. The attacks on reproductive freedom. The attacks on public schools and teachers. The attacks on democracy and voting rights. And they rejected that kind of politics."

"They rejected Scott Walker in 2018. And now, because of Governor Evers, Senator Baldwin, because of President Harris and Vice — President Biden and Vice President Harris because of Attorney General Kaul, Wisconsin has been and continues to be on the right track."

The gaffe was posted on a social media account belonging to the Republican National Committee.

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this update.

Presidential campaigns have begun declaring victory in the "spin room" following first GOP showdown of the 2024 race to the White House.

The spokesman for former Vice President Mike Pence's campaign told Fox News that the Republican candidate showed the best

“Mike Pence is the clear winner from today's debate, from foreign policy to the issue of life to law in order to domestic issues," said Pence spokesman Devin O'Malley. "He showed not only a command of the issues but showed a clear and glaring weakness [in] the other candidates. [He] put other candidates on their heels. I don't think there's any question that before this debate was even over, Mike Pence was the was the clear winner.”

Most of the 2024 Republican presidential candidates said they believed former Vice President Mike Pence, their primary challenger, "did the right thing" in certifying President Biden's 2020 election win against former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.

"Absolutely, he did the right thing," Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said during the first 2024 GOP primary debate Wednesday evening hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee.

"We've answered this so many times," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said after skipping over the question to talk about the "weaponization" of the Department of Justice.

Pence fired back, "I think the American people deserve to know whether everyone on this stage agrees that I kept my oath to the Constitution that day."

"I've answered this before," DeSantis responded. "Mike did his duty, I've got no beef with him, but here's the thing, is this what we're going to be focusing on, the rehashing of this? I'm telling you, the Democrats would love that."