joining our special coverage. eight republican hopefuls tonight at the first presidential debate have campaigned in 2024, trying to distinguish themselves from one another and from the gop front runner who was not there. here in new york, along with dana bash at the debate site in milwaukee is where i am. >> anderson, in our live coverage tonight we are hoping to hear from the candidates themselves. we are also going to hear from the supporters, we are going to be joined by our team of political analysts, commentators, fact checkers, and veterans of the same kind of verbal clashes we saw on the debate stage, right here in milwaukee, tonight. >> they were a lot of those. tonight, we will be checking into a group of republicans, most of them undecided, who now have more information to help them wait their choices. voters who watch the debate tonight saw comparatively little of ronda santa's early on. instead, much of the initial focus and criticism was directed towards vivek ramaswamy, who had considerable time to answer. here is a push seems to set the tone between ramaswamy and pence. >> vivek, you recently said that a president cannot do everything. i have news for you, vivek. i have been in the hallway, the west wing, the president of the united states has to confront every crisis facing america. i will put our nation back on the path to growth and prosperity and restore fiscal responsibility. >> this is not that complicated, guys. unlike american energy, drill, frank, burn coal, embrace nuclear. put people back to work by no longer paying them more to stay at home. reform the u.s. fed. stabilize the u.s. dollar. go to war. the only war that i will declare as u.s. president will be the four on the federal administrative state that is the source of those toxic regulations acting like a wet blanket on the economy. so, i am not sure i exactly understood mike pence's comments, but i will let you all parse that out. for me it, is pretty simple. that is something a u.s. president can do. i will deliver on it. >> let me to let me explain it to you, vivek. i will go slower this time. >> you know, i sometimes struggle with the words. >> i was a house conservative leader before it was cool. i balanced budgets and cut taxes when i was governor. i mean, look, joe biden has weakened this country at home and abroad. now, it is not the time for on the job training. we don't need to bring in a rookie, we don't need to bring and people without experience. >> now that everybody has gotten their memorized preprepared slogans out of the, way we can actually have a real discussion, now. the reality and the fact of the matter is -- >> was that one of yours? >> not really, mike. actually, we are just having some fun tonight. the reality is, you have a bunch of people, professional politicians, super pac pocket bits, following slogans handed over to them by the 400-page super pacs last week. the real choice we face in this primary is this. do you want a super pac puppet or do you want a patriot who speaks the truth? do you want incremental reform, which is what you are hearing about, or do you want revolution? i stand on the side of an american revolution. >> some of what the republican candidate said tonight and milwaukee. joining us here is political commentators. let's go and get some first impressions. david, let's start with you. >> well, i think tonight proves that you don't need donald trump to be at the debate to have a show, there. so, it was a complete train wreck. >> it's cable. >> the moderators did not do a great job controlling the crowd. i think a lot of candidates were stepping on one another. i don't remember which candidate said it but the american people don't want to say this, they don't want to hear arguments, they want to hear policies, ideas, the chance to put things forward. i think a lot of the folks did a great disservice to their own candidacies by just talking too much about things that do not matter. instead of talking directly to the people. the big run winner tonight was vivek ramaswamy who took up most of the time of the debate. >> scott? >> i think what surprised me most was nikki haley supplanting chris christie as the principal anti trump foil in this primary. i did not expect that. she came out, i think she was the first candidate to go after trump, she went after him on a couple of issues. she is probably the most polished politician in the field, and it showed. she was ready for the debate stage. i thought desantis held his own. >> by the way, we are going to show a lot of the debate, a lot of the clips and the exchanges, in a minute. i just want to quickly go around to get opinions. >> i thought desantis held his own. i thought ramaswamy had some interesting moments, although his act to me wore thin as the night wore on. everybody loves the 38-year-old rich guy who says it is not that complicated. i mean, of course it is just being president of the free world. it is not that complicated. i thought everybody else was honestly a non factor. chris christie was flat, tim scott was a senator, which is not great in a debate format. burgum and asa, god bless them,. but, you know, i think haley and mike pence for out kicked his coverage tonight. >> my sense was that nikki haley was the winner of the night. i think if you are trying to pull for the sort of alternative to trump who can get mainstream republicans and win a general election, she did that. i think she really took vivek to the woodshed on foreign policy, and that is not easy to be the leader of the free world. pence surprised me, and he should not, because i worked for pence and he's the most experienced in terms of debate on a debate stage. against him, cain, against vice president harris, i actually think that vivek soares twenties sort of smugness and an agnostic approach brought out this right indignation in pence you don't always see. you can sometimes fall flat, so i would expect -- >> you saw that in mike pence? >> he got under his skin. i think we will see a bump effect from the desantis supporters, but mostly for taking haley. >> i thought there was so much theatrics on the stage. some of that was intentional, i thought that so many of the candidates, including all the ones that we were just talking about, needed to prove tonight that they were fighters. so, they had to pick someone to fight with. a lot of them picked vivek ramaswamy because he is sort of the newbie and has the sort of smugness that apparently rubs mike pence the wrong way. people without trump on that stage really needed to show that they can put up a fight as good as they can take. that seems to me to be the big takeaway, and i was also -- like alyssa said -- a little surprised because that is not really pence's demeanor. talking to his advisers coming into this debate, i could sense that they were preparing him to really take it to some folks and i think we saw him do that. >> i spent four years with someone who said it was not complicated, and now he is stuck on the stage next to somebody else. >> and maybe that is why he is so annoyed, i don't know. >> the biggest question is, can somebody take the party away from donald trump? he was not there tonight, but he is the far away far away far away far away, i could go on forever, front runner. no front runner with a league like he has right now has ever been beat. now, anything can happen. but i think the proof they are watching ramaswamy, who is slogan after slipping after slogan, not a lot of depth there. maybe he feels that it is a campaign goes on, give him the benefit of the doubt. but the establishment posit politicians were so frustrated by him just like they were frustrated by donald trump in 2016. he was essentially trumps fill in tonight on that stage, and the reaction in the room tells you it is going to be very difficult to take the party away from donald trump. that is what every one of those candidates is trying to do, ramaswamy was his proxy tonight, and the crowd loved it. >> yeah, i agree with that. i would have to say that, you know, people ask beforehand was it a gamble for trump not to be there? i don't think it was a gamble, but if it was a gamble, he won big tonight, i think. because of what john said, he is in control of this race, and the only way that he can lose this race is if someone consolidates all the rest of the party behind them. ron desantis's whole candidacy was premised on that, he was that guy. and he has been sliding consistently since he got into the race. this was supposed to be his chance to reignite his supporters. i think he had some energetic, well rehearsed answers to some things. whenever he got into sticky wickets, though, he looked weak and an equivocating, like a politician. you know, one of the strength of the ramaswamy and a trump is that they are not politicians. so, i agree that nikki haley had an excellent night. she was strong, but i do think that for trump's project, they come -- they are no less divided than they were before. there is no one emerging as his principal opponent. >> let's take a look at the nikki haley conversation with vivek ramaswamy, because i definitely got a lot of attention tonight. >> the american president needs to have moral clarity. they need to know the difference between right and wrong. they need to know the difference between good and evil. when you look at the situation with russia and ukraine, here you have a pro-american country that was invaded by a thug. so when you want to talk about what has been given to ukraine, less than three and a half percent of our defense budget has been given to ukraine. if you look at the percentages purchase dp, 11 of the european countries have given more than the u.s.. ukraine is the first line of defense for us, and the problem that vivek doesn't understand is that he wants to head to ukraine to russia. he wants to let china eat taiwan. he wants to go and stop funding israel. you don't do that to friends. what you do instead, is you have the backs of your friends. ukraine is a front line of defense. putin has said that if russia -- once russia takes ukraine, poland and the baltics are next. that is a world war. we are trying to prevent war. look at what putin did today. he killed prigozhin. when i was at the u.n., the russian ambassador suddenly died. this guy is a murderer, and you are choosing a murderer over a pro-american country. >> first of all, mr. ramaswamy you have 30 seconds. >> i wish you well and your future career on the board. >> i'm not on the board. >> the fact of the matter is that boeing came up. >> everybody on the stage -- >> you let me addressed that, i am glad you brought that up. >> you want to -- . >> wait. >> you have america under your watch and have no foreign x policy experience and it shows. >> that was a moment. >> that was a real moment. and look, nikki haley's whole mantra is i don't back down to police. and she had to show that in that moment that she could come back at vivek, and frankly, talk louder than him, which -- >> yeah. >> and i can say as a woman, that is not always the easiest thing to do. but she is raising something about the policy here that is really an issue for ramaswamy, which is, he is putting on the table policies that even in this sort of america first republican party, there is not a lot of support for. this idea that she grazed about pulling back support from israel is not popular among republican voters. sometimes it seems like he puts those things on the table just to say, well, i am going to throw out the idea that no one is going to talk about, but on the debate stage, that is when you get called out for things like that. >> trump did this and 16. we watched him time and again throw out things that were not party orthodoxy, and we all said, oh, he is saying things that no republican could support. what we learned, later, was that it was not about policy as much as it was about the attention, you know? >> for ramaswamy saying he is going to eliminate the teachers union -- >> that's not necessarily a power move. >> on this ukraine question, nikki haley is arguing ronald reagan's position, mccain's position, george w. bush's position, marco rubio's position, but she is losing. that is not the winning position with the base of the party right now. when i was in iowa, i was struck by so many republicans that it is not about putin, not about ideology, not even about america's leadership in the world, it is that they feel that they are getting screwed by washington and yet washington keeps sending money to other places, not them. that is more what it is about. it is, like we have been ignored, and we keep sending our money to other places. so, she is trying to have an american leadership in the world against the communists, i against the murder, against the thug. the fact is she is right, but it rings hollow with republican voters who think, you are just another politician. what about my community? >> absolutely. >> the song that i referenced in the beginning of this, i said before this debate started, i said, i wonder when the first reference to richmond it will take place. i didn't realize that fox had raised. it to the point that john is making, a lot of americans feel that way. that is why the song was so wildly popular, and i think that is what was reflected in the ramaswamy positions in a lot of this, and why nikki haley may do well in the des moines suburbs, but she will not win iowa overall. >> in all of this, donald trump is a clear and faraway front runner, but if we are analyzing tonight, i think nikki haley saw a pivot in strategy. it did seem like she was playing to college educated women, voters, women in the suburbs, there was a toning down of some of the anti woke, some of the more, that kind of rhetoric, you know? as she let someone fill that lane and i think she was signaling to frankly donors who maybe souring on a desantis or someone else. i can be the republican. she is litigating the case for ukraine and it may not be the majority of the base within the republican party who will reject anyone they think is disqualifying if they do not support ukraine. so, it is this weird thing that we are facing. i thought >> i thought pence and iowa was clear tonight. he was all in playing about the evangelical christian base in iowa pro-life. he mentioned his face a number of time. for him, it is iowa or bust. you know, there are other candidates up there and principally trump who was not up there above the evangelicals. for pence to turn this into something, he must come bouncing out of this and see if any of these evangelicals saw in him what he sees and himself as the most authentic live. >> what is mentioned is that, many of the republican establishment thought this person might be the alternative to desantis if he failed, that is tim scott. you mentioned him briefly, i thought he had a very sort of lackluster night. he did not have any big moments. the whole goal in this thing is too have message blatant moments that can go viral. she distinguish herself from the group. i think that a number of these other candidates were background noise, and for tim scott, that is particularly damaging because there are a lot of high hopes for him. people like him, is a numbers among republicans are good, but the question is, does he fill the role? and he did not step up tonight and take control of moments >> >> in the stage, there is a thing as peaking too early. and i do wonder if the ramaswamy moment might happen at a slightly too early point. if you are a tim scott and you are already in third place and in some of these places, you keep a relatively low profile and wait for your moment a little longer along the road. >> normally, these races break late and that is -- first of all, ramaswamy is not going to be the nominee, okay? one of the things that happens, and you saw some of it tonight, i said to john, the late mario on what used to say, the only place people should backwards's two cabinet movies. the only reason people were going after him meant that pence initiated the first attack on ramaswamy. former vice president of the united states going after the youngest guy on the stage because he is moving up in polls. he is moving up and pulls in iowa, up and pulls in new hampshire, but presidential races are like pole vaulting. every time you clear a bar, the bar gets raised, and it gets harder, and you get scrutinized more closely. we began to see that this week, in the media, including with kaitlan's interview of ramaswamy on some of his comments. it is not going to get easier for him. he is also trying to occupy space that trump largely occupies. so, he is not the issue, but someone is going to become the principle or try to become the principal alternative to trump. i think haley had a better claim to it tonight than >> let's actually show the that ramaswamy's opening statement. because -- he completely ignored it and went with what was clearly his prepared statement. >> first, let me just address a question that is on everybody's mind at home tonight. who the heck is this skinny guy with funny last name, and what is he doing in the middle of this debate stage? i'll tell you, i'm not a politician, bret baier, you are right about that. i'm an entrepreneur. my parents came to this country with no money 40 years ago, i have gone on to found a multi billion dollar companies. i did it while marrying my wife -- raising her two sons, following our faith and guide. that is the american dream. and i am genuinely worried that american dream will not exist for our two sons and their generation unless we do something about it. i do think that it's going to take an outsider. for a long time we had professional politicians in the republican party who have been running from something. now is our moment to start running to something. to our vision of what it means [applause] to be an american today. if you have a broken car you don't hand over the keys to who broke it again. you handed over to a new generation to fix the problem. that's why i'm in this race and we are just getting warmed up. >> he's pretty good, right? when you watch that, it's good stuff. it's red meat for the base. like john said earlier, some -- >> does it read as authentic to you. -- he's twice gain in market share. >> it's hilarious when he starts off saying i'm not a politician but does the classic politician thing doesn't answer the question that he was asked but answered the one he wants to answer. >> it does ring as authentic. otherwise, i think, it's -- moving in the polls. heaps eating market share. >> yes, he has moved up incrementally in the polls. there's a lot of cross talk. but haley had it down. he's flirting with 9/11 truth trutherism. he wants to turn ukraine over to the russians, and taiwan over to the chinese. he wants to downgrade a our relationship with israel and apparently wants to impose a massive inheritance tax. i recognize that saying outrageous things sounds like a good idea in the moment, but eventually these things catch up with you. i think. >> i'm not trying to be provocative, but welcome to your new party, brother. because that stuff sells. that's one of the reasons trump has the commanding lead he has. >> let's check in with dana bash. at the debate hall. dana? >> thanks, anderson. i'm here with one of the participants in the debate tonight, candidate for president, governor asa hutchinson. thank you so much for -- me. what were your impressions being on the stage? >> actually, i was very pleased with the substantive discussions from education to the border security to foreign policy, and that's exactly what america needs to hear from a republican candidates, not a trump fiasco but a really serious discussion about the future of our country. i think we did it. i was very pleased. one, i made sure that we made the case for my vision for america, and distinguished myself in terms of my service, in terms of my experience that fits the needs of our country from border security to balancing the budget as governor, leaving a surplus. those are things that nobody else can replace. i thought on the rule of law question is so critical when i indicated that we've got to make sure the rule of law is enforced on both sides of the border. >> another way that you stood out from most of the other candidates is you are very critical of the former president, who, of course, was not here. and the audience didn't really seem to like that. i want to play for our viewers that moment. >> whenever you look at the underlying challenge of america though,, nobody likes to see america with smash and grab in our inner cities. as president of united states, that will stop. it starts at the top, with respect for our justice system, that a former president, who is under indictment has undermined by attacking judges, by attacking prosecutors, by a tracking the system and saying he is aggrieved. so we have to have respect for our justice system and the rule of law, and it starts at the top, with the president united states. >> my first question, i've asked you this before, but now given your experience on this debate stage, that was the kind of statement that would have made sense when i first started covering you in politics, maybe a couple of decades ago. but is that the republican party they running in right now? are you out of sync with them? >> that was a good moment. that was an important message. i had the courage to make that case, and other candidates should as well. it is about president trump and how he's undermine our institutions. and i also raise the question as to whether he's even eligible as a candidate under our constitution and our amendment 14, that's been raised by constitutional scholars. i was the only one raising raised that day. republicans need to be aware of that because this put us in a terrible position if he continues in the lead into next year. >> i was gonna ask you about that as well. talk a little bit more about that. you are also an attorney and you said that you've been reading constitutional scholars. you really think that is he is convicted, that he is not eligible, because there definitely is a different school of thought on something that has never been tested before. >> i think the main point is that something that is going to wind up in the courts, his eligibility will be challenged under the constitution, and obviously it's very serious legal question. the constitution says, under the amendment 14, that anybody, any public official who has committed acts of insurrection is ineligible for office. and so he would be ineligible if that theory is correct, and there's obviously a lot of substance to it. that would be handled by a secretary of state that refuses to certify him on the ballot, because he's ineligible, doesn't need the constitutional requirements and then is going to wind up in court. this is not good for the republican party. it's not good for the voters when they have to be in this position. >> vivek ramaswamy was at the center there, with governor desantis, but it was mr. ramaswamy that really took a lot of the incoming, and we we're talking before coming on about the fact that he was trying to distinguish himself as a non-politician, saying that politicians, you are one of them, elected politicians, are bought and sold. and that's how they got there. he took issue with that. >> i did. he basically said everybody on the podium was corrupt except for him that was bought and paid for. yeah, he's standing out with some very harsh statements, policy positions that are not workable, and i think it showed tonight. inexperience. his inability to bring people together to solve problems for our country. he's a little bit of a bomb thrower on policy issues. >> last question, you wear it worked hard to get on the debate stage tonight. the threshold is going to be tougher for the next debate. do you feel comfortable you'll be on the next debate stage? >> i really do. obviously being on this debate stage helps you get on the next one. it's always up to the people, your listeners, as to whether they come on board and supporters as we go down the road. i think i promised to tell the truth about on trump. i did that tonight. you can expect me to continue to do that. >> governor, thank you so much. appreciated. anderson, back to you. >> dana, thank you very much. when you think about the former president, his name was not spoken much on that stage. asa hutchison was one of the few that brought it up on his own. >> i was very surprised that nikki haley also unprompted took some dings at the former president, saying she showed up like she came to play to run against donald trump. what i thought was interesting that we were talking about with vivek ramaswamy -- i wouldn't be surprised if you see among some of the america first die hard trump crowd an effort to draft him as a vp pick. do i think it's strategically wise? absolutely not. -- but there's a lot of alignment there, and to john's point, he showed up, basically, to fill the proxy of donald trump. i think there's a lot of overlap. and trump loves that, by the way. >> he's been boosting vivek, he's been praising him, and ramaswamy has been helping trump put a damper on desantis. every time ramaswamy goes up, desantis goes down a little bit, and that has been good for trump. >> he called on one of the greatest presidents of all-time tonight. i would be kind to him, as well. he's -- kind of doing -- >> he hasn't voted much, so we have to take that into account. >> we've got to take a quick -- break up next, former vice president pence joins us also ahead, what a group of republican voters, more candidates, and a fact check of what we saw as our coverage of the first republican debate continues. he snores like an angry rhino. you've never heard an angry rhino. baby i hear one every night. every night. okay. i'll work on that. save 50% on the sleep number® limited edition smart bed. plus, 60-month financing on all smart beds. shop now only at sleep number®. being middle class right now, it's tough making ends meet for sure. republicans in congress say if we just cut taxes even more for the biggest corporations the money will eventually someday trickle trickle down to you. right. joe biden would rather just stop those corporations from charging so damn much. capping the cost of drugs like insulin. cracking down on surprise medical bills and all those crazy junk fees. there's more work to do. tell the president to keep lowering costs for middle class families. our ears connect us to the moments that matter. give them the nutrients they need with lipo. it's formulated with ingredients clinically shown to protect your ears from dizziness, ear ringing, and even hearing loss. never miss a moment with lipo flavonoid. heading on a family trip? 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[applause] can't we all agree that we should encourage adoptions? can't we all agree that doctors and nurses who don't believe in abortion shouldn't have to perform? them can we all agree that contraception should be available? and can we all agree that we are not going to put a woman in jail or give her the death penalty if he gets an abortion? let's treat this like a respectful issue that it is and humanize the situation and stop demonizing the situation. >> to be honest with you, nikki haley, you are my friend. but consensus is the opposite of leadership. when the supreme court returned this question to the american people, they didn't just send it to the states only. it's not a state's only issue. it's a moral issue. i promise you, as president of the united states, the american people will have a champion for life in the oval office. can't we have a minimum standard in every state in the nation that says when a baby is capable of feeling pain, and abortion cannot be allowed? a 15-week ban is an idea whose time has come. it's supported by 70% of the american people. but it's gonna take unapologetic leadership, leadership that stands on principle and expresses compassion for women in crisis pregnancies. i will do that is president united states. >> be honest with the american people. >> i am being honest. >> 45 pro-life senators in over 100 years, so no republican president can ban abortions anymore than any democrat president can ban all those state laws. don't make women feel like they have to decide on this issue when you when you know we don't have 60 senate votes in the house. >> mr. vice president, that was a fascinating exchange for a couple of reasons. one is, one of the questions was, it came after governor desantis was asked about abortion, and he talked about the fact that you cannot basically tell places like new york in california how to deal with abortion in the same way you can do red states like indiana, for example. but you got into it there with nikki haley. what was your impression of that exchange in the moment? >> i thought it was a good vigorous exchange. but whether it be with governor desantis or nikki haley or anyone onstage, most frankly most of the candidates running, including the one that didn't show up tonight, are all trying to relegate the question of abortion as states only issue. as i said, it's not a state's only issue. it's a moral issue. when the supreme court overturned roe v. wade they returned the issue of abortion to the states of the american people. the american people elect state legislators and governors but they also elect presidents and senators and congressman. that's why i say if i'm president of united states i'm going to champion pro-life protections in every state in the country with principle and with compassion for women in crisis pregnancies. but i'm also going to call for and lead for a minimum national standard of 15 weeks. i was glad to see at least one other candidates on the stage endorse that, but to see so many others, whether it be vivek ramaswamy, whether it be ron desantis, whether it be nikki haley walking away from this principle, relegate-ing it to the states, i think it was disappointing. that was probably disappointing to millions of americans. >> and i'm sure you are well aware that part of the reason some of your competitors aren't going there on the national ban in talking about is because they think that that is a losing argument in a general election. >> i get that, but honestly, i think when we talk about the right to life, with unapologetic principle but also with deep compassion for women who are struggling with crisis pregnancies, that we advance adoption reform, that we shall show we care as much about new warren children as unborn children. i think we can make incredible progress. but on this issue of a 15 week minimum ban, dana, 72% of the american public supports a minimum standard at the national level. once a baby in the womb can feel pain, that we ought to limit abortion after that period of time. to me, there is not a consensus in washington. that's why these needs pro-life leadership. >> you and i were joking when you came up here than before the debate you going at it with vivek ramaswamy the way that you did, over and over on various issues, tonight was not on my bingo card. i want to play for our viewers some of the sparring that you did with him. >> i'm not sure exactly understood mike pence's comment. but let you all parse that out. for me it's pretty simple. that's something the u.s. president can do with focus, and i will deliver on it. >> let me explain it to you. let me explain it to you, vivek ramaswamy, if i can, and i will go slower this time. >> i sometimes talk with reading comprehension -- >> i was a house conservative leader before it was cool. i balanced budgets and cut taxes when i was governor. look, joe biden has weakened this country at home and abroad. now is not the time for on the job training. we don't need to bring in a rookie, we don't need to bring in people with -- >> now that everybody has got their memorize preprepared slogans out of the way we connect to have a real discussion now. the reality and the fact of the matter is -- >> you were prepared for this. do you see him is a threat? >> no. i was prepared to make the case for the conservative agenda. >> but you are specific with him. rookie, and the fact that he was -- >> i believe, and i say this with great humility -- you've known me a long time. because i was a conservative leader in congress for 12 years, because i lead lead indiana as a conservative governor, because i was vice president and a consequential conservative can administration i think without a doubt, i'm the most qualified, most tested and most ready candidate for president of united states in this field. as i said, whether we debate it be vivek ramaswamy, no one can match that experience. my argument with him had more to do with values. when i hear him saying that america needs a new national identity, the american people have an identity. it's a fate failed country we love freedom, unfailingly generous. the american people are the best people on earth. as i said, we just have government as good as our people. that and on foreign policy, i just had to call him out on some one who believes that america is the leader of the free world. >> your former boss obviously is not here. you are very clearly trying to make the point about january 6th, about what you did, you wanted to make sure that your competitors had an answer for whether or not they believe that you did the right thing. are you hoping that the former president was watching tonight and heard what you said? >> i'm hoping the american people are watching. >> what about him? >> for the last two years the president and many of his allies have been out saying something just to themselves. so. under the constitution of the united states, states certify elections. there were a leg really irregularities, dana -- objections could be heard in the congress. but my duty under the constitution was to preside over a joint session of congress where votes would be open and counted, no more, no less. and i frankly was gratified to see the moderators of tonight's debate really ask every single one of those candidates whether or not we kept our oath to the constitution of the united states. so, i didn't have an audience of one on this one. my hope is that the american people, who have been misled about my responsibilities under the constitution, know that on that day the president asked me to put him over my oath to the constitution. i chose the constitution, and i always. will >> sir, thank you so much. i appreciate you joining us. >> thank you, dana. >> thank you. anderson, back to. you >> dana bash, thank you. back to the team here in new york. what is the consensus, that mike pence had a good night? >> yeah. at one point mike pence really shined was when the other candidates had to praise mike pence when he asked him, did you do the right thing on january 6th? and everybody -- >> i thought they'd come for him, but they didn't. >> although, they quickly pivoted, and we will show shortly, to the weaponization of government. >> of course but. they still gave him credit. i thought it was pretty notable. >> the moderators did have to drag it out of some of them. and repeatedly go -- back >> ron desantis -- a little bit coaching on that one. >> but tim scott and chris christie we're almost effusive in their praise for him. >> more than that, i think his -- and we were just talking about this -- the vice presidency is diminishing in many ways, but no more so that under donald trump. and pence was diminished in that role and the one thing that he seems to be doing here is re-capturing his own identity in a way that we haven't seen in a long time. i don't think that it will get him to where he wants to go. because his negatives are almost 50% among republicans. i think there is a group of republicans, including in the evangelical community, which is his base, who will never forgive him for what they viewed as a betrayal. but there is no doubt that he was a presence on that stage tonight in a way that i think a lot of people would not have expected, even though he was good in the two vice presidential debates. >> what i think is notable, especially because this is a fox news audience, is that nearly everyone on that stage, with the exception of desantis and i believe vivek ramaswamy, they said pence did the right thing. that is something the audience does not hear very often. and i would have that starts to move the needle. because i've always said the reason nearly 60% of the gop thinks the election was stolen and thinks january 6th was a hoax or whatever is because they're elected leaders are not telling them the truth about it. so i think that's actually a pretty significant moment. >> desantis actually had a interesting pivot out of. that he finally said, i've got no beef with what mike pence did. which was an interesting turn of phrase. but he then said, if his entire election is as real relitigating what happened then 2020, we're gonna lose to the democrats. that was almost verbatim what he said. and i took that as a swipe at trump as well. basically saying to republicans, if we spend our entire time relitigating who did what and who is at fault here, that is what biden wants us to do. so, i thought it was subtle, and the trouble with subtlety in politics is, not everyone gets it i thought it was a subtle hint that there was a future here that we renominate from, we relitigate 20 -- >> subtle -- >> that's a real frontal assault. >> he went right for the capillary. >> -- republican voters here that and -- he's really taken to trump. it's actually quite the opposite. they hear that and they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we agree but we're going to go vote for trump anyway. and this is why desantis has not been able to breakthrough. the subtle criticisms are getting him exactly nowhere. on the other hand, with pence, a problem for pence is that donald trump could have disagreed with pence about whether he should have like chocolate ice cream and vanilla ice cream and republican voters will take donald trump's side. it almost as a matter whether things. >> let's go back to dana bash with another candidate. dana bash? >> thank you so much. i have vivek ramaswamy here with me. thank you so much for being with. me >> thank you so, much dana bash. >> we are expecting the incoming that you got it tonight? >> it was an honor. i took it as a badge of honor as the 38-year-old outsider in this race who has never been in a political debate to be a center stage and see a lot of establishment politicians be threatened by mris. i'm thrilled. and it actually gave me an opportunity to introduce myself to the people of this country. we are just getting warmed up. and i'm really thrilled with how it went. >> i want to play for our voters a moment that you had with nikki haley about foreign policy. >> got it. >> you are choosing a murderer over a pro-american country. >> [applause] -- >> first of all, mr. ramaswamy, you have 30. seconds >> -- but when came off of it -- but you have been pushing this rise. >> you want to go and defund israel. you want to -- >> okay, let me address that. i'm glad you brought that up. >> -- >> the false lies of -- there you have it -- >> -- make america less safe. you have no foreign policy experience, and it shows! it shows. >> you don't have foreign policy experience and it shows. >> the reality is, the people of foreign policy experience, it shows what a disaster it has been, from the iraq war on down to other pointless wars, no win wars, that these administrations, from foreign policy establishments in both parties, having let us into -- i think the results speak for themselves. they've been disastrous. and so i do think that i am the only person bringing clear strategic vision to our foreign policy, rather than just going through the talking points feminized memorized in 1990. >> that might be the mistakes made in both administrations on the world stage. but let's just say you are in the oval office, and you are in, as president of the united states, part of nato -- >> yes. >> and you see what's happening in ukraine and russia, just for example, and russia moves on to a nato ally. >> we will always honor our treaty commitments. but under my watch, russia will not move on a nato ally -- >> how can you be so sure? >> because i want to deal that in the ukraine war -- backstabs -- front lines of control and make a commitment that nato will not admit ukraine to nato. but we get more in return by requiring putin to exit his military alliance with the jinping. china is the top threat we face. that is what we actually need to remember. and everybody in that foreign policy establishment -- you sought from mike pence today as well, i had to remind him that the ussr does not exist anymore. >> but you would be president of the united states. not president of ukraine. >> of course. >> ukraine is a client state of the united states because we are paying their government employees. >> president zelenskyy would not necessarily agree with what you would say about the lines -- >> i have two things to say on that. i think when the u.s. stops funding ukraine, that settles exactly where that goes. but i also think this would be a better deal for our ukraine because it comes out with its sovereignty intact. the spring offensive became the summer fans of that became the offensive that never was. this is not on track to end well for ukraine either. and so i think this is good for ukraine. it will be a certain concessions to putin. but we win in return. and that is what i am focused on. >> you are the only candidate who says -- and you have said for some time -- that you would pardon donald trump. >> yes. >> the argument that i believe it was mike pence made was, why are you saying that before he's even convicted? and before he even shows remorse? >> the reality is, we are in the middle of a presidential election, and we have seen indictments. i read each of those indictments cover to cover before issuing my statement on each of them. and the reality is -- and you know this -- in law enforcement, it's every case of a prosecutor, the most damning version of the facts and the law are in the indictment. so, if there is something far different then -- >> -- >> that is nearly always true and anyone in legal practice will tell you, it's a fair assumption to make. assuming that these are the worst statement of facts, from the standpoint of the prosecution, yes, i would pardon donald trump on each of those facts. because i think it is a politicized persecution. this is also what i also mention to christie onstage. there's a difference between making a bad judgment and committing a crime. and i think if we start conflating the two, that's a dangerous slippery slope in this country. i will remind you -- and this is coming from now polling in second in many of the national polls -- it would be a lot easier for me if donald trump were not in this race. that is not how i want to win. i want to win by convincing the people of this country that we can actually reunite our nation and lead us forward. and it will make my job as the next president that much more difficult if donald trump is behind bars or under indictment, especially under novel legal theories used for the first time. >> vivek ramaswamy, thank you so much. good to see you. >> appreciated. anderson, back to you. >> thanks very much, dana bash. we are going to take a short break. more candidates -- also -- fact-check of governor desantis 's statements tonight -- ahead. we see the people. marcus: detroit, it's just changed so much. you can see what it once was. and then, i think about what it can be. as an entrepreneur, it's about how i can give them the tools to empower themselves if we can just all do something small, all the small things will start to amount to something big. that's why we're here to help make it happen. we're here today to set the record straight about dupuytren's contracture. surgery is not your only treatment option. people may think their contracture has to be severe to be treated, but it doesn't. visit findahandspecialist.com today to get started. it's because of tiktok that i had to go out and get a website. i'm at a point now where i've outgrown my house. growing up, every time i'd get out of the shower, i would itch. my first experience with goat milk soap, it kinda was like a light bulb moment. tiktok is a fantastic platform for diy. if you'd have told me three years ago that i would own my own business and be expanding into a separate building, i would've told you you'd lost your mind. >> tonight's first gop debate of 2024 campaign is now history. i have with me another member of the republican field north dakota governor doug burgum, thank you so much for being here. >> yet, great to be with you. >> how did it feel out there? >> it felt very good. and of course, it's a first debate for me. but it was an opportunity to introduce ourselves. we are in a little different starting position, probably the least well-known of anybody on the stage. so, for us to have an opportunity to talk about the economy, energy, national security issues, that was a great for us. >> you really differentiated yourself on the issue of abortion, saying that it should not be a national discussion. it shouldn't be something even for elected officials in congress, it should be a state issue. >> absolutely. the tenth amendment of the constitution is very specific. it actually says that there are certain duties that are delegated to the federal government, not designated, delegated, because the states created the federal government, not the other way around. and there was not delegated to the federal government are reserved exclusively for the states or to the people. so as republicans, it wasn't that long ago in the tea party movement everything was tenth amendment, every tenth amendment, and everyone fights for 50 years to get roe v. wade back to the states. it goes back to the states and then the next day, some people are like, oh, no, we need federal. we need it federal. we have so much overreach of the federal government in every part of everybody's lives. this is one of the last areas that we need to have more federal overreach. so it should be left to the states. that's where it is right now. what's going to work for new york will never work for north dakota. and so, again, i would say we've got it, again, as president. i will be focusing on things that actually is the job description for the president that includes the economy. that includes energy. that includes national security. >> i have to ask you about what happened to your ankle, your a chloe is achilles,. you went to the doctor today after you heard it yesterday playing basketball with your staff. it wasn't just a tear, was? it? what did you find out today? >> well, my staff -- my son was there as well. we were having a great time when i thought it was a tear, when i saw you earlier but i do did get a chance to get into see the milwaukee bucks orthopedic surgeon today and after a quick exam, he's like, no, you've got a complete rupture. >> you ruptured your achilles? and you just did an entire debate? >> yes. but we have a thing in north dakota, it's called cowboy up. one thing about law enforcement, military, the sacrifices those people make, there was no way that i was going to miss being onstage tonight, even if it meant standing on one leg for two hours. >> governor, thank you so much. appreciate it. >> thank you, dana. >> anderson, back to you. >> all right, dana bash, thank you so much. i'm joined tonight by daniel dale whose gonna fact check some of what we and the republican voters here tonight. we're gonna start with governor desantis on his record in florida during the pandemic. let's take a look. >> 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 -- it was a mistake. it should have never happened. and, in florida, we lead the country out of lockdown. we kept our state free, and >> what did you find, dana bash? >> i found it, anderson, the claim we kept our state free and open is misleading at best. that's because governor desantis is omitting a bunch of important information about what he did early in the pandemic. here is the reality. he certainly did eventually open up florida, certainly was faster than some other governors and doing so, but he did not keep it open from the start. in fact, he imposed significant restrictions and at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 on florida's people, its businesses, and other entities. here are some of the things he did in march, 2020, in april, 2020. he closed florida schools for the rest of the school year. he banned most visits to nursing homes, he ordered bars and nightclubs to close and restaurants to open at 50% capacity. he he shut down a beaches in two big counties. he limiting gatherings to a maximum of ten people six feet apart. another beach is he prohibited, quote, medically unnecessarily non urgent for non emergency medical procedures. he ordered 14-day isolation or quarantine, at possible penalty of jail for people flying in from new york, connecticut, new jersey, and then louisiana. and then, anderson, this is the big one -- in early april 2020, he imposed the statewide state stay-at-home order that require people in florida to outside the home to only those necessary to provide essential services or conduct essential activities. now, beginning in may 2020, the month after, the state switched to a reopening plan. that stay-at-home went away. the other restrictions were phased out over time. but even that reopening was not immediate. he described it himself, governor desantis described it, as a very slow and methodical approach, that's a direct quote, with capacity limits for businesses and the like, and that nursing home visitation restriction did not go away until september 2020. so, the governor's free to argue, anderson, that he allowed more freedom than lots of other states, by claiming he kept it free and open from the start, as he suggested tonight, just not the case. >> daniel dale. we will have more of our debate coverage ahead as well including questions to republican voters in iowa who -- tonight. 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[whoosh] [ding] or, a cambria hotel downtown for just the two of you. hold my wand. don't wave it at anything. get the best price by booking direct at choicehotels.com* mmm! yeah! what did i say!?! >> midnight new york, 11pm milwaukee. first presidential campaign debate now in the. books dana bash talking to the candidates. we begin this hour with voters. cnn's gary tuchman has been watching the debate tonight with a group of republican voters in iowa. he joins us now, gary? >> anderson, we come to you from the heart of iowa. the geographic center. story county iowa. we will tell you the story of this debate from the vantage point of 15 loyal story county republicans. all members of the republican club. or the young republicans of iowa. thanks for letting us be here tonight to watch the debate. >> thank you everybody. >> i watched all two hours very carefully. >> first, questions do you think this debate was good for the republican party? raise your hand if you do. >> 15 people, a looks like 14, 13 raised their hand. you two did not think it was good? why not? >> i brought more division. it is worth the time. >> he thought it was good? >> great to have a conversation with iowans. people across the united states. the republican party. >> 14 say they are undecided at this point. jim we talked to, says ready to vote for trump. what he thought to didthe best to be? pretty think one that debate? i'll do it now, to anybody think doug burgum did the best? the immediate thing chris christie did the best? certainly got a lot of they are, time now most. how about ron desantis? that's two people. how about nikki haley? >> one, two, three, four. people asa hutchinson? >> mike pence? ramaswamy? one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. >> this panel here thanks ramaswamy won the debate. me why? >> i was reminded of the time when he was talking about the identity situation. i know pence brought that up. wasn't just an issue but i think it was a generational problem because he understands that young folks do not understand that people my age don't love america. and if you don't, love you can protect. and if we fix that problem, people will say natural byproduct want to protect america and what it stands for. >> this guy sitting next to the mayor of nevada, brett parker. you picked nikki haley, she came in second place and informal, non-scientific poll. here >> i think it of all of the candidates had moments to set up. i think she came across to poised, and prepared. and i think out of the candidates, i think she helped herself the most. tonight >> chris christie talked a lot. he was anti trump. tell me why you don't like what chris christie has. >> he was just argumentative pretty much. and out after trump. >> you don't think there's logic to what he said? >> i think it was a lot of revenge. a lot of eventually. what do you think, any of it was the big moment of this debate. any of you have a big moment in mind? >> this gentleman right here. i'm going to walk over to you. excuse my reach jim so you about that. >> for me, it was when desantis on ukraine. desantis's whole goal here is to be trump, you have to meet trump on that issue. so ultimately, if desantis is willing to do that then i see vivek is the clear winner. >> does anybody here, as i was saying 14 of you were undecided when this started. or any of you, after one debate closer to saying i know who i'm going to vote for? your hand if you are a bit closer. this gentleman here, tell me who you are closer to voting for. or supporting the iowa caucus. >> is he probably nikki haley and donald trump. and also vivek moment i think that he kind of went in there as a bulldog a little bit and i don't think that's a bad thing. >> who else firsthand about. that gentlemen right here. once, again excuse me. who you closer to supporting in the caucus? >> for me, i'm closer to vivek. the more and more here of the sky. i knew nothing about him, didn't know he even existed, thought he had a funny name. the more here of the sky the more it's like he has good opinion, that's good policy. says a lot of what he believes in. he's willing to discuss that with people if they disagree with him. respect. >> chris christie, mike pence had quibbles with him. thought it was a little programed. does that mean anything to you? that they said that. i think chris christie especially is just kind of there to be a human wrecking ball and block people out of the race. >> do you think? so yeah i honestly didn't do much about vivek before i know that he's flip-flopped on a couple issues thus far. i appreciated him getting into it with both pence as well as chris christie because i thought they made him look kind of fake and like he wants to go with whatever the polling issue is. that's what he wants to do at the time. >> final question. and this man was at the debate. his name is donald trump. so we wanted to devote most of our time to people who are at the debate. how many of you think donald trump hurt himself by not being a part of this debate, raise your hand please. one, two, three, four. how many of you think he helped himself by not being at the debate? most of you. why do you think he helped himself? this is. debra she is the leader of the young republicans here. the chapter here, in the iowa young republicans. tell you why? >> i think he helped himself just because he was not able to say anything bad. people were used against him in the general election. and he's able to kind of run off his record. and not worry about being seen as bombastic or something negative. >> thank you. debra and thank all of you for talking to us we really appreciate watching this with you. anderson, ramaswamy the winner among this group. okay thanks so much. back now with our panel here in new york. 'sg here perception. ? >> i expect as you also make it up in the polls. i think he's got a ceiling. it was interesting to talk to people on this panel. seemed to resonate with men then women. universally off putting to women. non-scientific analysis i'm giving. all the momentum you saw between nikki haley. this is a true policy division. these are two different candidates, different experiences and running on different things. they are in last break within the party. here's the thing, vivek has not articulated why him over trump. if anything, he is positioning for something i would argue maybe a fox news gig or something. but he does not make that case. nikki haley laid out why her other than trump. still down 40. points but at least made that distinction. >> the last question was the right. did donald trump help or hurt himself? i've been sitting here wondering, did the single person who is currently with trump watching the debate look at that and say, switching from trump? and i just don't see it. you might see movement inside of the candidates that were on the stage. maybe one goes on one or the other. but are you going to see an outflow from trump 40 something percent now? >> the other pieces, the other thing we are talking about which is did anybody so separate themselves out that they are going to quickly or even overtime coalesce the interest of the republican party. i would say no. in terms of ramaswamy, his campaign should be sponsored. constantly just feeding red meat. he has won kind of applause line for the party. they are hearing. they are hearing. it's important. it's two great conversation with a group. coming for voters. it's anecdotal, non-scientific. we need to be careful. to the point of let's, watch what does the our poll show us samantha? now is a generational thing. he saw the younger people in the room about ramaswamy. one of our voters we are tracking and iowa from sioux falls. an attorney. so in those younger people are. he was too snarky. betsy starr cone, a suburban moment more. we are watching the debate with her. they came in her parents. as ramaswamy fans in the came away turned off say they will now look at haley and desantis so there is a generation, generational thing where the young people and trump voters like what they hear from ramaswamy and i think a little bit of other people, people with more experience, over history and we did not find as presidential. >> yet we saw that in the room with gary to the younger people in the room seems to be very interested in ramaswamy. interested in his unconventional ideas, the way he presents himself. he does remind me sort of more like pete buttigieg in some ways. somebody who is unfamiliar to voters because a lot of attention because he is quick on his feet. he can perform in these kinds of settings and that is not a knock on him. pete buttigieg won the iowa caucus. >> slightly different level of volume. >> yeah. between buttigieg ramaswamy. >> i've talked to both, and i can tell you for sure. huge difference in volume. but i say all of that to say, we can't count ramaswamy really playing a factor in this. at the end of the day. winning a primary, a republican primary, democratic primary you have to have a broad base of support. and it has to be deep and i do not see the depth from ramaswamy. at least not yet and when he gets to 15. let's just say he does rise. trump will come from next. you know trump spends all of his time on defense but if they ever perceive that desantis is fading in ramaswamy say is in the early second place. trump will come for him next and it will be like. >> i don't think donald trump sees vivek as a threat. i think that he realizes that ramaswamy will have a ceiling in some place in the 15 to 20% and it's going to just cripple the rest of the field and he's happy to see that happen and happy to help from vivek achieve that. and receive him to be a surrogate. that's absolutely >> if you see consolidation. what if you saw consolidation in the field around ramaswamy anybody else? >> i don't think. >> nobody is going to vote for vivek for president over donald trump. i don't see it happen. they're pulling in the same. place i think if anything, the trump team are going to try to bring into the fold some kind of a surrogate. one thing that kind of a generational discussion an interesting question that came up was about climate change. just raise your hand is coming change real. and nikki haley was the only person who really gave an articulate answer and then change to policy and how we address it. you will lose an entire generation of voters to republican party if they don't get serious. >> do you believe in human behavior causing climate change? raise your hand if you do? >> we are on school, children of the debate, i'm happy to take it. >> let me just say to this, first of, one of the reasons our country is declining because of the way the corporate media treats republicans versus democrats. biden was on the beach while the people were suffering. he was asked about, said no comment. are you kidding me? as somebody who has handled disasters in florida, you've got to be activated. you've got to be there, got to be present. helping people. >> here's the deal. is that a yes? so yes, that i handrails? i think was a henry. my hands are my pockets. let us be honest about republicans. i'm the only person on the stage isn't bond paid for so i can say this. the climate change agenda is a. hoax, the climate change agenda is a hoax. the reality is that the anti-carbon agenda is the wet blanket on our economy. so the reality is more people are dying of bad climate change policies. then they are of actual climate change. governor haley, hello. hold on. i've had enough already tonight. of aguy who sounds like chatgpt standing up here. and the last person in one of these debates who stood in the middle of this stage and said what is a skinny guy with a hard last name doing up here was barack obama and i'm afraid we're dealing with the same type of amateur tonight. gimme a hug, just like you to a moment. you'll have elect we just like obama to. give me that hug. governor, haley would you like to respond? are you bought and paid for? >> i'd like to say the fact that i think this is exactly why margaret thatcher said if you want something said ask a man, if you want something done ask a woman >> >> it's interesting how ron desantis froze in that moment. he would not answer the question. was giving this answer and then it just sort of collapsed when confronted. and vivek took it over. again ramaswamy's quick on the. we see him doing it right there. again desantis is blaming climate change on cnn and fox news. so i'm not sure that it's going. >> just feels like this should have been a debate. it feels to me like at the end of the debate, the fact that really nobody is talking about anything around desantis said is a complete failure on his part. he is the non-trump front runner and probably should have used this is an opportunity to solidify that. and maybe he stayed steady but i do not think he really gained any ground tonight with any of those answers. that's probably a microcosm of the problems he has. keeping the attention. competing and vibrant. yes this line, he tried to bring back to joe biden. didn't even really deliver it properly. it was not i think a particularly strong. >> i said this earlier but his whole campaign you'll remember was predicated on the idea. and last fall, who sort of the flavor of the fall. and the idea was that he was nipping at donald trump's heels. he was the star of 2022. and he was the guy who could take trump out and he was the insurgent to all of the republican establishment wound onto as a guy who could stop trump. if he is now, needing tonight to try to be a circuit breaker because he has a bad story after bad story. and i do not think he did that tonight. >> you forget that all of those things will be for the six-week abortion ban. before the disney fight. he said tonight that he said i when i got asked about the abortion ban, he said i won by a landslide without mentioning the fact that he did not sign that six-week abortion ban until after he won the landslide and i would guess that he would not have done quite as well in florida if you had signed the ban before the election. >> have a slightly different view of desantis. i thought, and it was early, so we don't remember two hours later so much. i thought he got off a good rip on nation in decline. the biden economy. i think that is exactly what republicans think and want to hear. if you look at the time he, teh fragmentation on the stage and all of the mix of sun and people talking over each other. we're not that many memorable moments. it's a microcosm of this primary in general. the thing holding these people. the saints to anybody else. fragmentation of a small pool. >> experiences the way the people judge these debates not in a set pieces you deliver it but it is how you perry and handle the flow of the conversation in which he came with was a bunch of set pieces. when he had to think on his feet and react to different situations on the stage, it is much less sure of himself. and that sense he failed the test. he memorized his lines well. delivered some of them will. but on that element, how does he deal with the stuff going on on the stage? i thought he fell flat. >> let's put on the screen the number of time all the candidates had. it is interesting. mike pence actually had the most time at 12 minutes. ramaswamy second. >> remember, pence has tons of experience at this. that's a key point. did this, and understands that i was make-or-break for him. to the point of desantis, i don't think governor desantis himself tonight. i agree with you, that the economy and it was a good one and if you go to a general election, that will be the defining moment. tough issues for republicans in suburban swing states. the states have to win the presidency i don't think you hurt himself but i also don't think this was the debate he expected. they thought he'd be a target. to defend his record. defensive and that not emerge. i don't think that was the debate anticipated. good point. what happened at the end. we would've hope that he needs to attack. the other problem for me from desantis was that trump was on the stage. desantis cannot demonstrate i can take on trump. he had at least i'm sure he could go blow for blow with other people in the stage. >> but there was a missed opportunity about ukraine. calling it a territorial dispute. making the case for him. tomorrow it was for decision. anderson showed the numbers and chris christie had the third most amount a time and i think unfortunately he performed kind of the bottom of the list and due in large part, his foil was not there. >> i also think one of the reasons pense had times is this exchange over did he do the right? on january six. because it did involve everybody and allowed them to go back. let's play that exchange. it's about three minutes. >> do you believe that mike pence did the right thing senator scott? you believe he did the right thing? >> absolutely he did the right thing. number two, we should be asking ourselves a bigger question about the weaponization of the department of justice. first of all those fire merrit garland fired christopher wray. >> do you believe mike pence is the right thing on january 6th? >> here's what we need to. do we need to end the weaponization of these federal agents. >> that's outside the question. >> here's the thing, this election is not about january 6th. 2021. it's about january 20th of 2025. the next president will take office. i know the democrats would like to do. i want to talk about all these other issues. but we gotta focus on your future. >> and the constitution of the united states. i think the american people deserve to know whether anybody on the stage that i kept the oath to my constitution. there is no more important duty. >> i've answered this before. >> i got no beef with him. but here's the thing, is this what we are gonna be focused on? going forward, the rehashing of this. >> mike pence sued for constitution. and he deserves not grudging credit. he deserves our thanks as americans. putting his oath of office in the constitution of the united states before personal, what a call and unfair pressure. and the argument we need to have in this party before we move on to the issues that ron talked about, we have to dispense the person, suspend the constitution. mike pence said no. you deserve credit for. >> i think vice president pence did the right thing. but also today the look, when it comes to whether president trump future of or not, i trust the american people. let them, but let them decide. >> join me and making a commitment. they won, you'd pardon donald. trump nearly candidate on the stage of the courage to say. this is how we move our nation forward. in turn the page for. it >> make a commitment, the same just assist. >> that's the difference between you. and i've actually given pardons when i was governor. usually follows a finding of guilt and contrition by the individual. that's been convicted. if i'm president of the united states, we will give through consideration 20 partner quest. it's not about looking back in june 2020. about january 2027 team. i put my left hand on ronald reagan's bible. i took an oath. to defend the constitution of the united states. and ended with a prayer, s o help me god. it was a promise made the american people. but i also made it. made it to my heavenly father. >> three point, i don't think vivek only answered the question in support of. not >> what is surreal about all this is tomorrow morning the front runner. the front runner is going to walk into the fulton county jail and get arrested for the fourth time in several months. and one of the things that happened on that stage of what has been happening throughout the race that gives you a sense of trump's hold on the republican electorate is that everyone feels, even when they say mike pence did the right thing. they feel they need to followed by saying that we've got to fight this weaponization the justice system. essentially affirming trump's argument that he is being unjustly pursued and i did a podcast this week with sally yates who was the prosecutor, u.s. attorney in north georgia before she became deputy attorney acting general. and she said that they are accomplices in trump's project here of tearing down the justice system and turning down faith in our institutions. and it is a cop out to say they are doing it because it's too politically risky. to take him. some point have to say, no. >> chris christie was out there. so this is more than about trump. it's really among all republicans that these institutions and agencies are tilted against not just trump, but republicans. if you compare to other people situations. chiefly the bidens or hillary clinton. so that's why they do that. because while republicans may know mike pence to do a, thing with a really, really worried about is why did everybody else get away with stuff dame trump? so it's more than the january 6th. it's more to than that. >> i understand. there are several elements to this. for moderating that debate, i would ask ron. in the navy. if somebody from the top of the military to the bottom walked or left the service and talk with them highly classified documents were asked to return them, knowing didn't return them but obstructed the efforts of the government. wouldn't that person be prosecuted to the full extent of the law? >> and we really engaged in that substance tonight. >> lots more, head key moments and perspective on tonight's first republican candidates to make the case where they should be president. i need it cool at night. you trying to ice me out of the bed? baby, only on game nights. you know you are retired right? am i? ya! save 50% on the sleep number® limited edition smart bed. plus, 60-month financing on all smart beds. shop now only at sleep number®. carvana has hundreds of thousands of five star reviews and counting. the whole process was really simple and easy, and this is my third time selling to carvana. you just enter your license plate or your vin, answer a few questions. boom, you get a real offer. sell your car to carvana today. it's because of tiktok that i had to go out and get a website. i'm at a point now where i've outgrown my house. growing up, every time i'd get out of the shower, i would itch. my first experience with goat milk soap, it kinda was like a light bulb moment. tiktok is a fantastic platform for diy. if you'd have told me three years ago that i would own my own business and be expanding into a separate building, i would've told you you'd lost your mind. wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. and it's all right here. streaming was never this easy, you know. this is the way. you really went all out didn't you? um, it's called commitment. could you turn down the volume? here, you can try. get way more into what your into when you stream on the xfinity 10g network. >> seen republican candidates in the debate stage field in the books let's go back to dana. they know? >> thank you anderson i have with me our political director. david chalian so much to talk about. i'll say that in this room, you and i were watching together and we were sort of absorbing it all in one of the things i found so fascination was the trump of it all. you lack of trump questions said in the debate was the elements not in the room. and yes, the majority of the candidates really did not want to talk about them. but the couple who were there who did like chris christie, particularly christy did not talk about him the special people expected. >> no doubt about. it i think it was ten or 11 the segment. and you want to know what? bradberry told us, he had to turn to the audience at a certain point plead with him to let him get through the trump section because it is not a topic i most of the candidates on the stage to not want to deal with. they know that the republican primary electorate is not all that interested in hearing republicans attack donald trump. it is clear. even the republicans who support candidates not named trump. >> let's listen to the one time where chris christie did try to make his case for why donald trump should not be the republican nominee. >> here's the bottom line. somebody has to stop normalizing this conduct ok? whether or not you believe criminal charges are right around. the conduct is beneath the office of president the united states. this is a good thing about the country. booing is allowed. but it doesn't change the truth. doesn't change the truth. >> this is one of the main reasons chris christie is in the race to begin with. because remember he in 2016 ran against donald trump. what's the first very important supporter of his. certainly the first person to endorse him who'd been in the field. worked with him even all the way up through the last debate that then president had and then after jan 6th turned and the moments like these on the debate stage where the main reasons i said why he wanted to be there. and it is just such a reminder that as you said, this is not where the party is. >> reaction, heard him acknowledge the boos. he is a very long road to the nomination. it's a major uphill battle. chris christie, and asa hutchinson as you just heard from the audience, they're not aligned with where the republican primary electorate is right now. that is not a good place to be if you are seeking to win the republican party nomination. >> we are going chris christie mixes the people who are not going after trump, you not get that you're not going to take down the front runner unless you try to take down the front runner. and that he is really the only one doing it. in an aggressive way. i think one of his lines that got to get don trump, you have to go through him. >> no doubt about it. the polling that exist right now, not open to considering chris christie. >> let's talk about nikki haley. she really had several standout moments tonight. wasn't necessarily about spinning in the economy. but it was going after the man she worked for donald trump. and in her words, runaway spending. >> why are you better positioned to turn around this economy that we have heard all these orders talk about tonight? then mr. ramaswamy, a successful entrepreneur, nationally right now. i >> do not care about polls. what i care about is the fact that nobody is telling the american people the truth. the truth is that biden did not do this to us. are republicans did this to us to. and they passed that 2. 2 trillion dollar covid stimulus bill. and left us with 90 million people on medicaid. 42 million people on food stamps. nobody has told you how to fix, it all tell you how to fix it. i need to stop the spending stop the borrowing and eliminate the earmarks republicans brought in. >> our taxpayer dollars, not their dollars. if tim scott, mike pence. they voted to raise the debt. donald trump added a truly toward it. our kids will never forgive us of this. and the end of the day, you look at the budget, republicans asked for 74 billion in. marks democrats asked for 2. 8 billion. you tell me where the big spenders. i think it's a time for the accountant in the white house. >> couple things. this could've been an argument circa 2010. with the tea party. republican, somebody in the republican party going after the george bush administration for runaway spending. >> it's an argument kevinmccarthy will be faced soon with yield right wing of the conference. about spending, and their own party leader. she is more aligned here with the voters than the establishment when and washington. which is exactly where she wanted to be. also taking a trump you're in a principled way. something they can do without offending his base. so for most about the debate. fund-raise the needle of it all. we will wait and see if that is possible here. >> democrats who saw the moment, democrats asked for less money than donald trump spent. if trump is a nominee that is gonna be part of an ad. i know you're not, sure we will talk about that. >> up next, another claimed by one of the candidates tonight. and a fact check on it. as our reporting continues. if you struggle. ♪ and struggle. ♪ and struggle with cpap. you should check out inspire. ♪ no mask. no hose. just sleep. inspire. sleep apnea innovation. learn more and view important safety information at inspiresleep.com ♪ chevy silverado has what it takes to do it all. with up to 13 camera views. and the z71 off-road package. ♪ you ok? yeah. any truck can help you make a living. this one helps you build a life. chevy silverado. that's why comcast business de is launching theal. mobile made free event. with our business internet, new and existing customers can get one year of unlimited mobile for free. it's our best internet. powered by the next generation 10g network and with 99.9% reliability. plus one line of free mobile for an entire year. it's the mobile made free event-happening now. get started for just $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get one free line of unlimited mobile. comcast business, powering possibilities. >> back with our special coverage of tonight's first presidential debate. joining us to fact-check of what we heard onstage. he looked at senator scott's calim about scholl board meetings and the. in the department justice. would you find out? >> i found it's false. i know that, i didn't get before as of many other media outlets. first let's listen to what was said tonight. >> 70% of republicans have confidence in our department of justice. here's why. we keep seeing, not only the position of the department of justice against political opponents. but also against parents who show up at school board meetings. they're called domestic terrorists. >> claim the biden era justice department calls parents that shows up at school board meetings, domestic terrorists. it's just flat wrong. the doj has not used the language and again cnn and others have debunked this over and over. it was even debunked anderson by a trump appointed federal judge last year. so here's what actually happened in 2021, the national school boards association sent a letter to president biden arguing that the acts of malice, violence and threats against public school officials could be classified as they argued to the equivalent of a fourth domestic terrorism. and hate crimes. and then the week after garland released a memo encouraging federal local 30s to work together against harassment, intimidation and threats against officials. here's the key thing, garland never endorsed the associations domestic terrorism language. never endorsed the associations suggestion that the patriot act could be used against perpetrators. in fact, a. g. garland testified to congress later in 2021 that complaints about education are he said totally protected by the first amendment's long and they are not threats of violence. and he said that he cannot quote, imagine a circumstance where they would be labeled as domestic terrorism. the trump appointed judge in 2022 threw out a lawsuit from parents who accused garland of stifling their free speech and a judge wrote in the decision at the time that the garland memo in question quote does not label anyone in domestic terrorist. and, they'll appreciate, alot of work daniel tonight. and now more on the leading candidate in the polls. in the eighth onstage night. at least how the desantis plan to move on from our panel and those voters the lessons daytona. cnn's jeff zeleny in milwaukee as a. anna anderson, for the governor of desantis is heading to iowa tomorrow and the question is if he thought the center of conversation. in this campaign. he was sorry changed night as we saw. but he retreated a bit from the public view. at least in terms of being the lead candidate that people were attending. and that is what the campaign had been talking about. for several days. even weeks going into this. that would be the center of attention. the focal point. of course the goal of the desantis campaign was to solidify the role as the leading alternative to former president trump. i did not happen in the eyes of many republicans watching this tonight. but tomorrow in iowa they hope is a new day. traveling for an event in east iowa. going friday as well. but we're almost only will be in the state. and we saw the voters responding there i'm great tuchman's report in nevada iowa. such a question. just a little over four months before the caucus open process. so the question for the florida governor is. can he still keep reminding and convincing voters that he's the leading alternative to former president trump or is that now an open question? there is a question if this is gonna be different as we are a later in the cycle venue nor, of course donald trump was not at the debate. it was not even all about. him he is firmly in control of this campaign. >> appreciate, it back here with the panama. let's start here with john what's ahead for all the candidates after tonight? one >> of the big questions is how long does the field say-so craddock so trump benefits from a crowded. feel that have the map up here to remind people, that 20 that trump did not win iowa, he came in second chad cruise, but he moved on from there he started winning, all this trump red on the trump from 2016 only got 25% of the, votes but republican rules mostly winner take all, so as long as the field stays like this with a lot of people in it like last time, donald trump benefits. just one more anyone new hampshire came down to south carolina, and then the rest was history. the question is when does the field shrink? don't affect that after the first debate, second debate is in 35 days. one thing to watch as it goes far, does the money start to dry up for some of these candidates. >> let's take a look, these numbers are big data, because the candidates not to report all the time. these are from the end of. june trump has the most money, desantis, ramaswamy watched the donors to the campaigns in super pac money, do they continue to raise money? if they do not, that'll be one of the forces pressuring them to get. out you >> hear a lot a republics say, give him a debater to maybe a first contests, then people should get out. consult around one or two anti trump forces. >> when you talk to the campaigns though, 2024 is very different from 2016 because of this. number one of the voting, january 15th it kicks off in iowa, no hatcher in divided between, here super tuesday, which could be happening that same time? 12345 trump child on the books. doesn't mean all help. in many of them likely to be today. a lot of these candidates think even if i'm not doing well early on, might there be a trap door for donald trump later in the calendar? the establishment, the anti-trump establishment, get out if you're not succeeding, some candidates as long as they can keep raising money, i want to stay in as long as i can, just maybe, eventually that day comes were something actually hurts donald trump. >> john king appreciate it. >> it is the debate we had in 2016 among candidates, and here again no candidate wants to be the first one, to step out. this whole idea, mitt romney had said at certain point candidates have to drop out and their supporters have to get them to drop out. that is not gonna happen. >> known to the dropout voluntary, they're gonna drop out because they run out of money. that is what's gonna happen. >> juror should compel the candidates to drop out. >> do that by not writing checks. it >> is an unnatural act. it's not like everyone gets them together in a room and says, you know what, you are gonna be the guy. that doesn't happen. >> i think also it's a different dynamic in this race. you've got the vapor coup is funding himself, you have tim scott who has won wealthy dollar bankrolling's entire campaign, duck bergman funding in the south. this is this dynamic where you don't need multiple donors to funded candidate all the way through ida. that gonna make a really hard to decide they don't have enough money and they need to drop out. >> governor kristi new hannon op-ed that he makes the case and says get through the winter, and then we have consolidation. it feels like 2015 again. i don't see any scenario where that happens. you saw today where there's some calling people my friend. nobody is aligned with each other in this. i could see consultation to the south caroline, tim caught seals of lug perhaps backing nikki haley. there is no coming together of the candidates to take on donald trump. that's wish casting. it is not happening this time around. >> we get island nolan has dropped down, in donald trump wins a convincing in iowa it is too late. this idea that, if you get it down to a one-on-one before iowa okay that is interesting. but trump versus this rabble, he's probably not gonna go below 40. that's a floor for him among the 220,000 caucus goers. if the consolidation remains, and the fragmentation remains, no matter what happens to trump, it keeps them afloat. the fact that we can't look at the stage tonight decide who clearly one? that means trump won. there was nobody took control of it. no one took control of it, no one is taking control of the non-trump candidacies and then in the polls. >> the stunning thing here, just this week abc as a poll that has joe biden who's gonna be the oldest president in him, six points ahead of donald trump and a general lectern. if the republican party can't come together and say this is a losing candidate, we're gonna lose against against joe biden, someone who is the most off putting candidate, if you don't run. >> he maybe beatable in a general, i think clearly he's not beautiful in a republican primary. this is the crux of the problem. if li to santas, we were discussing earlier he has high favorables. voters are open to him and interested in him. he is not closing the sale. in till he does that, i don't see how this field is going to, what any one person is gonna rise to a level that will pose a challenge to. trump >> the next fundraising numbers will be interesting to see, we'll desantis run out of oxygen before he can close the deal? >> look, i don't think that desantis can, he needed this debate to raise, he needed to reassure people. we should say however, we have a gray haired since we've been around the ally aukus is for a long time, they do break late, they break in one direction, the question is, can that happen in an environment where one guy, sucks up so much oxygen. i don't know that that can happen. >> does island beat that choice? everyone is right, the candidates are not gonna do it. if they are at six radar, tenderness try to stay in if the money is there. republicans have this conversation since 2015, when is the trap door for donald? trump we are still waiting for it. the question is, can somebody surprised? as of today, do you see anyone beating trump in iowa? the answer to the question is no. can someone break from the others, not catch trump, but comic close enough second to trump to somehow shake it up in and iowa. i agree with david's point, if you don't do it in iowa, it's not going to happen. trump is very strong in new hampshire. if you're gonna break the dynamic, break the republicans like ice if you will, you have to do it in iowa. >> if the way you do come close to trump, is by rallying the evangelical based in iowa, that doesn't necessarily help you win new hampshire. that makes you less appealing to candidates in new hampshire. >> barack obama guy made hillary clinton not inevitable in iowa. he had the black vote, once he became viable, then he have that. if a republican can prove that at least maybe trump is not absolutely inevitable, what are they have to follow? >> she was dominant national pulling, but not nearly where trump is. in an iowa actually, john edwards was leaving for much of that year. she was veritable and iowa from the beginning. it's >> not a trial of trump is hurting with evangelicals in an eyeliner. in assuming they me move. they like donald trump the disconnect between these primary voters on the general electric is amazing. last week the associated press had a survey 53% of americans said they definitely would not vote trump. another 11 said probably not. should a convicted be eligible to be president? 70% of americans said no. 58 aren't republicans. none of this is reflected on that stage really, or in these primary pulls the gulf between what you have to do to win here, and what you have to do to win their, gets wider and wider every day. that >> is why nikki haley putting on a performance for the center of the electorate, college educated voters, and women and all of that. she had a strong night for the country, i'm not sure it was that strong of a night in the republican primary? because of exactly what you're talking about. it's two completely different mandates to win a primary in the problem party and to be a viable general election candidate in this country right now. i agree with you, it's a stage process. her first order of business is to try leap ahead of some of the others, you do that by consolidating a significant enough pace, so that you gain some altitude. then you hope the others fade away, and you can pick up some additional pieces. this is a speculative venture for all these people. donald trump is the dominant figure in the republican party, that isn't isn't changing. these indictments have actually strengthened him among voters who think that he's being victimized as he presents and some self as amartey. >> internees 16 at this point, he was three points ahead statistically tied with jeb bush. he is a 40 point lead over his closest challenger right now. tomorrow we're gonna see much of. >> which will be on t-shirts. >> it's historically just unusual for anyone to blow a lead like this. machado now. >> thank all our guest tonight. coverage of the first republican primary continues right after a short break. right after a short break. >> (eagle screeches) (energetic music plays) there he is! it's right there! ♪ oh, he's straight ahead. he's straight ahead. straight ahead. go go go. ♪ cover more ground in the kia sportage turbo-hybrid. kia. movement that inspires. type 2 diabetes? 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