In just two hours seven candidates will take the stable for the second g. O. P. President ial debate of the season. So right off the bat, lets go live to the Reagan Library in simi valley where correspondent Bill Melugin Is Standing by. Bill, so the candidates have been to that library before for another president ial primary debate and you could feel the tension. Can you feel the excitement. What are they doing now . Bill laura, good evening to you. They are all getting ready for this debate in their own way right now. Can i tell you the energy is starting to pick up. Can you see over my shoulder the people are starting to the show up here. They are starting to line up. These candidates have been Walking Around the property. Taking it all in, as you mentioned, this is the Ronald Reagan president ial library. A spot they all want to be for this huge debate tonight. Now the candidates are getting ready their own ways. Nikki haley camp talked to me earlier. They said she is listening to music. They gave me her play list includes def leppard. Post malone killers and queen. Vivek ramaswamys team said he worked out earlier and now playing for the kids. Getting ready for the debate as well. Both of them are looking to eclipse ron desantis and get in that second place spot behind donald trump who is blowing everybody out of the water in the polling right now. Speaking of him, he is skipping this debate again tonight citing that huge lead he has in the polling. He took it a step further and said everybody on stage is wasting their time by running against him. So the bottom line for these candidates tonight, they have to do something to shake up this race and try to chip into Donald Trumps huge lead or else nobody is going to have a chance of being the nominee, donald trump is running away with it right now. The field could get smaller in the coming months, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson did not qualify for this debate tonight. He held a press Conference Today saying if he is not polling at 4 by thanksgiving, he will consider dropping out of the race. We will have to wait and see what happens is somebody going to have a moment tonight . Laura, one other interesting tid bit to point out, California Governor Gavin Newsom is here tonight. Is he going to be at this debate. Maybe in the spin room as well. The biden team sent him out here to essentially do counter programming against g. O. P. Messaging coming out of this debate. So very interesting to have one of the most liberal governors in the country out here at this g. O. P. President ial debate and, remember, late november, fox news hosting a debate between Governor Ron Desantis and Governor Newsom that will certainly be something to watch. We will send it back to you. Laura bill, great to see you. There he goes again. Well, beyond the debate intrigue including jockeying for time and best one liners as bill mentioned, republicans hope that what happens tonight is actually going to set them on a course to win next year. Not by a hair but by a huge margin. Now, things are looking really horrid for democrats right now. Gas prices skyrocketing again. The average getting close to 4 a gallon again. Its over 6 in places like california. Did you see the Consumer Confidence numbers today . They are cratering. The border is an invited invasion. And we warned about it. Its only getting worse. And the most sickening disregard for human life is on display across urban america. Everybody must eat. Everybody must eat. Everybody must eat. Everybody. Everybody must eat. Yes everybody must eat. Oh my god. [laughter] apparently they are eating iphones. Well, trump predicted america would fall apart if biden won and he has pretty much been right, hasnt he . As a result, he looks like he will be very hard to stop. But no matter hot nominee is, showcasing our candidates tonight, asking them tough questions, it shows the g. O. P. Strength and its depth. Especially when compared to the decrepit party of joe biden. We know that he is you know, not going to have any real no holds barred presser any time between now and november. Its just not going to happen. He is not capable of it. But, right now, republicans, look, simply dont have enough power to make things better, as bad as we know biden is and republicans are not going to have enough power to make things better unless they can grow their coalition. Now, lets face it, theyre unlikely to persuade upper class social officials to work with them or trust things like rubber stamping the pentagons budgets. Thats about all they will agree on. That least Working Class people from across the country. A multi ethnic coalition. And from time to time, you know, we have seen democrats, they try to go through the motions with Working Class people, but its all pretend. It doesnt mean anything. The fact is, everything democrats are doing is undermining the buying power, the parent power, and the safety of Working Class voters. And, boy, do they feel it. Its harder and harder to get by. I still work a job because most people you cant retire 100 percent because we need work, you know, groceries are a lot more now. Am i supposed to work until im 70, 80 years old . The economy is not good. Inflation is horrible. Busted apart without them shooting. Standing in front of a restaurant and talk to your friends without losing your life. My grandson. Laura trump knows their anxiety and the fear its real. It cant be dismissed or spun away, as much as the white house tries to do. This this is partly why trump is going to michigan to address the auto workers. Of course, biden failed to mention yesterday how much worse off the average michigander is under his leadership. Real wages in michigan are down. The state ranks 37th now on the real Median Household Income scale. It dropped, by the way, from 32. Nice going. But the whole g. O. P. , they also have to get at least in their mind, to michigan. And, frankly, this is a test run at the debate tonight. And for the g. O. P. Members of congress, fighting over the budget, they have to understand the importance of bringing Working Class voters into this party. Everything else, its a waste of time. Now, some have suggested that they follow more of an establishment friendly approach, maybe folks like mitt romney or liz cheney can teach them a thing or two. Apparently nikki haley is getting some real attention from the old guard and a lot of big donors. Well, they hate trump. We know that and they dont much like populism. Even if you assume that there are a bunch of voters out there who want more trade with china, liberalized immigration. And war with russia, those voters are already on bidens side. The Republicans Cannot OutestablishmentThe Democrats. Remember, mccain tried that in 2008. Romney tried it in 2012. It didnt work then, and it will not work now. Republicans have to be the party of populism, because they certainly arent going to be the party of wall street or silicone valley. Not going to be the party of hollywood. They arent going to be any more proukraine either than biden is. They arent going to be any more prochina than biden. They arent going to be any more proopen borders than biden. Those avenues are closed. And the only lane open is toward the Working Class. Thats the backbone of our economy, our traditions, and our patriotic spirit [clearing throat] remember they along with union voters are being shafted by the d. C. Union party. We have to reach out to them before our voice goes. Joining us now. [coughing] Executive Editor of the common sense society. Mollie hemingway, where am i wrong here . This is a really interesting and important point. You have people who are talking about being at the Reagan Library. And what they seem to be wanting to emphasize there is Foreign Policy. And this is an important thing to emphasize. The cold war policies that reagan that reagan used to win the cold war. Those are not the policies of Mitch Mcconnell or george w. Bush. And the Republican Party does do well with that Foreign Policy. But, there was something about the reagan era that really worked well. Where reagan reached out reached out to Working Class voters and managed to grow the party. He brought in so many democrats. You call them reagan democrats. Thats something that really does work well for the Republican Party. Caring about those economic issues. Caring about also some of these social issues. An auto worker doesnt just care about having good income and good wages and benefits. He also doesnt want his kid to be taught to trans in the first grade. There are all these issues that do matter to average americans. Laura i have to say Steven Miller is with us as well. Steven, i mean, those numbers out of michigan for the average family there, and whats happened to them are devastating. And now were going to apparently allow in millions and millions of others voters over the next year and if its next four years 5 million mollie or Something Like that . Stephen, how what is this doing to the average familys budget what they are having to spend every week and every month . Well, they are getting attacked from all sides thats why globalization, open borders and going to be central in 2020. Working families cannot keep up. They have lowskilled workers driving down incomes. They have run away, outofcontrol spending in washington thats making their dollar worthless and they have trade policy that force American Workers in michigan to compete with actual slave alicia in foreign countries. I dont care what kind of Foreign Policy you have, as long as you are competing with child labor and slave labor, American Workers are going to use. Thats the reason why there is a transformational moment that could occur for republicans if they choose to tap into that public angst, laura. Laura well, chris, we asked fox digital to talk to people in san diego about just the issue of gas prices. Now they are over 6 there. Watch. Crazy, i was just about to take a picture and send it to my kids are in the mid west and show them how crazy it is here. I remember when it used to be like 2 and i could fill up like 20. Most of my paycheck goes to gas. How much does it take you to fill up your gas tank. 88. 75. I pay sometimes 100. 120. 100. 150. You had to choose between filling up your gas tank and buying other things . Oh, actually, yes. A couple times either groceries or gas. Gas prices have gone up. What about your pay . No. It stays the same. Laura chris, this one issue, i think, could win the whole election. Just the issue of gas price. Its brutal. I drive a 1994 truck. I got it from california. A lot of people in california drive old vehicles. They keep it up. And it gets them outside of all the restrictions that Governor Newsom has put on them. Their ability to drive actual vehicles. It costs over 100 every time i fill up. I have to fill up a couple times dropping my kid off at school, making it to work. That hits your wallet every time you stop at the grocery store. Its 150 bucks. But im wondering exactly who the g. O. P. Candidates tonight are going to be talking. To say the Republican Voters seem like they have got a pretty clear preference for donald trump. But who doesnt is the republican donor class. Laura and senators like Mitch Mcconnell. Would they vary biden be president . I think they actually might. Absolutely. And, you know, they are trying to talk to the finance guys. The finance guys and trying to back anyone other than trump. Desantis you will not argue with him on his record. Its a great record. He has not been doing well. They have been losing faith in that tonight looking at that Screen Saying who is going to agree with me on ukraine . Who is going to a e agree with the Finance Class on this or that and theyre going to go with that nikki haley is out there as someone. Look at vivek ramaswamy, he. Laura came from nothing. Being the only person out there with a Foreign Policy that sounded like the voters. So, maybe he is going to be under attack today, but everyone else is going laura mollie, what of this . Nothing personal against anybody. They are really interesting people and nice people. And they all have had positions of some prestige. But the voters have been very clear on the issues they care about. And it seems like the donors are saying no, no, no, no, no. Cant do it. And Senate Leadership no, no, no, no, no. We are supposed to be a representative democracy, are we not . Dont the people have their say in the end . This does happen in other primary situation as well. Its really pronounced right now. The people could not be more clear about their concern about the direction of the country. They really do think things are serious. They really are worried about the economy. They are clear also that they do not want to have yet another endless war in ukraine a war without a strategy. The people who run washington, d. C. Do not care what the American People think. They are beholden to other interest. But, tonight, there is a real opportunity, the candidate who does articulate concern for Foreign Policy, that matches what American Voters have wanted and consistently that they have done well with from the 50s, 60s. Laura two words, america first. Arent those two words, steven, dont those two words capture where peoples Minds Mindset happens to be now . Yes. We feel terrible about all these other problems but ours were bad. We are in a bad spot right now. The voters want america first, the donors want ukraine first. Thats the fight you see right now between Mitch Mcconnells Republican Party and Donald TrumpsRepublican Party. And that is going to be the issue that defines the struggle within the Republican Party for some time to come. Like you, laura, i hope the populist prevail. Laura panel, thank you for putting up with My Coughing Fit at the beginning. Victor hanson senior fellow. Is it time for some of these candidates we heard Asa Hutchison didnt make the debate stage. They are going to drop out and coalesce behind the one candidate who actually has the support of the base and is ahead of biden now. Is that going to start happening . Again, for the good of the country as they always say . Yeah. I dont think if this debate degenerates into a mellow drama or psycho drama between mike pence and ramaswamy and Chris Christie and you dont have the leading candidates, the leading opposition to trump, it will be a futile effort. Mollie is right. These candidates have to show solidarity with a maga agenda and they have to distinguish themselves, obviously, as candidates from trump. And there is not a lot of ways to do it except the only thing i can think of is they have to make the argument that what is going on against donald trump is a miscarriage of justice. Its weaponizing the doj. But, unfortunately, and tragically, because he is facing 91 indictments, that i ron desantis or i nikki haley or whomever is in a better position to help donald trump than donald trump will be . Because i will not be tied down by these Little Putions as goal ygoal investor weaponized miscarriage of justice. They have to show empathy by trump by saying they are going to be a more viable vehicle of the ultra maga agenda. I dont see any way they can get out of it. If they do that and articulate agenda while saying they are angry about what they are doing to trump, they are going to make sure nobody suffers like donald trump again, i think they have a pathway to break out. But we will see if that happens. Laura well, i think the problem though is that, given how bad things are in the country, i do believe a lot of voters consider their vote to be a protest vote. You talk to people look at the border. Look at what happened in philadelphia last night. The depravity of the crime. I have never seen young people treat adults, even vulnerable elderly adults, on the streets the way things are unfolding now. I think thats truly shocking for some americans. So they feel like, you know, he is not perfect. We dont like his tone sometimes, i wish he would focus on people say that, is he our fighter. He has gone through hell and we are going to go through hell for him. I hear it. Morning, noon and night when i travel. Yeah. I do. I think that no president has done more to destroy the United States than joe biden. He has got a trifecta. Is he corrupt, is he suffering from cognitive decline. Maybe we could see the d word, dementia. And none of his agenda polls 45 . He is a disaster. So, when you look at the republican alternative, you think well, we have an expresident running. We havent had that since 1912. He had a successful tenure but also the first nominee to be indicted. We have never seen anything nobody thought anybody would dare do