Republican US presidential hopefuls go on offensive against absentee Trump, Biden

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Republicans seeking their party's presidential nomination took to the debate stage for a second time Wednesday evening, using the opportunity to call out former US President Donald Trump for foregoing the contest and taking aim at the incumbent president.

"Donald, I know you're watching. You can't help yourself. I know you're watching," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said, drawing laughter from the audience and pointing to the $7 trillion added to the national debt under Trump.

"You're not here tonight because you're afraid of being on the stage and defending your record. You're ducking these things. And let me tell you what's going to happen. You keep doing that. No one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We're gonna call you Donald Duck," he added.

"Donald Duck" trended shortly thereafter on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Christie was far from the sole Republican who used the nationally-televised debate to call out Trump, who remains far and away the frontrunner in the 2024 contest.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was once thought to be the sole Republican capable of mounting a worthwhile challenge to the ex-president, said Trump's absence is equivalent to being "missing in action."

"Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record, where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt," said DeSantis. "That set the stage for the inflation that we have."

DeSantis also sought to stave off criticism from Trump on Florida's ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, saying Trump should also be pressed on comments he made in which he described the policy as a "terrible thing."

Former Vice President Mike Pence, meanwhile, downplayed his time in office with Trump, calling the ex-commander-in-chief "my former running mate."

President Joe Biden also featured prominently in the contest, with multiple candidates singling out biting inflation and his economic record.

Sen. Tim Scott criticized Biden for recently joining auto workers striking in Detroit, Michigan, saying, "Joe Biden should not be on the picket line. He should be on the southern border working to close our southern border because it is unsafe, wide open."

"It is devastating. Every county in America is now a border county because fentanyl has devastated Americans in every single state," he said.

Pence further alleged that the strikes are the direct results of Biden's economic policies.

"While the union bosses are talking about class warfare, and talking about disparity in wages, I have to tell you, I really believe what's driving that is Bidenomics has failed," he said.

"Wages are not keeping up with inflation. Auto workers and all American workers are feeling it and families are struggling in this economy," he added.

Wednesday's debate repeatedly devolved into out-of-control shouting matches and saw bitter exchanges between the candidates, perhaps none more fierce than the repeated rhetorical sparring between former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.

Haley tore into Ramaswamy's use of Chinese-owned TikTok, calling it "one of the most dangerous social media assets" before further telling the biotech entrepreneur: "Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say."

"You're now wanting kids to go and get on this social media that's dangerous for all of us. You, when you were in business with the Chinese that gave Hunter Biden $5 million, we can't trust you," she said.

Ramaswamy took a markedly different tact Wednesday than he did during the first Republican debate, adopting a more conciliatory tone after August's showdown in which he went hard on the offensive.

"I think we would be better served as a Republican Party if we're not sitting here hurling personal insults and actually have a legitimate debate about policy," retorted Ramaswamy as the debate quickly went off the rails with multiple candidates seeking to speak over one another.