Trump-less debate underscores GOP divisions on key issues

The Republican debate Wednesday night in Miami did nothing to change the trajectory of the party’s 2024 presidential nomination race. Former President Donald Trump, who staged a rally nearby rather than spar with primary challengers, remains the prohibitive front-runner.

But the debate was still revealing, laying bare deep divides and uncertainties in a GOP dominated today by Mr. Trump but still with strong strains of old-school Republicanism. These discussion points are likely to carry on into the post-Trump era. 

Isolationism vs. internationalism 

“The world is on fire,” said former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, arguing for a strong U.S. posture around the world – in Ukraine, the Middle East, and potentially China. Ms. Haley’s position, echoed by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, contrasted sharply with that of tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who presented a Trumpian “America First” view on Ukraine, in particular, which could mean a sharp pullback in aid. 

Social Security

“Under no circumstances should Republicans cut entitlements,” Mr. Trump has said. But some Republicans appear willing to touch what has been called the “third rail” of politics, in light of an expected shortfall beginning in 2032. Ms. Haley and Mr. Christie said they’d increase the retirement age, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said they would not. Ms. Haley highlighted her fiscal hawkishness, blaming Mr. Trump for adding $8 trillion to the national debt. 

Abortion

Republicans were stung Tuesday by election losses in races and a ballot measure in which reproductive rights were center stage. This issue, which Mr. Trump generally avoids, could be the GOP’s Achilles’ heel in 2024. While no GOP candidates presented themselves as favoring abortion rights, they differed in approach and tone. 

Governor DeSantis, who trails Mr. Trump in distant second place for the nomination, asserted his support for “a culture of life” and blamed abortion opponents for being “flat-footed” on an Ohio referendum. Ms. Haley, who is gaining traction and tied Mr. DeSantis for second place in a key poll, emphasized her desire for consensus. She called herself “unapologetically pro-life” but struck a note of realism, noting that a nationwide ban on abortion at 15 weeks’ gestation cannot realistically pass the Senate unless Republicans somehow gain a filibuster-proof majority.

So given Mr. Trump’s dominance in GOP primary polls, was Wednesday night’s debate pointless? Not necessarily. It’s not impossible that something could shift the dynamics of the race. And many of these candidates – Ms. Haley and Mr. Desantis, in particular – could try again in 2028.