Live updates: First Republican presidential debate takes over Milwaukee Wednesday

MILWAUKEE — The first debate for the Republican nomination for president will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Aug. 23, 2023. Eight candidates will be attending the debate including former Vice President Mike Pence.

A host of issues are at stake, including inflation and the economy, manufacturing and globalization, tensions with Russia and China, migration and the border to the south, mass shootings and gun purchasing laws, and more.

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GOP DEBATE IN MILWAUKEE:

• Republican debate in Milwaukee: What to know as GOP presidential contenders clash in 1st debate
• What to know: Road closures due to Republican debate in Milwaukee
• The influence of Trump's absence at GOP debate in Milwaukee
• Protesters planning demonstrations at Republican debate in Milwaukee
• GOP debate in Milwaukee expected to fill hotels, increase room rates
  

There is also the issue of the former president, Trump, being under indictment in four cases in connection to his and others' alleged efforts to influence and undermine the presidential election process in 2020/2021.
TMJ4 has full coverage of the event, including interviews and analysis both before and after the debate, which kicks off at 8 p.m.

Live blog: TMJ4 News will provide updates of its debate coverage below:

10:50 p.m.: Mandela Barnes and Eric Toney on first GOP debate

10:32 p.m.: Mandela Barnes and Eric Toney joined TMJ4 News following the first 2024 GOP debate in Milwaukee.

10:15 p.m.: Protesters who were a part of several large groups marched to Fiserv Forum during the Republican Presidential Primary Debate to rally for change on a number of issues. TMJ4's Ben Jordan reports:

10:10 p.m.: Tucked in the banquet hall of Pallas Restaurant, more than a dozen people listened closely as those vying for the highest office in the land took the stage for the start of the election season. TMJ4's Elaine Rojas-Castillo reports:

10:03 p.m.: The debate ends. Here's what happened.

9:34 p.m.:

9:09 p.m.: Haley calls for abortion ‘consensus’; Pence says that’s not leadership

From the Associated Press: All of the Republican candidates on Wednesday night’s debate stage say they oppose abortion, but their differences on where lines should be drawn became evident on stage.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — the only woman in the GOP race — says there’s a need for “consensus” over abortion, noting that she feels it unlikely that a federal ban would pass until there are 60 senators who would support it. Haley, who often cities her own fertility struggles and the fact that her husband is adopted, says America needs to “humanize the issue and stop demonizing” it.

Morry Gash/AP

Former Vice President Mike Pence challenged her position, saying that “consensus is the opposite of leadership” on the issue.

Pence is the only major candidate who has said he supports a federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant. In an interview with The Associated Press, Pence went even further, saying abortion should be banned even when a pregnancy isn’t viable

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a six-week abortion ban into law, said “you’ve got to do what you think is right” when asked what he felt about potential criticism that such a narrow restriction could possibly harm GOP candidates in a general election.

8:55 p.m.:

8:52 p.m.: Christie accuses Ramaswamy of sounding like a chatbot

From the Associated Press: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lashed out at biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during a discussion on climate change, accusing the outsider candidate of sounding like an artificial intelligence chatbot after Ramaswamy called efforts against carbon energy “a wet blanket on our economy.”

“I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up here,” Christie said. “The last person at one of these debates who stood in the middle of the stage and said, ‘What’s a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here?’ was Barack Obama. And I’m afraid we’re dealing with the same type of amateur.”

“Give me a hug just like you did to Obama,” Ramaswamy responded, a nod to the then-president placing his hand on Christie’s shoulder during a visit after Superstorm Sandy. “And you’ll help elect me just like you did to Obama too.”

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley jumped in after the feisty exchange, distinguishing herself as the only woman onstage.

“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,’” she said, acknowledging that climate change is real and arguing that to address it, the U.S. needs to pressure China and India to lower their emissions.

8:35 p.m.: Ramaswamy is a top early target on stage in Trump’s absence

From the Associated Press: Vivek Ramaswamy emerged as a popular target early in the debate, drawing cheers from the audience when he introduced himself.

“Let me just address a question that is on everybody’s mind at home tonight,” the biotech entrepreneur said. “Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name?”

Morry Gash/AP

Former Vice President Mike Pence called him a “rookie,” saying people should not elect people without experience.

Christie accused Ramaswamy of trying to imitate Barack Obama and said the country had already tried that.

8:16 p.m.: Protests continue outside Fiserv Forum against the GOP debate

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8 p.m.: GOP debate begins

From the Associated Press: The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle has begun.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, anti-woke activist Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum took the stage Wednesday night for the Fox News event.

Milwaukee Business Journal

Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are moderating.

Former President Donald Trump appeared poised to post on his Truth Social platform during the debate. He skipped the debate and instead conducted a prerecorded interview with Tucker Carlson that was airing at the same time.

8 p.m.: Trump-Tucker Carlson interview released

As promised, a 45-minute piece featuring Trump was released on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson's social media accounts.

6:53 p.m.: Organizations are trying to capture first-time voters at the polls. This new young group of first-time voters could be a game-changing group ahead of election season. TMJ4's Elaine Rojas-Castillo reports.

6:50 p.m.: Joe St. George from Scripps News discusses the stakes of the GOP debate with Shannon Sims and Charles Benson.

6:45 p.m.: TMJ4's Shannon Sims shows us some of the diverse voices in the Republican party.

6:40 p.m.: Democrat Steven Olikara and Republican Alesha Guenther break down what they believe are the top issues for young voters in 2024.

6:33 p.m.: Tim Sheehy from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Nikki Purvis from the African American Chamber of Commerce joined Charles Benson and Shannon Sims to discuss the financial impact of Milwaukee hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention.

6:25 p.m.: While Republicans will have a heavy presence in Milwaukee next summer, Democrats will be playing it close with their own convention in the Midwest. TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson traveled to Chicago to see how the city is preparing for the Democratic National Convention.

6:15 p.m.: Milwaukee will also be hosting the Republican National Convention in July of 2024. Thousands of people will be coming to Milwaukee. TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson looks at why it's sure to have a big impact on local businesses.

6:10 p.m.: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson spoke on TMJ4 News at 6:00 about the positive benefits the GOP debate will have on the city, among other topics:

5:50 p.m.: TMJ4 News spotted a large group of anti-GOP protesters outside Fiserv Forum, just two hours before the Republican debate begins inside.

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5:27 p.m.: About 300 local businesses were at the Baird Center, hoping to get a piece of the $200 million economic impact expected to come from next year’s RNC. Julia Fello reports:

5:20 p.m.: Several people are standing outside the gates in support of Republican candidates, particularly for the front-runner who isn't here, former President Donald Trump. But several organized protests and marches are en route to the same area to send a message on several issues. Ben Jordan reports:

5:15 p.m.: Charles Benson tells us what we can expect after the GOP debate:

4:47 p.m.: It's a busy day for rallies and marches across Milwaukee. Plenty of people from both sides of the aisle are in the city to have their voices heard. TMJ4's Shaun Gallagher caught up with a few of those groups hoping to make some change:

4:42 p.m.: President Joe Biden releases a statement ahead of Donald Trump's interview with Tucker Carlson:

"In his softball 'interview' posting tonight, Donald Trump will again make clear that he’s running on the same extreme and deeply unpopular MAGA agenda the American people have rejected time and time again. Instead of explaining his broken promises to Wisconsin and the 13,000 Foxconn manufacturing jobs that never were, we’ll likely hear him double down on his most out-of-touch positions, including his support for wild, debunked conspiracy theories and a national abortion ban. That same extreme and unpopular agenda will be on display in Milwaukee later tonight by MAGA Republican candidates doing their best impressions of Donald Trump. The American people rejected these extreme ideas in 2018, 2020, and 2022 - and they will again in November 2024."

4:40 p.m.: Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Ben Wikler and Chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin Brian Schimming joins TMJ4 News ahead of tonight's debate:

4:35 p.m.: Donald Trump Jr. takes pictures with supporters outside Fiserv Forum:

4:31 p.m.: People downtown won't be inside Fiserv Forum, but they will be watching what goes down tonight. Perhaps it was the heat or overall political activity, but Deer District was relatively quiet in the final hours leading up to the first debate. TMJ4's Mary Jo Ola reports:

4:22 p.m.: Why is the "spin room" during the GOP debate important? TMJ4 chief political reporter Charles Benson explains:

4:07 p.m.: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum says he's in. His attendance was in doubt after injuring his Achilles tendon playing basketball in Milwaukee. He was taken to the emergency room.

3:47 p.m.: Tucker Carlson says he will release his interview with Trump five minutes before the GOP debate on Fox News starts broadcasting, at 8 p.m. central time. Trump is not attending the GOP debate in Milwaukee, though he is leading in the polls.

AP reports: "(Trump's) move also serves the purpose of jabbing at debate host Fox News, which he has criticized as being disloyal to him. Trump's absence from the debate is widely expected to bring down audience numbers."

3:43 p.m.: President Biden has weighed in on tonight's debate. The following is reporting from today's White House pool reporter, Matt Viser:


3:02 p.m.: Interviewed outside Fiserv Forum by TMJ4's Shaun Gallagher, Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene argued that turnout outside the arena would be bigger if former President Donald Trump was present.

2:33 p.m.: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who tore his Achilles tendon playing pick-up basketball in Milwaukee, was spotted inside Fiserv Forum on crutches by CNN. It is still unknown if he will participate in tonight's debate.

CNN

11:10 a.m.: CNN confirmed candidate Doug Burgum suffered a high-grade tear of his Achilles tendon, requiring him to be on crutches. A source said he will attend today's walk-through ahead of the debate and decide after whether or not he will attend the debate.

11 a.m.: Former President Donald Trump issued a statement Wednesday morning, addressing the debate in which he is not attending.

Read his full statement below:

9:00 a.m.: Tom Durian and Symone Woolridge went live on Facebook to show you a behind the scenes look outside Fiserv Forum ahead of the debate.

8:00 a.m.: Doug Burgum's attendance at tonight's debate is now in question after CNN confirmed Burgum was taken to a Milwaukee ER Tuesday night.

According to CNN, Burgum was injured while playing a game of pick-up basketball with his staff. The injury now has Burgum's attendance at Wednesday night's debate in question, as it's unclear whether or not he is able to stand.

All candidates are scheduled to visit the debate site this afternoon for a walk-through, CNN said. Whether Burgum attends is unclear.

6:45 a.m.: Mayor Cavalier Johnson provided updates on the city's preparations for tonight's debate. You can watch the full press conference below.

6:30 a.m. update: Peggy Williams-Smith from Visit Milwaukee joined us on TMJ4 News Today to talk about the GOP debate's impact on the city.

6 a.m. update: Joe St. George, a Scripps News political correspondent, joined us live on TMJ4 News Today to talk about the upcoming debate, as Symone Woolridge and Tom Durian anchored from outside Fiserv Forum.

5:30 a.m. update: TMJ4's Adriana Mendez broke down the road closures around Fiserv Forum tonight due to the debate.

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