But his decision is laying the groundwork for a 2024 general election battle over the working-class voters who helped propel him to the White House in 2016 but favored Biden in 2020. It’s the clearest signal yet of the campaign’s shifting focus to the general election and specifically a potential Trump vs. Biden rematch.
Trump used his time at Drake Enterprises, a non-union auto parts supplier in Clint Township, to appeal to the group of current and former union workers gathered there. He sought to cast himself as a fighter for union workers, seeking their leaders’ endorsement for president as he delivered a sustained attack on Biden’s electric vehicle policies.
“But your leadership should endorse me, and I will not say a bad thing about them again,” said Trump, who recently criticized the head of United Auto Workers – a key labor union currently on strike.
Ahead of Trump’s visit – which came just one day after Biden was greeted by UAW President Shawn Fain and made the unprecedented move of joining striking autoworkers on the picket line – the president’s campaign rolled out a new ad criticizing Trump’s treatment of autoworkers. Titled “Delivers,” the 30-second contrast spot is the Biden campaign’s first to directly attack the former president.
The United Auto Workers backed Biden in 2020,butit hasn’t made an endorsement yet for 2024. And despite Fain’s criticism of Trump’s planned visit – which was announced before Biden’s – the former president’s team believes he can drive a wedge between union leadership and the rank-and-file workers, many of whom supported him in 2016.
“The reality is that there’s a disconnect between the political leadership of some of the labor unions and the working middle class employees that they purport to represent,” Trump senior campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN.
Trump allies began floating the idea of a visit shortly after the strike began, while his team was reaching out to Michigan Republicans to gauge interest.
31 min ago
Here are key takeaways from the second 2024 GOP presidential debate
From CNN's Eric Bradner, Gregory Krieg, Steve Contorno, Daniel Strauss and Arit John
The second 2024 Republican presidential primary debate ended just as it began: with former President Donald Trump – who hasn’t yet appeared alongside his rivals onstage – as the party’s dominant front-runner.
The seven GOP contenders in Wednesday night’s showdown at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California provided a handful of memorable moments, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley unloading what often seemed like the entire field’s pent-up frustration with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Two candidates criticized Trump’s absence, as well. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he was “missing in action.” Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called the former president “Donald Duck” and said he “hides behind his golf clubs” rather than defending his record on stage. The GOP field also took early shots at President Joe Biden.
However, what played out in the debate, hosted by Fox Business Network and Univision, is unlikely to change the trajectory of a GOP race in which Trump has remained dominant in national and early-state polling. And the frequently messy, hard-to-track crosstalk could have led many viewers to tune out entirely.
Trump’s safe approach appears to pays off: Trump might be playing it safe by skipping the debates and taking a running-as-an-incumbent approach to the 2024 GOP primary. It’s hard to see, though, how he would pay a significant price in the eyes of primary voters for missing Wednesday night’s messy engagement. Trump’s rivals took a few shots at the former president. DeSantis knocked him for deficit spending. Christie mocked him, calling him “Donald Duck” for skipping the debate. But he largely escaped serious scrutiny of his four years in the Oval Office from a field of rivals courting voters who have largely positive views of Trump’s presidency.
A messy two hours: The second GOP primary debate was beset by interruptions, crosstalk and protracted squabbles between the candidates and moderators over speaking time. That’s tough for viewers trying to make sense of it all but even worse for these candidates as they attempted to stand out as viable alternatives to the absentee Trump. Further complicating the matter, some of the highest polling candidates after Trump – DeSantis and Haley – were among those least willing to dive into the muck, especially during the crucial first hour.
Candidates piled on Vivek Ramaswamy: Some of the candidates onstage didn’t want to have a repeat of the first debate, in which Ramaswamy managed to stand out as a formidable debater and showman. Other candidates still had clashes with him. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott Scott went after the tech entrepreneur, saying his business record included ties to the Chinese Communist Party and money going to Hunter Biden. At another point after Ramaswamy had responded to a question about his use of TikTok, Haley jumped in, saying, “Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say” and adding, “We can’t trust you.”
Palmetto pummeling: All night, Scott seemed like he was looking for a fight with somebody and he finally got that when he set his sights on fellow South Carolinian Haley. He began his line of attack – which Haley interjected with a “Bring it” – by accusing her of spending $50,000 on curtains in a $15 million subsidized location during her time as the US ambassador to the United Nations. What ensued was the two Republicans going back and forth about the curtains.
These are the current 2024 GOP presidential candidates
From CNN staff
The Republican presidential candidates are all vying to take on President Joe Biden in November 2024. But first, they’re competing in the GOP primaries and caucuses, which begin in January, to emerge as the party’s nominee.
Donald Trump: Former President Donald Trump launched his bid to reclaim the White House in November 2022, aiming to become only the second commander-in-chief to win two nonconsecutive terms.
Ron DeSantis: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose penchant for cultural clashes led him to declare his state as the place where “woke goes to die,” launched a bid for president in May 2023. DeSantis has said he is running to “reverse the decline” in America and to offer a new generation of leadership for the country.
Nikki Haley: Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley launched her presidential campaign in February 2023, calling for a new generation of leadership in the Republican Party. Her campaign has heavily focused on economic responsibility, national security and strengthening the southern border. If successful in the primary, Haley would be the first woman and the first Asian American nominated by the GOP for president.
Vivek Ramaswamy: Tech entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy launched his outsider campaign for the presidency in February 2023, focused on combatting “woke” ideology, exposing government corruption and ushering in a younger generation of voters into the Republican Party. Ramaswamy, 38, is the youngest candidate in the GOP field.
Mike Pence: Former Vice President Mike Pence is running as a traditional conservative, seeking to manage the US debt, shrink the federal government, increase domestic energy production and maintain support for US allies abroad. He has been outspoken about his Christian faith and his opposition to abortion and gender-transition treatment for minors.
Tim Scott: South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, entered the presidential race in May 2023, touting himself as a principled conservative with a distinctively hopeful and optimistic message.
Chris Christie: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced his second presidential campaign in June 2023 at a town hall in New Hampshire, drawing stark contrasts with former President Donald Trump. On the campaign trail, Christie has touted his willingness to take on Trump directly, repeatedly hitting the GOP front-runner on his looming legal troubles and foreign policy, among other key issues.
Doug Burgum: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who launched his bid for the presidency in June 2023, has made the economy, energy and national security the focus of his campaign. He wants to lower inflation, push the US to be energy independent and secure the southern US border.
Asa Hutchinson: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson left office in January 2023 after two terms and announced his presidential campaign a few months later in April, seeking to “appeal to the best of America.” He calls for cutting federal spending and workforce, strong border security, reforms to federal law enforcement.
Larry Elder: Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in April 2023, pointing to securing the border and combating criticism that the United States is systemically racist among his reasons for running.
Will Hurd: Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd of Texas entered the race for Republican presidential nomination in June 2023 as an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump. Hurd said he was running because the US needs “commonsense leadership” to tackle “generational-defining challenges."
Perry Johnson: Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, who built a personal fortune through his company that certified whether businesses had met industrial standards, launched his presidential bid in March hours after appearing onstage at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Seven Republican presidential candidates faced off Wednesday night in the second primary debate of the 2024 campaign as they strived to be seen as the leading alternative to former President Donald Trump.
Trump, who continues to be the GOP's dominant frontrunner, skipped the GOP debate and instead delivered a primetime speech to current and former union members in Michigan. His remarks came just one day after Biden made the unprecedented move of joining striking autoworkers on the picket line in that state.
On the heels of the debate, President Joe Biden will be delivering remarks this afternoon in Arizona on threats to US democracy as he eyes a potential rematch with Trump in 2024.
But his decision is laying the groundwork for a 2024 general election battle over the working-class voters who helped propel him to the White House in 2016 but favored Biden in 2020. It’s the clearest signal yet of the campaign’s shifting focus to the general election and specifically a potential Trump vs. Biden rematch.
Trump used his time at Drake Enterprises, a non-union auto parts supplier in Clint Township, to appeal to the group of current and former union workers gathered there. He sought to cast himself as a fighter for union workers, seeking their leaders’ endorsement for president as he delivered a sustained attack on Biden’s electric vehicle policies.
“But your leadership should endorse me, and I will not say a bad thing about them again,” said Trump, who recently criticized the head of United Auto Workers – a key labor union currently on strike.
Ahead of Trump’s visit – which came just one day after Biden was greeted by UAW President Shawn Fain and made the unprecedented move of joining striking autoworkers on the picket line – the president’s campaign rolled out a new ad criticizing Trump’s treatment of autoworkers. Titled “Delivers,” the 30-second contrast spot is the Biden campaign’s first to directly attack the former president.
The United Auto Workers backed Biden in 2020,butit hasn’t made an endorsement yet for 2024. And despite Fain’s criticism of Trump’s planned visit – which was announced before Biden’s – the former president’s team believes he can drive a wedge between union leadership and the rank-and-file workers, many of whom supported him in 2016.
“The reality is that there’s a disconnect between the political leadership of some of the labor unions and the working middle class employees that they purport to represent,” Trump senior campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN.
Trump allies began floating the idea of a visit shortly after the strike began, while his team was reaching out to Michigan Republicans to gauge interest.
The second 2024 Republican presidential primary debate ended just as it began: with former President Donald Trump – who hasn’t yet appeared alongside his rivals onstage – as the party’s dominant front-runner.
The seven GOP contenders in Wednesday night’s showdown at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California provided a handful of memorable moments, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley unloading what often seemed like the entire field’s pent-up frustration with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Two candidates criticized Trump’s absence, as well. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he was “missing in action.” Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called the former president “Donald Duck” and said he “hides behind his golf clubs” rather than defending his record on stage. The GOP field also took early shots at President Joe Biden.
However, what played out in the debate, hosted by Fox Business Network and Univision, is unlikely to change the trajectory of a GOP race in which Trump has remained dominant in national and early-state polling. And the frequently messy, hard-to-track crosstalk could have led many viewers to tune out entirely.
Trump’s safe approach appears to pays off: Trump might be playing it safe by skipping the debates and taking a running-as-an-incumbent approach to the 2024 GOP primary. It’s hard to see, though, how he would pay a significant price in the eyes of primary voters for missing Wednesday night’s messy engagement. Trump’s rivals took a few shots at the former president. DeSantis knocked him for deficit spending. Christie mocked him, calling him “Donald Duck” for skipping the debate. But he largely escaped serious scrutiny of his four years in the Oval Office from a field of rivals courting voters who have largely positive views of Trump’s presidency.
A messy two hours: The second GOP primary debate was beset by interruptions, crosstalk and protracted squabbles between the candidates and moderators over speaking time. That’s tough for viewers trying to make sense of it all but even worse for these candidates as they attempted to stand out as viable alternatives to the absentee Trump. Further complicating the matter, some of the highest polling candidates after Trump – DeSantis and Haley – were among those least willing to dive into the muck, especially during the crucial first hour.
Candidates piled on Vivek Ramaswamy: Some of the candidates onstage didn’t want to have a repeat of the first debate, in which Ramaswamy managed to stand out as a formidable debater and showman. Other candidates still had clashes with him. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott Scott went after the tech entrepreneur, saying his business record included ties to the Chinese Communist Party and money going to Hunter Biden. At another point after Ramaswamy had responded to a question about his use of TikTok, Haley jumped in, saying, “Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say” and adding, “We can’t trust you.”
Palmetto pummeling: All night, Scott seemed like he was looking for a fight with somebody and he finally got that when he set his sights on fellow South Carolinian Haley. He began his line of attack – which Haley interjected with a “Bring it” – by accusing her of spending $50,000 on curtains in a $15 million subsidized location during her time as the US ambassador to the United Nations. What ensued was the two Republicans going back and forth about the curtains.
The Republican presidential candidates are all vying to take on President Joe Biden in November 2024. But first, they’re competing in the GOP primaries and caucuses, which begin in January, to emerge as the party’s nominee.
Donald Trump: Former President Donald Trump launched his bid to reclaim the White House in November 2022, aiming to become only the second commander-in-chief to win two nonconsecutive terms.
Ron DeSantis: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose penchant for cultural clashes led him to declare his state as the place where “woke goes to die,” launched a bid for president in May 2023. DeSantis has said he is running to “reverse the decline” in America and to offer a new generation of leadership for the country.
Nikki Haley: Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley launched her presidential campaign in February 2023, calling for a new generation of leadership in the Republican Party. Her campaign has heavily focused on economic responsibility, national security and strengthening the southern border. If successful in the primary, Haley would be the first woman and the first Asian American nominated by the GOP for president.
Vivek Ramaswamy: Tech entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy launched his outsider campaign for the presidency in February 2023, focused on combatting “woke” ideology, exposing government corruption and ushering in a younger generation of voters into the Republican Party. Ramaswamy, 38, is the youngest candidate in the GOP field.
Mike Pence: Former Vice President Mike Pence is running as a traditional conservative, seeking to manage the US debt, shrink the federal government, increase domestic energy production and maintain support for US allies abroad. He has been outspoken about his Christian faith and his opposition to abortion and gender-transition treatment for minors.
Tim Scott: South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, entered the presidential race in May 2023, touting himself as a principled conservative with a distinctively hopeful and optimistic message.
Chris Christie: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced his second presidential campaign in June 2023 at a town hall in New Hampshire, drawing stark contrasts with former President Donald Trump. On the campaign trail, Christie has touted his willingness to take on Trump directly, repeatedly hitting the GOP front-runner on his looming legal troubles and foreign policy, among other key issues.
Doug Burgum: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who launched his bid for the presidency in June 2023, has made the economy, energy and national security the focus of his campaign. He wants to lower inflation, push the US to be energy independent and secure the southern US border.
Asa Hutchinson: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson left office in January 2023 after two terms and announced his presidential campaign a few months later in April, seeking to “appeal to the best of America.” He calls for cutting federal spending and workforce, strong border security, reforms to federal law enforcement.
Larry Elder: Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in April 2023, pointing to securing the border and combating criticism that the United States is systemically racist among his reasons for running.
Will Hurd: Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd of Texas entered the race for Republican presidential nomination in June 2023 as an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump. Hurd said he was running because the US needs “commonsense leadership” to tackle “generational-defining challenges."
Perry Johnson: Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, who built a personal fortune through his company that certified whether businesses had met industrial standards, launched his presidential bid in March hours after appearing onstage at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
