In 2015 and 2016, Donald Trump took advantage of the televised debates to mock his opponents in the Republican primaries and thwart all predictions. In the fall of 2023, the former president of the United States is making these same debates irrelevant through his absence. His lead in the polls is so considerable that he is already projecting himself into the presidential election against current American President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, his Republican rivals, too numerous and unable to distinguish themselves clearly, keep struggling without anyone knowing whether they're aiming for victory – which is becoming increasingly unlikely – or simply trying to make a name for themselves. The pressure will be on to skim the surface between now and the next debate.
On Wednesday, September 27, seven candidates lined up in front of the Fox News cameras, preserving the appearance of competition within the party. Yet a fatality has set in within the Grand Old Party (GOP) as if Trump's hold on the militant base is resistant to everything, particularly successive indictments by the courts. Held in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, this second television debate confirmed a consensus prevailing on many issues beyond personality differences and the verbal clashes: Inflation and crime are to be entirely attributed to Biden, China is the absolute enemy of the US and fentanyl and illegal immigration need to be addressed.
The Republican Party is entirely focused on popular anxieties, depicting an apocalyptic America and incapable of projecting itself into the future. This trend of intellectual shrinking and looking inward has progressed in the conservative camp since the start of the Trump era. The only glimmer of dignity could be found in the candidates' refusal to accept the three presenters' request that they write on their tablets the name of the person among them who should "leave the island," in reference to a reality TV show. There was hardly any show, just some noise. Politics only showed up in bits and pieces. There was little comment on the shutdown threatening to close the federal government at midnight on Saturday in the absence of an agreement in Congress. There was not a word about the climate emergency. On the contrary, the speakers expressed enthusiasm for all forms of exploitation of natural resources.
Some decided to attack Trump directly, particularly because he skipped the debate. On the other hand, no one referred to the judicial investigations and the prospect of a series of trials he faces in the spring of 2024 during the primaries. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie portrayed Trump as "hiding behind the walls of his golf club." He was joined by Florida Governor Ron De Santis. "He should be on this stage tonight," DeSantis said when speaking of Trump. "He owes it to you to defend his record where they [Trump and Biden] added $7.8 trillion to the debt. That set the stage for the inflation we have now."
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