Foreign Policy Insights from the First GOP Presidential Debate
The first Republican primary debate of the 2024 presidential race was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last night, and it was spirited to say the least. While Former President Donald Trump did not participate, eight other candidates vying for the Republican nomination took to the stage to answer questions on a wide-range of topics including the economy, climate change, abortion, crime, foreign policy, education, and more. Here are a few of our key takeaways, from our perch as foreign policy and national security communicators.
Competition with China
While the candidates sparred on many issues, there was broad agreement on the seriousness of the China threat – with several referring to China as the “number one threat to the country” or the “single greatest threat” we face. Despite this consensus, we were surprised that our strained relationship with China and its threat to Taiwan did not feature more prominently in the debate, even more so in light of increased tension and following President Biden’s trilateral summit with leaders from South Korea and Japan.
In his recent op-ed, Rep. Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party said, “The best policies to address the Chinese Communist Party’s threat to the U.S. and promote peace in the Indo-Pacific will determine who passes the commander-in-chief test.” We’ll be paying close attention to the candidates' positions on China as they continue to take shape.
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
The candidates had a few rows on the topic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and whether or not the U.S. should continue offering aid to the eastern European nation. Former Vice President Mike Pence and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley strongly disagreed with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who plainly stated that Ukraine would not be a priority in his administration. The comment was met with sharp criticism from Ambassador Haley, who told Ramaswamy “you have no foreign policy experience and it shows!”
Emerging Technologies
Other than former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie comparing Ramaswamy to ChatGPT, there was no mention of artificial intelligence or technology regulation. With emerging technologies like generative AI recently thrust into the spotlight, we were surprised to hear next to nothing from the candidates nor moderators on the potential opportunities and threats that these technologies pose to U.S. consumers, military, and more.
Energy Independence
Energy independence is one thing that nearly all of these candidates agreed on. “This isn’t that complicated guys, unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear,” said Ramaswamy. In less-direct terms, this was a sentiment expressed by several candidates on stage, including debate poll-leaders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
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