GOP debate recap: Who won and who lost in second Republican showdown

More than a decade and a half after Vivek Ramaswamy was described as an intense “debater-extraordinaire” in The Harvard Crimson in December 2006, he took centre stage at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee as one of the top two candidates.

Depending on who you ask, the biotech entrepreneur came out of the 23 August showdown as either the winner or the candidate who took the most punches from his more senior colleagues.

For part of his undergraduate career, Mr Ramaswamy headed the Harvard Political Union, a role in which he was referred to as simply “The Chairman”. In a moment of foresight, Mr Ramaswamy told The Crimson that “I consider myself a contrarian. I like to argue.”

“Harvard teaches you to be a better questioner… you can be heard even if you aren’t in the mainstream,” he told the school paper.

Gustaf Kilander reports:

As the debate began, Donald Trump announced that he wouldn’t choose anyone on the stage as his running mate.

Tim Scott was asked about striking workers at the opening of the debate, but the South Carolina senator immediately pivoted to bashing President Joe Biden for his handling of the southern border.

“Joe Biden should not be on the picket line,” Mr Scott said. “He should be on the southern border working to close our southern border because it is unsafe, wide open. And it's leading to the deaths of 70,000 Americans in the last 12 months because of fentanyl. It is devastating. Every county in America is now a border county because fentanyl has devastated Americans in every single state. I will also say six million illegal crossings since Joe Biden has taken office and he eliminated Title 42. The one thing he should do is finish the wall, reinstate Title 42 and get the job done.”

Vivek Ramaswamy opened his appearance at the second debate by urging those picketing the Big Three automakers to instead picket outside the White House.

“If I was giving advice to those workers, I would say go picket in front of the White House in Washington DC,” he said. “That's really where the protest needs to be – disastrous economic policies that have driven up prices that have driven up interest rates and mortgage rates at the same time wages remaining stagnant.”

“What we need is to deliver economic growth in this country. Unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear energy, put people back to work by no longer paying them more money to stay at home, stabilize the US dollar itself. And rescind a majority of those unconstitutional federal regulations that are hampering our economy. That is how we unleash American exceptionalism,” he added.

Both Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis slammed Donald Trump for not showing up at the debate.

“Joe Biden hides in his basement and won't answer as to why he's raising the debt the way he's done,” Mr Christie said. “And Donald Trump – he hides behind his golf clubs, and won't show up here to answer questions like all the rest of us ... He should be in this room to answer those questions for the people you talk about who are suffering.”

“Where's Joe Biden?” Mr DeSantis asked. “He's completely missing in action from leadership. And you know who else is missing an action– Donald Trump is missing an action, he should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record where they added 7.8 trillion to the debt that set the stage for the inflation that we have.”

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum battled with the moderators as he tried to get speaking time on the issue iof childcare.

Vivek Ramaswamy was attacked from all sides at the debate as Tim Scott slammed him for supposed connections to the Chinese Communist Party.

Mike Pence criticised him for not voting in previous elections.