Heated GOP debate leaves Trump largely unscathed

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Donald Trump may have won the fourth GOP presidential primary debate in absentia Wednesday night as his trailing rivals tore into one another – and not so much him – throughout the two-hour encounter.

The quartet of Republican candidates that made the stage – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie – largely insulted one another in a heated debate at the University of Alabama while leaving polls-topping Trump relatively untouched.

Only Christie, who has made strident salvos at Trump a hallmark of his lagging campaign, showed a willingness to rip into Trump. DeSantis and Ramaswamy repeatedly attacked Haley. They called her out for participating on corporate boards, her position on Florida’s transgender policies and support from conservative donors.

“As far as these donors who are supporting me, they’re just jealous that they aren’t supporting them,” Haley shot back, and then added: “And thanks for all the attention fellas. I love that.”

Trump did not post on Truth Social, his social media platform, during the debate. But about an hour and a half into the event, his campaign issued a 25-second commercial labeling Biden a “weak leader.”

Then a spokeswoman for Make America Great Again Inc. issued a statement calling the debate a “waste of time, money, and energy” in a race for a consolation prize.

“These candidates are putting up a fake fight to satisfy their egos and please their billionaire puppet masters,” the statement said. “It’s beyond time for Republicans to do what’s best for the country – unify around President Trump so we can maximize our use of time, money, and energy against Joe Biden and the Democrats.”

Nonetheless, Trump got scuffed up occasionally.

The former New Jersey governor said he was the only “person on this stage who is telling the truth” and “taking on what needs to be taken on” and was disappointed it took 17 minutes before he was able to raise the former president’s name.

Christie chastised Haley, DeSantis and Ramaswamy, saying they were acting as if the race were between the candidates on stage. Christie noted that Trump, who “didn’t have the guts to show up and stand here,” is the one with sizable leads in the polls, and his opponents on the stage lacked the courage to take him on.