The Republican contenders engaged in a fierce competition to establish themselves as legitimate alternatives to former President Donald Trump during the fourth debate, which saw a flurry of chaotic moments and personal assaults. 

Among the candidates were former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former UN envoy Nikki Haley, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Also read | Vivek Ramaswamy holds up ‘Nikki is Corrupt’ sign during GOP debate | Watch video

Even though Trump decided not to attend the debate to reaffirm his position as the clear favorite to win the Republican nominee, his campaign, political background, and ongoing legal issues were consistently criticized throughout the event on Wednesday.

The conversation revolved around well-known subjects during the debate, including the situation in Gaza, immigration laws, ties to China, and transgender youth healthcare issues.

Israel-

The candidates reaffirmed their steadfast support for Israel in the Gaza battle, in which over 16,000 Palestinians have lost their lives.

Former governor Chris Christie said he would not think twice about sending American forces to free American prisoners held in Gaza if given a good plan by military advisors. According to reports, Hamas kidnapped these people during the raid on October 7.

Also read | Chris Christie calls Donald Trump ‘an angry, bitter man’ at GOP debate | Watch video

Migration-

The candidates agreed on how to handle undocumented immigrants at the southern border of the United States. In order to combat drug cartels operating near the border, Governor Ron DeSantis suggested labeling them as “foreign terrorist organizations” and supporting the use of force.

DeSantis underlined the necessity of building a wall along the southern border and suggested taxing remittances that foreign workers send home from the United States. The contenders all took the same stand, demonstrating their common focus on border security measures.

Also read | Ron DeSantis says someone younger than Donald Trump should be President at GOP Republican Debate

China-

The contenders presented strong policy recommendations against China during the debate and frequently accused one another of being soft on Beijing. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy expressly blamed China for the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fentanyl issue in the United States.

Ramaswamy underlined the need to use all of the financial leverage at our disposal to make China accountable. He said that if the US remains firm, China will be forced to give up because it is now in a weaker position. This position represented a wider agreement among the contenders to take aggressive action against China.