The Third Republican Primary Debate Was Effectively Trash Reality TV

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The third Republican presidential primary debate was less “dignified debate” than “trash reality TV.”

With the number of participants reduced to five candidates—Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, and Chris Christie—there was more time for the personality of each to manifest.

DeSantis, the highest profile participant on stage, was his characteristically awkward self but also more openly critical of Donald Trump, the party’s absent frontrunner. The Florida Governor listed Trump’s many broken campaign promises and told the audience that Trump was obligated to participate in the debate.

The ongoing feud between Haley and Vivek continued to boil.

Vivek, who was combative in the first debate and more diplomatic in the second, reversed course and was more belligerent than ever, taking memorable shots at Haley, DeSantis, and RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Even the NBC moderators weren’t spared, with Vivek accusing them of “stealing” the 2020 election from Trump.

After Vivek referenced Haley’s daughter, she referred to him as “scum” and told the audience that foreign autocrats Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Xinping of China are “salivating” at the thought of Vivek becoming president.

Scott was even less energized and memorable than usual; one expects that Trump may be inclined to reassign the nickname he once gave Jeb Bush to Scott: “Low Energy.”

Lastly, Christie employed more moderate rhetoric, suggesting that the results of Tuesday’s elections weren’t politically devastating but merely the fulfillment of the longstanding Republican goal of returning abortion rights to states.

As entertaining as some moments were, the Republican primary debates remain an exercise in futility: the absent Donald Trump continues to enjoy a double-digit lead that shows no signs of shrinking.