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Diabierna, 29 September 2023 AWEMainta INTERNATIONAL 51

Without Attending

Donald Trump Declared Surprise

Winner of Republican Debate

IN an unexpected turn of events, former President Donald
Trump emerged as the winner of the second Republican

debate, despite his absence from the stage. A snap poll
conducted by J.L. Partners for DailyMail.com revealed that 27
percent of Republican viewers judged Trump to be the night’s
victor, surpassing tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy by

one point and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by 10 points.

The debate, held at the Ronald Reagan presidential library
in California, saw seven candidates vying for the spotlight in

Trump’s absence. However, it was Ron DeSantis who stood
out as the most ‘presidential’ and ‘competent’ among the
contenders, earning praise for his assured performance
compared to the previous debate where he had moments of

disappearing from view.

DeSantis strategically engaged with Trump, directly
addressing him and leveraging his track record as Florida’s

governor to outline his vision for leading the nation. Despite
these efforts, the poll results showcased the enduring influ-
ence Trump maintains over the Republican base.

Rather than participating in the debate, the former presi-
dent chose to visit Michigan, a crucial state in the upcoming
general election, as part of an initiative to capitalize on the Republican electorate. Johnson noted, “In the absence of
ongoing autoworkers’ strike. This move further underscored anyone landing a knockout blow, Trump was the big winner

his ongoing involvement in shaping the political landscape. of last night’s debate.

The J.L. Partners poll involved 546 Republican viewers This is a Trump-dominated electorate, and a nominal Vivek
surveyed in the hour immediately following the debate’s Ramaswamy win in our debate poll is more a reflection of

conclusion. While Vivek Ramaswamy claimed a nominal win that than anything else.”
with 35 percent of those on stage deeming him the victor,
DeSantis secured 24 percent as the candidate with the best While DeSantis showcased his presidential potential and
performance. competence, the debate remained a battle for airtime, marked

by candidates frequently talking over one another. Christie
Other candidates’ performances were as follows: former Vice and Burgum, according to Republicans, were deemed the
President Mike Pence garnered 11 percent, former South least impressive, with voters describing them as annoying
Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott tied at seven and boring, respectively.

percent, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received six
percent, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum trailed with The poll, conducted online with a margin of error of 4.2
three percent. percent, aimed to capture nuanced viewer opinions by
offering respondents a list of words to pair with each candi-

James Johnson, co-founder of JLP, commented on the date. The results highlighted the complex dynamics at play
results, emphasizing Trump’s strong presence in the in the ever-evolving landscape of American politics.