Five Republican presidential candidates took the stage in Miami on Wednesday (Thursday in India) for the third GOP primary debate and saw a strong exchange of views on issues ranging from foreign policy to the US-Mexico border, immigration issues, and more.

After former US Vice President Mike Pence withdrew his candidacy last month, only five candidates were left—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Donald Trump again chose to skip the debate to host a rally in nearby Hialeah. The 45th President of the US, Donald Trump, remains the overwhelming front-runner in the race since he announced his 2024 campaign a year ago.

However, the ongoing campaigns by candidates have seen a sharp turn in the strategies of his grand old party (GOP) rivals. Especially by Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley, who have been attempting to woo Trump voters to widen their support base.

In the Thursday debate, Ron DeSantis took another swipe at former President Trump for failing to have a Mexico border wall to stop the influx of illegal immigrants.

"I'm even going to build the border wall and have Mexico pay for it like Donald Trump promised. Mexico is not going to fork over money. We're going to impose fees on the remittances that foreign workers send to foreign countries. We'll raise billions of dollars; I'll build a wall."

DeSantis even promised to send US troops to the border to stop a "cold invasion."

“I'm sending the US military to the border. I'm going to stop the cold invasion. I am going to deport people who came illegally." He also said he would designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, if elected to power.

“Donald Trump is a lot different guy than he was in 2016,” DeSantis remarked.

The US border politics witnessed a new suggestion as well. Ramaswamy went a step further to suggest a wall on the US border with Canada to block the flow of fentanyl from its NATO partner.

“There was enough fentanyl that was captured just on the northern border last year to kill three million Americans. So we got to just skate to where the puck is going. Not just where the puck is.”

“Don’t just build the wall,” he said, adding, “Build both walls.”

The Mexico border wall is regarded as Trump's signature policy. His 2016 political campaign was known for its rally chant, "Build That Wall." However, his plans could move ahead due to a tussle with the judiciary.

Nikki Haley was quick enough to join the competition to target Trump. Urging voters to come out of the past, she said Trump is no more what he used to be during his presidency.

“I can tell you that I think he was the right president at the right time,” she said, adding, “We can't live in the past.”

Foreign policy issues have remained a contentious issue for GOP candidates as opinions remain divided on the degree of support Ukraine should receive from the world's most powerful and rich country against Putin's aggression.

Continuing his approach, Ramaswamy slammed the Biden administration for its continued funding of the war in Ukraine.

“To frame this as some kind of battle between good and evil, don’t buy it.”

“Ukraine is not a paragon of democracy. This is a country that has banned 11 opposition parties. It has consolidated all media into one state TV media arm — that’s not democratic. It has threatened not to hold elections this year unless the US forks over more money — that is not democratic. It has celebrated a Nazi in its ranks, the comedian in cargo pants, a man called Zelinsky… That is not democratic,” Ramaswamy said in his harshest comment on its European partner state.

The past GOP debates have witnessed Nikki Haley insist on strong support for Kyiv while DeSantis and Ramaswamy, who lean toward Trump's America First populism, call for a limited US role in the European war. They argue Washington should prioritise the needs of its citizens with that money.

Haley took a dig at Ramaswamy's stance saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are "salivating" over the thought of him becoming president.

The debate witnessed unanimous support for Tel Aviv with candidates lending their support for Israel as it mounted an offensive in Gaza following Hamas' October 7 attack. The candidates did not discuss humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza.

DeSantis said his view of the GOP primary electorate is that 25% of voters are hardcore Trump supporters, 25% have moved on and want an alternative, while the remaining 50% remain open to any candidate. He indicated his focus is on the last 50%.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump's adviser Chris LaCivita informed that the Republican leader plans on skipping the fourth debate in Alabama next month.

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(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav)