The presidential primary season's first GOP debate will be held in Milwaukee, where eight candidates have taken the stage.
released Sunday showed Trump with a wide lead over the rest of the field, earning the support of 62% of likely Republican primary voters. DeSantis was a distant second, earning 16% support.
To kick off the debate, most candidates trained their fire at President Biden over inflation, the national debt, government spending and other economic issues. Haley was the first to criticize a fellow Republican, hitting Trump for his administration's spending record. Pence then took aim at Ramaswamy, who has been rising in the polls. Pence called the 38-year-old a"rookie" who would need"on-the-job training" in the White House.
The debate, which is airing on Fox News, gives some of the lesser-known candidates a chance to break through and make their case before the largest audience of voters they have had to date. On the flip side, poor debate performances have doomed many candidates in the past before their campaigns have even gotten off the ground.
To qualify for the debate, the Republican National Committee required that candidates reach at least 1% in multiple eligible polls, gather at least 40,000 donors and sign a pledge committing to support the ultimate GOP nominee. They were also required to vow not to participate in unsanctioned debates.More from CBS News
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