Eight people who weren’t Donald Trump made their case for the White House.

The Elephants in the Room

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Eight people who weren’t Donald Trump made their case for the White House.

Catch me up.

Last night, Americans tuned in to watch seven men and Nikki Haley compete for the Republican nomination in the first 2024 GOP debate. Here were their biggest moments:

Vivek Ramaswamy…wants to deliver a “Reagan 1980 revolution.” The 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur with an Obama-esque intro and an Andrew Yang-esque crowd came prepped with the one-liners. He called regulations and climate change a “wet blanket on the economy.” And accused the other candidates of being “bought and paid for.” Not everyone knew Ramaswamy’s name before last night. Many do now.

Ron DeSantis…the frontrunner to the frontrunner. Before last night’s debate, Palm Beach Ken was seen as the man to beat Trump, polling a distant second. But last night, Ramaswamy took the spotlight. DeSantis reminded Americans that he kept Florida “free and open” despite the backlash. He said he’d declare a “national emergency” on the US border as president. And talked up his work to undermine critical race theory and gender identity in FL classrooms.

Nikki Haley…channeled her inner Margaret Thatcher. The former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor called out Republicans for their spending bills. As she put it, it’s time for an “accountant in the White House.” (And guess who has an accounting degree.) Haley wants China and India to bear the brunt of climate change policy — and for the US to give more to Ukraine.

Everyone else…was there. Former VP Mike Pence went head-to-head with Ramaswamy. Sen. Tim Scott (SC) jumped on the national abortion ban bandwagon. Former AR Gov. Asa Hutchinson refused to support Trump if convicted. Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie got the UFO question. And Gov. Doug Burgum (ND) brought his pocket constitution.

What about Trump?

He didn’t show. More than 80 million viewers followed the former president to Twitter-turned-X for his 46-minute interview with Tucker Carlson. He used the time to praise the Jan 6 crowd and talk up his lead in the polls. Today, Trump plans to turn himself into Georgia authorities and pay $200,000 in bail over the state’s election interference investigation. He hasn’t said whether he’ll show up for debate 2 next month.

theSkimm

If any of Trump’s competitors wanted to cut into his double-digit polling lead, last night was their first big opportunity to do it. Some — like Ramaswamy — had their moments. But they’ll each may need a lot more where that came from to get close to a nomination.

Why everyone is raising their eyebrows…

The Wagner boss’s reported death. Yesterday, Russian state media reported that Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet that crashed in Russia. All 10 passengers are reported to be dead. In late June, Prigozhin launched a short-lived armed rebellion against Russia’s military leaders in what was considered one of the strongest challenges to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It ended with a deal that exiled Prigozhin and Wagner soldiers in neighboring Belarus. Still, there’ve been reports that Prigozhin popped into Russia from time to time. Now, social media channels are speculating that Russian air defenses shot down the plane. As the news of the crash broke, Putin was speaking at a commemorative event.

What’s carrying the S&P 500 right now...

Nvidia. Yesterday, the AI chip company beat already sky-high quarterly earnings, sending its stock price flying. The tech industry relies on Nvidia’s chips to power the majority of AI systems, including ChatGPT. Now, Q2 revenue is up to over $13 billion from this time last year, with profit up 9x — sending shares up around 9% in after-hours trading. If the stock continues to rise today, it’s expected to beat another record high.

What’s about bloody time...

Free period products. Yesterday, New Jersey passed a law requiring schools to give free menstrual products for grades six through 12. The law will ensure that at least half of the girls' and gender-neutral bathrooms have the products available. Now, the state is one of at least 10 that offer free menstrual products in schools. One lawmaker called the products “a necessity, not a luxury.” Period.

What crossed ‘moon landing’ off its bucket list…

India. Yesterday, it landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the unexplored south pole of the moon, becoming the first country to ever do so. India joins the ranks of US, Russia, and China to reach the moon’s surface.

What appears to be fyre under the bridge…

The second iteration of the festival.

Who has a mugshot photo now…

Rudy Giuliani.