6 highlights from the second Republican presidential debate
Candidates go after Trump for skipping the debate, adding to the national debt
While Trump did not attend the debate, candidates criticized the former president's continued absence from the stage.
In response to a question about who should bear the blame in the event of a possible government shutdown, Christie declared, "Voters should blame everybody who's in Washington, D.C."
Christie took a shot at the economic record of the Republican frontrunner by asserting that "During the Trump administration, they added $7 trillion in national debt."
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While Christie also criticized the Biden administration for adding $5 trillion and counting to the debt, he lamented that "we don't get any answers because Joe Biden hides in his basement and won't answer as to why he's raising the debt the way he's done" and Trump "hides behind the walls of his golf clubs."
Christie claimed Trump "won't show up here to answer questions like all the rest of us are up here to answer."
"He put $7 trillion on the debt. He should be in this room to answer those questions," the former New Jersey governor said.
Referring to unrestrained government spending, DeSantis warned that "the people in Washington are shutting down the American dream with their reckless behavior." After describing Biden as "completely missing in action from leadership," DeSantis asked, "You know who else is missing in action?"
"Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight," he said. "He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt, that set the stage for the inflation that we have now."
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
