GOP hopefuls look to ride momentum out of feisty debate: live updates

The country got a look Wednesday night at a feisty field of Republican presidential hopefuls.

The eight candidates on the first 2024 presidential debate stage in Milwaukee had plenty of space to spar, given former President Trump’s absence.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Pence came out of the evening as perceived winners for their forceful answers, clear stances and zingers. The night could give a boost to any of them, though Ramaswamy is closer to the top of the polls than Haley or Pence.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got in their points but may not have gotten the energy their campaigns sought out of the evening.

The candidates’ post-debate momentum and cleanup comes the morning before Trump turns himself in at the jail in Fulton County, Ga., where he faces 13 criminal counts in District Attorney Fani Willis’s election interference case.

We’ll have updates on the candidates and Trump all day, right here.