The Outcome of the Second Republican Presidential Debate

The second GOP presidential debate sparked passionate discussions on illegal immigration, China, and a wide range of other topics. Here are the winners and losers:

Winners:

Tim Scott: The South Carolina senator was much more forceful than in the first debate, delivering a body-blow attack line against rival Vivek Ramaswamy by accusing the entrepreneur of being “in business with the Chinese Communist Party.” He also got in one of the first applause lines of the night when asked about President Biden joining striking autoworkers on the picket line this week. “Joe Biden should not be on the picket line,” Mr. Scott said. “He should be on the southern border, working to close our southern border.”

Nikki Haley: She is one of the most experienced candidates on the stage, and it shows consistently in her views ranging from China policy to overspending in Washington. Now if only she could stop getting sidetracked by her contempt for Mr. Ramaswamy.

Donald Trump: This was a close call. Mr. Trump’s arrogance in skipping these debates deserves every bit of criticism he’s received. But illegal immigration has only become a worsening crisis this year, and nearly all of Mr. Trump’s rivals called for his border policies to be reinstated to get the problem under control again. He is the unquestioned leader of the party on an issue that could well decide the election.

Losers:

Vivek Ramaswamy: His rapid-fire, talk-over-everybody style wore thin, and his rivals were more effective this time at knocking him off message. “I was interrupted by a lot of people here,” Mr. Ramaswamy told the moderators at one point. “I want to be respected.” Begging for respect doesn’t scream “Oval Office.”

Ron DeSantis: The man is in second place and not moving. He didn’t do anything in this debate to change that calculus. And then there’s that awkward forced smile. His line about “winning big fights” as governor of Florida wasn’t delivered nearly often enough.

Mike Pence: The former vice president wasn’t as much of a factor in the second debate, and his rehearsed talking points sounded more rehearsed than ever. Sleeping with a teacher for the past 38 years? Got it.

Chris Christie: Calling Mr. Trump “Donald Duck” was clever enough. But really — the former president and GOP frontrunner is facing four criminal indictments and the potential dismantling of his business empire. Likening him to a Disney character probably won’t faze him.