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Transcript/ScriptRepublicans-Foreign Policy
HEADLINE: Republican Candidates Sharply Divided on Support for Ukraine
TEASER: Candidates at the first Republican presidential debate were sharply divided on continuing U.S. support for Ukraine in its war to stop Russia’s invasion.
PUBLISHED AT: 8/24/2023 at 11:14pm
BYLINE: Cindy Saine
CONTRIBUTOR: Rafael R. Saakyan
DATELINE: State Department
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, DJ (ok),
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Saine Zoom interviews, VOA Russian Service
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:09
VID APPROVED BY: Bill Ide
TYPE:
((EDITOR NOTES: all debate footage must be removed from VOA web and social media before August 30, 11PM EST and will not be archived. Please re-check Reuters restrictions carefully-thanks!
((ATTENTION – Please include Mandatory Courtesy for Fox News Channel for all debate footage))
((INTRO: ))
[[Republican hopefuls in the 2024 presidential race held their first debate Wednesday evening, vying to appear the toughest on China and sharply divided over U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders. The GOP nomination front-runner, former President Donald Trump, was not onstage, but experts told VOA that he still left his imprint on foreign policy issues. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
Republican presidential candidates took the stage in a debate on the Fox News Channel on Wednesday, responding to the indictments against former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination who declined to show up for the event. The eight hopefuls who did appear also devoted much time to what they described as a worsening migration crisis at the U.S. border with Mexico.
When asked whether he would support sending U.S. Special Forces into Mexico to take out fentanyl labs and drug cartel operations, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would do so on his first day in office.
((Ron DeSantis, Florida Governor))
"So when they're coming across [the U.S. southern border], yes, we're going to use lethal force. Yes, we reserve the right to operate."
((NARRATOR))
The foreign policy issue that revealed the sharpest divides was the United States' support for Ukraine.
When the candidates were asked whether they would support stopping U.S. aid to Ukraine, political newcomer and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy’s hand shot up.
((Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Candidate))
"And I think that this is disastrous, that we are protecting against an invasion across somebody else's border [in Ukraine], when we should use those same military resources to prevent across, the invasion of our own southern border here in the United States."
((NARRATOR))
Nikki Haley, a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., countered Ramaswamy's assertion with a few choice words.
((Nikki Haley, Former US Ambassador to the UN))
"You have no foreign policy experience. And it shows."
((NARRATOR))
After the debate, former Vice President Mike Pence spoke with VOA. He said he had visited Ukraine and seen firsthand what the Russian military is doing to Ukrainian civilians.
((Mike Pence, Former Vice President))
“America should be there supporting the Ukrainian military because I have no doubt that if we were to let Putin overrun Ukraine, it would only be a matter of time before he crossed the border that we’d have to fight him.”
((NARRATOR))
Candidate and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie visited Ukraine earlier this month and says the U.S. must stand with Kyiv for as long as it takes.
At a recent rally, Trump criticized Biden for, in his words, “sending troops to Europe to fuel this escalating conflict” in Ukraine. One expert told VOA that Trump’s isolationist foreign policy has left the Republican Party more divided.
[[Radio Intro: Brian Katulis is a senior fellow and vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute. He spoke to VOA via Zoom.]]
((Brian Katulis, Middle East Institute)) ((Zoom courtesy))
"The key thing I would say is this is not a new thing within the Republican Party. ... They're just much more pronounced, now, when it comes to the foreign policy issues,
because there are many more different factions as a result of Donald Trump's four years in office."
((NARRATOR))
Another expert said Ramaswamy was an outlier on Ukraine.
[[Radio Intro: Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America. He spoke to VOA via Zoom.]]
((Michael Kimmage, Catholic University of America)) ((Zoom courtesy))
"I think he's absolutely the vehicle of Trump arguments going back to 2016. At times, he seems to be auditioning for the role perhaps of a Trump vice president, in terms of the closeness of the positions."
((NARRATOR))
The next Republican presidential debate is set for September 27th in California and will likely feature fewer candidates.
Cindy Saine, VOA News, the State Department
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
the State Department
Embargo DateAugust 25, 2023 00:22 EDT
Byline
Cindy Saine, VOA News, the State Department
