>> THE HEAT WAS ON IN MILWAUKEE
THIS WEEK WITH EIGHT CANDIDATES
APPEARING FOR THEIR FIRST DEBATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
AS STEVEN POTTER REPORTS, VOTERS
GOT A LOOK AT THE REPUBLICAN
SLATE OF PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS
FOR THE UPCOMING 2024 ELECTION.
SPEAKER AS A VOTER, I DIDN'T
WALK AWAY COMPLETELY SOLD OR
COMPLETELY PUT OFF BY ANYONE,
REALLY.
>> THAT'S DESPITE THE EIGHT
CANDIDATES TRYING TO MAKE THEIR
MARK.
>> THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
YOU AND ME.
>> IT WAS COMICAL AT A POINT.
I'VE SEEN ASPECTS OF SOME OF THE
COMPETITORS THAT I HADN'T HEARD
BEFORE.
>> POLITICAL SCIENTIST MORDECAI
LEE SAYS REPUBLICANS HAVE AN
IMPRESSIVELY DEEP BENCH.
>> WITH WISCONSIN BEING 49.9%
DEMOCRATIC AND 49.9%
REPUBLICANS, I THINK FOR THE
DEMOCRATS WHO WERE WATCHING, THE
MORAL OF THE STORY IS BE AFRAID.
BE VERY AFRAID.
>> WHILE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP WASN'T THERE, HIS PRESENCE
WAS FELT.
[CHANTING]
>> HE WAS IN THE ROOM EVEN
THOUGH HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM,
AND I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT HE
DIDN'T SHOW UP, ALTHOUGH I THINK
WE DO NEED A DIFFERENT
PRESIDENT.
>> I AM LEANING TOWARDS TRUMP,
BUT WITHOUT HIM HERE, I THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO HEAR
LOUDLY FROM THE OTHER
CANDIDATES.
>> ONE OF THE MOST DISAGREEABLE
TOPICS OF THE NIGHT WAS
ABORTION.
>> I WILL SUPPORT THE CAUSE OF
LIFE AS GOVERNOR AND AS
PRESIDENT.
>> LET'S TREAT THIS LIKE A
RESPECTFUL ISSUE THAT IT IS AND
HUMANIZE THE SITUATION AND STOP
DEMONIZING THE SITUATION.
>> CONSENSUS IS THE OPPOSITE OF
LEADERSHIP.
WHEN THE SUPREME COURT RETURNED
THIS QUESTION TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, THEY DIDN'T JUST SEND IT
TO THE STATES ONLY.
IT'S NOT A STATES-ONLY ISSUE.
IT'S A MORAL ISSUE.
>> ANOTHER HOT BUTTON ISSUE,
CLIMATE CHANGE.
>> THE CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX.
>> FIRST, YES, IS CLIMATE CHANGE
REAL, YES, IT IS, BUT IF YOU
WANT TO GO AND REALLY CHANGE THE
ENVIRONMENT, THEN WE NEED TO
START TELLING CHINA AND INDIA
THAT THEY HAVE TO LOWER THEIR
EMISSIONS.
>> THE CANDIDATES WERE ALSO
ASKED IF THEY WOULD STILL
SUPPORT REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNER
TRUMP DESPITE THE CHARGES
STACKING UP AGAINST HIM.
>> SOMEONE'S GOT TO STOP
NORMALIZING THIS CONDUCT.
OKAY?
AND, NOW, WHETHER OR NOT...
WHETHER OR NOT YOU BELIEVE THAT
THE CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE RIGHT
OR WRONG, THE CONDUCT IS BENEATH
THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
[APPLAUSE]
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP, I BELIEVE,
WAS THE BEST PRESIDENT 21st
CENTURY.
>> NOT SURPRISINGLY, DEMOCRATS
WEREN'T IMPRESSED.
>> A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY
DIDN'T SEEM TO RECOGNIZE WHY
REPUBLICANS LOST IN 2020, IN
2022, AND ESPECIALLY THIS SPRING
IN WISCONSIN IN THE SUPREME
COURT ELECTION.
THE PUBLIC DOESN'T LIKE THIS
KIND OF EXTREMISM.
>> FOR HIS PART, MORDECAI LEE
SAYS DEBATES LIKE THIS GIVE
VOTERS THE CHANCE TO CHOOSE
THEIR TOP TIER CANDIDATES.
>> YOU'VE GOT THREE THAT YOU
LIKE IN A CERTAIN PRIORITY.
THERE'S A ACCIDENT CHANCE THAT
AT LEAST ONE OF THEM WILL BE
STANDING AND STILL IN THE RACE
BY THE TIME APRIL COMES AROUND.
>> REPORTING FROM MILWAUKEE FOR