Republican candidates fight each other, and mostly line up behind Trump, at the first debate
By SARA BURNETT, JILL COLVIN and JONATHAN J. COOPER
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Republican presidential candidates vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump fought — sometimes bitterly – over abortion rights, U.S. support for Ukraine and the future of the party during the first primary debate of the 2024 campaign. But on what is arguably the most consequential choice facing the party, virtually all lined up behind Trump, saying they would support the former president if he is their nominee, even if he is convicted in a series of cases. It was a reminder of the power Trump continues to wield in the party, even as he chose to skip the debate.