Winners and losers in the third GOP presidential debate

Here are the winners and losers from Wednesday night’s GOP presidential debate in Miami:

WINNERS

Donald Trump: The former president skipped debating for the third straight time, a decision that increasingly looks smart. He’s so far ahead of the field, he could only lose by appearing with his rivals, none of whom hurt him in absentia. Instead of appearing on the debate stage, Mr. Trump spoke to an adoring and much larger crowd in nearby Hialeah. It’s an arrogant move, yes, but it’s the right move for an arrogant frontrunner.

Nikki Haley: The former U.N. ambassador did well in a debate that focused much attention on international crises in the Middle East and in Ukraine. Her contemptuous comebacks at Vivek Ramaswamy’s attempted schoolyard taunts were succinct and deliciously cutting. And she’s one of the few on the stage who devoted sustained attention to cost cutting in Washington, and to finding a workable consensus on abortion. “We don’t need to divide America on this issue any more,” she said.

LOSERS

Vivek Ramaswamy: After three debates, it’s clear the man isn’t familiar with the word “likability.” His constant talking over his rivals again made for a lousy experience for viewers and distracted again from his message. We’ll give Democratic strategist David Axelrod the final word here: “Why does it feel like @VivekGRamaswamy is running for class president?”

---

SEE ALSO: GOP presidential hopefuls go after surging Haley in third debate without Trump

---

Chris Christie: We’re trying, but we cannot remember much of anything he said in this debate. And we wrote that line before the debate even ended. The former New Jersey governor was a non-factor. It’s not enough to keep reminding everyone of Mr. Trump’s many faults. We know, we know.

The Republican Party: Even the candidates for the nomination agree, their party is a loser at the moment. Mr. Ramaswamy blamed Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel for the party’s poor performance in state elections on Tuesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed Mr. Trump, saying he is “sick” of losing since Mr. Trump won the White House in 2017. Unfortunately, it looks like this primary experience will make Mr. DeSantis feel even more poorly about losing in the weeks ahead.

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel: When one of your party’s presidential contenders calls on you to resign on national TV, and you’re in the house, it’s not good.