Here's what went down during first Republican primary debate

The first Republican debate is over halfway through, with eight candidates vying to prove their candidacy on Wednesday as the party's presidential nominee on a crowded and loud stage, filled with competing voices and chaos, with some moments standing out as notable.

The first Republican primary debate took off at full throttle as candidates teamed up to take continuous jabs at Vivek Ramaswamy and Donald Trump, who was not on stage, sticking to his plans to attend an interview with Fox News.

According to the BBC, those who appeared at the debate include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, US Senator Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

The debate included topics such as abortion, Russia-Ukraine war, Donald Trump, climate change and more.

Let's dive into some of the key moments from the heated debate between the Republicans that grabbed everyone's attention.

Abortion — a risky discussion

Abortion is a contentious issue for Republicans, with their evangelical base deeply concerned about its murderous nature. However, more pragmatic Republicans recognise that the American public does not support stringent abortion bans, which drives moderate voters to support Democratic candidates.

This division within the party was evident in the Republican debate, with former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley clashing on the issue.

Haley, the only woman on the stage, argued that while she is "unapologetically pro-life," the Republican party needs to stop demonising abortion and build "consensus" on a potential federal ban.

Her position may be more effective in the general election next time, but Pence is betting on his outspokenness on abortion to gain evangelical support in the Republican primaries.

"We can win," he said. "You got to do what you think is right. I believe in a culture of life."

Shots fired at Vivek Ramaswamy

It may be a bit surprising but it did not take much time for the Republicans to take jabs at the other candidate.

Former Vice-President Mike Pence, in his first chance to make remarks, aimed at first-time political candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, highlighting his own long experience in politics and stating that it was not the time to have a rookie in the White House.

"Now is not the time for on-the-job training," he said.

However, tech entrepreneur Ramaswamy was seen displaying a different attitude on the debate stage, displaying a smile and poking fun at his opponents due to his status as a political outsider and his campaign outperforming expectations.

Furthermore, the veteran politician's dogpile on Ramaswamy was just beginning, as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie went on to compare him to ChatGPT.

For politicians who have worked their entire lives to get on the debate stage, Ramaswamy's presence at the centre of the stage must be irksome.

Moreover, the 38-year-old, despite being the target of criticism from some of his fellow candidates at Wednesday's debate, said he took the comments "as a badge of honour."

"As the 38-year-old outsider in this race who's never been in a political debate to be at centre stage and see a lot of established politicians that threatened by my rise, I am thrilled," Ramaswamy told BBC soon after the debate.

The Russia-Ukraine war

Ukraine has sparked division within the Republican Party, shifting from George W Bush's internationalist foreign policy to Donald Trump's America First nationalism. 

This division was evident during the debate stage, where Ramaswamy, who supports ending military aid to Ukraine, clashed with established Republican opponents.

Pence emphasised parallels between US assistance to Ukraine and American efforts to battle the Soviet Union during the Cold War, even reiterating the cliché "We achieve peace through strength" in his remarks.

Upon her turn to share her thoughts on her competitors' views on the war, Haley took a jab at Ramaswamy, saying: "You have no foreign policy experience and it shows."

However, recent surveys reveal that the majority of Republican voters share Ramaswamy's opinion that the US is providing Ukraine with too much aid.

 Candidates like Pence and Haley will need to persuade voters to change their thoughts if they want the subject to be a success for their campaigns as the political landscape is shifting.