Republican candidates don't want Trump, Biden back in White House — for good reasons

After an hours-long debate on a variety of topics including abortion, Donald Trump, Russia-Ukraine war and more, the Republican candidates brought the first primary debate to an end with closing statements that left a lasting impact on audiences.

Bringing Wednesday's debate to an end with his closing statement, Governor Doug Burgum said that he understands America is hurting because "Biden's inflation is choking us."

"Our economy is being crushed by Biden's energy policies, which are raising the costs of every product you buy," Burgum said. "One thing that I will do as president, I will secure the border. I will get this economy sprinting, not crawling like it is right now."

Former Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson highlighted that America needs new leadership and a president who will bring out the best in the nation, saying: "The solution is not four more years of Joseph Biden. The solution is not four more years of Donald Trump.

"The solution is new leadership that can bring bold ideas to America and to bring out the best of America."

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott recalled lessons his mother taught him.

"She taught me that if you're able-bodied in America, you work. If you take out a loan, you pay it back. You commit a violent crime, you go to jail. And if God made you a man, you play sports against men," he said.

Furthermore, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said "we have a country to save," adding that if she were elected president, "we will make sure we have an America that is strong and proud."

"I will strengthen our economy and we’ll bring this inflation down," said the former US ambassador to the United Nations. "We will put transparency in the classroom, we will secure our borders, we will have the backs of our law enforcement and we will make sure we have a strong national security."

Chris Christie, a former governor of New Jersey, asserted that he is best suited to defeat Vice President Joe Biden because of his background as a Republican elected leader in a blue state.

"Everybody on this stage wants to be the next president of the United States. And the only way that is going to happen is if we beat Joe Biden. I'm the only one on the stage who has ever beaten a Democratic incumbent in an election," Christie said.

In his final remarks, former vice president Mike Pence positioned himself as a capable leader who can "move a conservative agenda forward," adding that the government demonstrated that "we could turn this country around and I have faith we will again."

However, he went on to say that "different times call for different leadership."

In his final remarks, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy reiterated a number of what he called "common ideals," including the notions that "there are two genders," "an open border is not a border," and "parents are responsible for their children's education."

Ramaswamy stated: "I grew up into a generation where we were taught to celebrate our diversity and our differences so much that we forgot all of the ways we are really just the same as Americans, bound by a common set of ideals that set this nation into motion in 1776 and this is our moment to revive those common ideals."

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described next year's election as "make or break." He said: "We will send Joe Biden back to his basement and we will reverse the decline of this country," he said, noting that as governor he "made promises and I delivered on all of those promises."