Quick takeaways

• Vivek Ramaswami emerged as a strong contender in the Republican debate, positioning himself as a viable alternative to Trump.

• Nikki Haley exceeded expectations in the debate and stood out as the only woman on the stage, likely gaining support from both donors and the GOP base.

• Ron DeSantis failed to make a significant impact in the debate, risking being overshadowed by other contenders and potentially going down in the polls.

• Trump's decision to skip the debate and do a Twitter interview with Tucker Carlson is risky, allowing other contenders to gain visibility and potentially impact his standing in the future.

Deep dives