Eight Republican presidential candidates answered questions from Fox News correspondents and debated each other on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. The front-runner, former President Donald Trump, did not participate. This transcript was first published on CQ.
BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over on videotape): Some call it the heartland. Others, flyover country. But for the 2024 presidential hopefuls, the Midwest is the place to land. Here, there is one battleground that may be harder to win than ever, Wisconsin. A state known for its beer and cheese, gridiron and grit, and also its razor thin elections.
In 2016 Republicans narrowly flipped the Badger State red for the first time since Ronald Reagan. But it was back to blue by 2020. That election came during an unprecedented year. The country was rife with tension. In the suburbs of Milwaukee, the division seemed deeper than ever. But that was just the beginning.
