#CampaignFashionReport — I see all the men have gone with red ties again. Scott has some stripes, and Christie has a pattern ... but all red once again. Maybe it's to capture the Chiefs/Kelce/Taylor Swift zeitgeist.
Scott pivots as Trump embraces autoworkers in Michigan
Compare Scott’s answer to that of Trump, who in Michigan just told striking autoworkers, “I support you and your goal of fair wages, greater stability, and I truly hope you get a fair deal for yourself.”
Notably the very first question goes to Sen. Scott about his comments that workers who strike should be fired — underscoring the scale of the UAW strike and the importance of union workers as a constituency.
Scott pivots to hitting Biden on the southern border and gets big applause.
Barbara Spencer, 83, of Spillville, Iowa, is a registered Democrat but voted for Trump in 2016.
In 2020, she voted for Biden, and for 2024 she’s still shopping for a candidate to support.
A retired English teacher, Spencer wants to hear from a candidate with a strong education policy tonight. “Teachers should be paid a good wage,” she said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is in the spin room — surrounded by media
California Gov. Gavin Newsom found himself in a massive scrum in the spin room backstage.
The Democrat took questions for about half an hour before the debate.
NBC News is watching the debate at New England College with eight college students who vote in New Hampshire.
Of the eight college students watching the debate with NBC News in New Hampshire, three voted for Trump in 2020, two voted for Biden, and three were too young to vote.
In a hypothetical match-up between Biden and Trump, two of the eight students say they would vote for Trump, two would vote for Biden, and the four others would either leave the top of the ballot blank, vote for a third-party candidate or write someone in.
Three of the students are registered Republicans and five are registered as undeclared, which means they can choose which primary to vote in. Five of the students wish Trump were on the stage tonight.
Scott tries to walk back his 'fired' remark
As first reported by NBC News, Scott was asked about striking autoworkers at a campaign event this month, and he responded in part with: “You strike, you’re fired.” That response has haunted him since then, and he has spent the weeks afterward walking it back.
Scott seemingly sporting some new facial hair here!
Scott may try for some attacks tonight
The Tim Scott orbit is talking a lot about “contrast” heading into tonight — a word that’s kind of consultant-speak for “attack.” Scott has an opportunity to break out from the pack and may try to look for a moment on abortion or foreign policy.
Scott's allies have said he’s willing to attack— but not just for the sake of it. It's sounding like "No more Mr. Nice Guy" — maybe.
The 400-pound elephant in the room? The looming government shutdown
The politics of the pending government shutdown are complicated — and that could shade how Republicans on the debate stage talk about it.
There is little doubt that a government shutdown, at this point, would be the doing of Republicans, who have struggled in the House to pass anything to keep the government open beyond Saturday amid interparty fighting.
A shutdown, even a brief one, could risk causing problems for the economy and hurt people who depend on government aid.
The candidates onstage may be asked to decide: Do they follow Trump's lead and embrace it, along with any potential political backlash? Or do they take it as an opportunity to oppose Trump and criticize Washington for being ineffective?