GOP candidates tangle in Milwaukee as they vie to be alternative to Trump

The Republican presidential candidates vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump fought — sometimes bitterly — over abortion rights, U.S. support for Ukraine and the future of the party during the first primary debate of the 2024 campaign.

But on what is arguably the most consequential choice facing the party, virtually all lined up behind Trump, saying they would support the former president if he is their nominee, even if he is convicted in a court of law as he faces a slew of criminal charges.

It was a reminder of the power Trump continues to wield in the party, even as he chose to skip the debate, held in Milwaukee, insisting there was no point in participating given his commanding lead.

With less than five months until the Iowa caucuses jumpstart the GOP presidential nomination process, the debate was a critical moment for candidates trying to break through and emerge as the Trump alternative in the race. For Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who announced his campaign in May to great fanfare but has since struggled to gain traction, it was a chance to prove that he deserves to maintain his second-place footing.

But DeSantis was sometimes eclipsed by lower-polling candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who tried to use the event, hosted by Fox News, to introduce themselves to millions of viewers and create the kind of viral moment that might spark new momentum as the campaign enters its critical next phase.

While the candidates repeatedly tangled — often talking over moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, who tried to maintain control — all but two said they would support Trump as the nominee, even if he ends up...