Eight of the candidates vying for the Republican nomination for president will square off tonight in the first primary debate of the 2024 Presidential Election.

The debate will air live on Fox News, broadcast from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting at 9 PM EST. It is scheduled to run for two hours and will be moderated by Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

The number of participants tonight is a far cry from the large field of 17 candidates who participated in the first Republican Primary debate in the 2016 Presidential Election. This should help ensure candidates receive an ample amount of time to communicate their ideas and convey their message to the American people.

The American people will judge who wins tonight’s debate.

But what questions should Baier and MacCallum ask? Here are five suggestions.

Life

“What restrictions – if any – do you support on abortion at the national level. And specifically, how would you govern as a pro-life president?”

The issue of life is an important one to Republican primary voters and to voters in general. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, and returned the issue of abortion back to the states and the people’s elected national and state representatives.

The 2024 Presidential Election will be the first general election held since the overturning of Roe, and voters deserve to know precisely what limits on abortion each candidate would be willing to support.

Some national pro-life groups, like Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, have taken a definite stance, expecting the candidates to support, at a minimum, a 15-week federal abortion ban.

However, it is not clear how any proposed legislation that substantially restricts abortion would become federal law, considering it generally takes 60 votes in the U.S. Senate to pass legislation, absent an abolition of the filibuster.

Parental Rights & Transgenderism

“Parental rights have been under assault for several years. On the federal level, what policies would you implement to promote parental rights and protect the innocence of children from harmful transgender medical interventions and inappropriate sexual indoctrination in public schools?”

The Daily Citizen has well documented the push to indoctrinate and sexualize children at young ages in many states and school districts around the country.

The issue of transgenderism and parental rights in schools is an ongoing hot topic, and one that can make a big difference in general elections, as the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election proved.

Supreme Court

“What would be your philosophy in choosing nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court? What assurances can you make the American people about who you would choose to nominate for the high court?”

In the 2016 Presidential Election, many credited then-candidate Donald Trump’s proposed list of 11 nominees to fill former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat on the Supreme Court for his victory over Hillary Clinton. The former president nominated Justice Neil Gorsuch to fill that vacancy.

The makeup of the Supreme Court has long been one of the most important issues for Republican voters. The Supreme Court’s two most conservative members – Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito – are also the court’s two oldest members, ages 75 and 73 respectively. There is a good chance the next president of the United States will replace one – or both – of them.

Economy

“Many families are struggling right now due to high inflation, high interest rates, and exorbitant mortgage and rent costs. Specifically, what policies do you propose to help the average American family afford life’s basics?”

Since the beginning of 2021, the U.S. dollar has lost 16% of its value. At the same time, mortgage rates have risen by 164%. And as a result, many families are struggling to make ends meet.

The economy is consistently rated among one of the top issues voters care about in every election. It will be important for Americans to see what federal policies the candidates propose to help improve the economy for the average family.

Record

“On issues important to Republican primary voters – including protecting life and defending parental rights – what is your record proving your commitment to these issues?”

As Americans know all too well, many politicians talk a good game while seeking elected office. They say one thing while running, before doing another once elected.

Voters must be wise and discerning when considering a candidate’s record on critical issues like the ones listed above. Voters should consider how each candidate has (or has not) followed through on his or her principles and commitments in the past.

Will you be tuning in to tonight’s debate?

What topics will you be looking for each candidate to address?

Photo from YouTube.