"Mr. Ramaswamy, your reaction to being called 'scum'?" one reporter asks, referencing a tense onstage exchange between him and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.
Enter the spin room — the site of a post-debate media frenzy where candidates and their campaign surrogates strive to shape the narrative about who prevailed in the night's contest.
New Times didn't anticipate it would witness the madness firsthand after initially being denied a press pass. But hours before the event kicked off, debate host NBC graciously extended a spin room credential. New Times otherwise would have been forced to cover the proceedings from a "press filing center" inside the ballroom of the Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel down the street — where the pandemonium would surely be less palpable.
Before the candidates strolled in, the spin room was just a space lined with antsy reporters waiting for the debate to end and the real fun to begin. Television and radio stations ranging from CNN to Newsmax surrounded the edges of the room, ready to host their pre- and post-debate coverage. It was relatively quiet aside from the numerous TV crews hosting their stand-ups. At one point, New Times was shushed by a media member leading a live shot.
Early in the evening, Miami Mayor and erstwhile presidential hopeful Francis Suarez, sporting a bright red tie, made his way inside with his security team of two City of Miami police officers. New Times recently uncovered public records that show the city covered large bills for his security detail's travel expenses while he was on the campaign trail. The mayor dropped some comments in front of major networks' cameras but headed off to his seat after New Times asked his media agent for a moment with Suarez to address the travel costs.
When the debate kicked off, reporters gathered around a few TVs to watch. Chuckles occasionally broke out, and one woman let out a cheer when Ramaswamy claimed on the debate stage that he would "smoke the terrorists on our southern border."He is accompanied by two City of Miami police officers. @miaminewtimes recently uncovered the city spent 20K on his security detail of MPD officers for his presidential campaign: https://t.co/TIqVarYjpD pic.twitter.com/FTUwjc6IMz
— Naomi Feinstein (@naomifeinstein) November 9, 2023
As the onstage fisticuffs dragged on, with Ramaswamy dubbing Haley "Dick Cheney in three-inch heels," production staff and reporters sipped on yellow Café Bustelo coffee cups. Either they needed caffeinated fuel to propel them through the circus that would soon transpire, or just something to keep them warm. Indeed, for reasons unknown to New Times, the air conditioning was set so low the place felt like a frigid tundra. (Perhaps candidates requested subarctic temperatures so their makeup would stay intact throughout the night, though it didn't exactly help Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose upper lip appeared quite moist as he stood on stage.)
By 9:30 p.m., the spin room filled out with reporters, and a crowd congregated around the door that media crews thought the candidates would eventually walk through once they left the debate stage. Finally, the debate ended, and the anticipation began: Who is coming through first?
Reporters anxiously wait for candidates to arrive at the spin room following the debate.
Photo by Naomi Feinstein
"There is a deeper cancer in the Republican party," Ramaswamy told reporters. "It's a culture of losing. It's a party that is disconnected with its base. I seriously meant what I said. If Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk, or pick any range of other people, were moderating that debate, it would be far greater service to the Republican base voters. Just ask our base."
DeSantis followed through soon after, but he was ushered immediately to NBC for an appearance. He didn't field questions from other reporters or walk around the room. Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis instead spoke on his behalf, telling journalists, "I thought Gov. DeSantis did an amazing job." It was an in-and-out appearance for DeSantis, maybe for the best because his mingling skills have been in question — one can't forget the time he shamed a kid for drinking an icee during a campaign stop in July..@Vivek is first in the spin room post-debate
— Naomi Feinstein (@naomifeinstein) November 9, 2023
He stands by his comments calling the Republican Party “a party of losers.” pic.twitter.com/gmk9uIW8fj
DeSantis is positioned second behind former president Donald Trump in aggregate polls for the Republican presidential nomination, with Trump maintaining a more than 40-point lead.
Gov. Ron DeSantis makes a brief appearance inside the spin room following the Republican presidential debate on November 8.
Photo by Naomi Feinstein
"It's going to be a fight on his hands," Romeo added.
A pack of reporters then went after South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott as a member of his campaign shouted, "We are going to take a couple of questions."
One NBC 6 South Florida asked, "Did you find any disrespect on that stage tonight at all?"
"Of course, there's always disrespect on the presidential debate stage," Scott responded. "Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is, instead of focusing on the American people and what they need from us, voters are given the back and forth between the candidates."
"Bottom line is I think there is a healthy contrast so people understand the difference between the opinions. But all the senseless, juvenile personal attacks, it's not helpful, frankly, as the world's greatest democracy and the city on the hill. I like to focus on the key issues," Scott said.
Across the floor, reporters surrounded campaign surrogates and spokespeople. Some chatted with Ramaswamy's wife, Apoorva Ramaswamy, who gave opinions on her husband's performance. Congressman Carlos Giménez of Miami appeared to be the lone Trump surrogate speaking in the room while New Times was cataloguing the interviews. Former Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner worked the room as a supporter of the Scott campaign.
Though Haley's and DeSantis' time in the spin room was dominated by their NBC interviews, Ramaswamy led a swarm of reporters from several outlets around the space. They followed him eagerly as if they would catch some seminal soundbite or elusive scoop no one else would capture.
