Emergency PBD Podcast: Recap of the Republican Primary Debate

Fresh off their trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Patrick Bet-David, Adam Sosnick, and Vincent Oshana sat down for a special emergency episode of the PBD Podcast. Together, they broke down the winners, losers, and standout moments from Wednesday’s Republican primary debate.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the Home Team’s debate breakdown:

1. “The Enemy of My Enemy” – Tucker Carlson’s Political Alliances

One of Wednesday night’s biggest winners wasn’t a debate participant…or even a candidate. Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host that has become a social media sensation, aired an interview with former President Donald Trump five minutes before the debate started, racking up millions of views in just a few hours.

Carlson has already formed a powerful alliance with X owner Elon Musk, taking his show to levels no mainstream platform can match. But now it appears as if he is also strengthening ties with Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, despite being critical of the former president just a few short years ago.

With the combined power of Elon Musk’s media empire and Donald Trump’s political influence, held together by Tucker Carlson’s personality, the one-time news anchor may be clearing a path for a presidential run in the coming years.

So, will the “Ultimate Three” become the new political powerhouse in the United States? According to Patrick, this is only a slim possibility…but the evidence he presented made it sound much more likely than that.

What is Elon Musk's and Tucker Carlson's ultimate game plan? @patrickbetdavid talks about the possible alliance that's being built between Tucker, Elon, and Trump. PBD also talks about their strategic moves and their motives. pic.twitter.com/QwRR24TqFs

— PBD Podcast (@PBDsPodcast) August 24, 2023

2. Winners and Losers – Did the PBD Podcast Home Team Get It Right?

Ahead of the debate, each member of the Home Team submitted their predictions for winners, losers, and big surprises.

Some predictions played out exactly as expected, others were way off—but the list of real winners had a few unexpected names.

PBD, Vinnie, and Adam all agreed that Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley all performed reasonably well on stage despite the ups and downs, but the clearest winner was the elephant not in the room: former President Trump.

Even without stepping foot on the debate stage, Trump retained his number-one spot in the race and proved that he has an indisputable stranglehold on the Republican base. However, a few other winners emerged from unlikely places.

Moderators Bret Bair and Martha MacCallum made PBD’s list simply by doing their jobs rather than attacking candidates like past hosts.

Similarly, PBD declared the entire night a win for Tucker Carlson, streaming platforms, and the alternative media as a whole. With cable TV slowly dying, the success of the Trump-Carlson interview on X is just further proof that the media landscape is changing with a new generation.