WaPo carries an AP feed, (presumably not sufficiently newsworthy for WaPo to watch and write its own coverage), so, did anything happen? Reportedly, at least all five could fog a mirror. Those who'd fallen to so low a support level they were scratched from the race are the lucky ones. If at least double digit polling numbers was a requirement, would there have been anyone? Nonetheless -
In part, the WaPo/AP coverage:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis began the debate demanding that Donald Trump come to the stage and explain why he didn’t wall off the entire U.S. southern border and have Mexico pay for it as he’d promised to do as president.
As the night wound down, DeSantis went a step farther, making the unlikely claim that he could keep the promise Trump broke.
Whether DeSantis will get the chance remains to be seen [...]DeSantis vowed to build a border wall and have Mexico pay for it, a comment that went unchallenged by moderators or other candidates.
More? Sure:
Republican presidential candidates came out swinging with benefit cuts to Social Security in order to preserve the retirement income program. Some also said they could achieve stronger economic growth, though past pledges along those lines have fallen flat.
According to a trustee’s report, Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2033 without changes that could include less benefits or higher taxes.
Yes, simply adjust the SS taxing, a no-brainer, and the program continues its aims, and what the five are saying is they don't give a shit about old voters, or disabled voters, widows, just screw 'em all and move on to talking wall-builder chest pounding with no intent to try to follow through to any actual wall, but to throw stuff at Trump's obvious lie, a total lie from when first told until today, and into tomorrow.
Fretting about the border is fine and all but Republican farmers need somebody to pick watermelons, and Repubican meat packers need somebody to cut, grind and pack. So the border remains as the border is. Bezos needs warehouse labor.
People can have their own likes or dislikes about any of the five, but each and all are irrelevant because Trump will be the nominee; even if then with felony convictions. Trumpers don't care because they don't think. They react. It's Pavlovian.
As nominee Trump would pick none of the five, nor Pence, as his running mate. The guess here is he picks the South Dakota Governor, since nobody outside of South Dakota knows a thing about her. It would be all about Trump anyway, so any nobody will fit. A Crabgrass bet - if anyone will take the other side - not Ted Cruz. Not Marco Rubio. Possibly Matt Gaetz. Possibly Mike Johnson, since when the Republicans put him in the House Speakership the House Dems and everyone else said "Who?" and had to Google him, (to find he is a Christian Nationalist fumbler).
As to those five who went onstage, with moderators, if a tree falls in the forest with nobody there to hear, did it make a noise?