In a recent social media post, former President Donald Trump shared his thoughts on the recent Republican primary debate, taking shots at his 2024 rivals and proclaiming entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as the debate winner. Trump's comments came amidst his assessment of the candidates' performances and his criticism of the debate moderator, Megyn Kelly.

Taking to his Truth Social platform on Saturday morning, Trump expressed his views on the debate, stating, "So many people are asking what I thought of history's lowest rated 'presidential' debate, & how would I rate the players. It's so easy to be a critic, but who on this subject would be better than me."

Trump began his evaluation by calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis "terrible" and criticizing his facial movements and cautious approach. He then turned his attention to former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whom he deemed unfit to be President, citing both mental and physical reasons. Trump went on to accuse Christie of suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" at unprecedented levels while disapproving of his low poll numbers.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who did not qualify for the debate, was also targeted by Trump, who declared his campaign to be dead. Trump then shifted his focus to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, referring to her as "Birdbrain" and awarding her second place in his rankings. Finally, Trump declared Vivek Ramaswamy as the winner due to his admiration for him, stating, "Vivek WINS because he thinks l'm great."

The fourth GOP primary debate, hosted by NewsNation and sanctioned by the Republican National Committee (RNC), took place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Wednesday. However, the RNC announced on Friday that they would not sponsor any more debates for the 2024 primary cycle and allowed candidates to explore other forums for engagement.

While Trump lauded Ramaswamy's performance, the entrepreneur faced criticism for his aggressive rhetoric during the debate. Ramaswamy referred to Haley as a "fascist" and mocked Christie's foreign policy experience. Republican strategist Scott Jennings emphasized that voters generally disapprove of below-the-belt attacks and deemed Ramaswamy's approach as out of bounds, stating, "Most of the people do not like the below-the-belt punches."

Jennings acknowledged that Ramaswamy may have attempted to emulate Trump's style but argued that the millennial entrepreneur lacks the personal warmth and humor that made Trump's approach resonate with voters. Ramaswamy's campaign, on the other hand, pushed back against the criticism, highlighting his authenticity and conviction in speaking his mind.

Tricia McLaughlin, a senior advisor for Ramaswamy's campaign, defended the entrepreneur's approach, stating, "I think that if people actually saw Vivek on the campaign trail, which we put out tons of footage, it shows Vivek's warm. Vivek is gonna speak his convictions no matter what, and some people are gonna like it, and some people are gonna hate it."

As the Republican primary race continues to unfold, the candidates now have the freedom to participate in other forums following the RNC's decision not to sponsor additional debates for the 2024 cycle. The impact of Trump's endorsement of Ramaswamy and the fallout from the debate rhetoric remain to be seen as the contenders vie for the party's nomination.