Six of eight Republican presidential candidates at the Milwaukee debate would support Donald Trump as nominee even if he's convicted

If Donald Trump is the Republican Party presidential nominee in 2024, would the eight candidates on stage in Milwaukee for the debate Wednesday night support him even if he's convicted in a court of law?

That was a question Fox News moderator Bret Baier asked the candidates to open the second hour of the debate.

He asked for a show of hands, as he and moderator Martha MacCallum have for other topics. Businessman Vikek Ramaswamy raised his hand with no hesitation, while others like former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waited a bit before ultimately throwing their hands in the air.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appeared to shake his hand in the air but supposedly it wasn't to show his support for Trump. Meanwhile, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was a clear no and left his hands by his waist.

Who raised their hands to support Donald Trump?

• North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

• Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley

• Former Vice President Mike Pence

• Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy

• U.S. Sen. Tim Scott

Who would not support Donald Trump as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee?

• Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

• Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson

Christie, a one-time Trump supporter, is now one of his biggest critics, including calling him a coward for skipping the debate.

Why wasn't Trump at the debate tonight?

Trump is the GOP frontrunner but he instead opted for an interview with former Fox host Tucker Carlson at the same time. The former president also wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, this week that, because he's leading in the polls, he doesn't need to debate.

Trump will turn himself into the Fulton County Jail on Thursday to face criminal charges related to overturning the 2020 election. It's one of four indictments Trump is facing since leaving the White House.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Donald Trump would get support as nominee from most debate candidates