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Here's What The GOP Candidates Would Ask Each Other

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, former Sen. Rick Santorum, center, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on stage before a candidate forum in New Hampshire earlier this week.
Darren McCollester
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Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, former Sen. Rick Santorum, center, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on stage before a candidate forum in New Hampshire earlier this week.

This post was updated at 9:30 a.m. ET

The Republican presidential candidates are getting in their last-minute prep before Thursday night's debates. They will be separated into two events — the bottom seven in polls, as determined by a Fox News analysis, will debate at 5 p.m. And the top ten will take the primetime stage at 9 p.m.

But for the first time in this campaign, we'll see all the candidates debate serious issues, likely answering questions about national security, the economy, foreign policy — even the Planned Parenthood controversy that's been in the news.

The questions will be determined by Fox News. If Americans had their choice, according to a list released by Gallup, they would want to know about the economy, confidence in Congress, race relations and immigration.

Facebook also released a list of the most talked-about political topics on its platform for the two months ahead of the debate. Those are: racial issues, Mexico, the economy, LGBT issues and immigration.

But the candidates themselves also took a stab at writing some questions for the debate. Nine candidates have posted videos on Facebook, which is partnering with Fox News on the debate, posing questions to their rivals. We don't know if these videos will actually air during the debate. (Fox News did ask regular people to submit video questions via Facebook, some of which will air.)

In any case, Mike Huckabee said he wants to ask the candidates about the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling, Rick Perry asked about the economy and Donald Trump wants to know how the candidates are "going to make America great again" (his campaign slogan). Watch the questions from the candidates below:

Chris Christie: Please give me your specific plan to reform entitlements in our country.

Carly Fiorina: How would each of you challenge Mrs. Clinton?

Lindsey Graham: Tell me how you would degrade and destroy ISIL without American ground forces?

Mike Huckabee: Do you believe the recent ruling on same-sex-marriage is the law of the land?

John Kasich: How are you going to talk to the people of Ohio?

Rand Paul: Don't you think we'd be better off not electing another career politician?

Rick Perry: So what have you done — or what will you do — to make America's economy that successful [as Texas]?

Donald Trump: How are you going to make America great again?

Scott Walker: Which candidate do you admire the most?

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Amita Kelly is a Washington editor, where she works across beats and platforms to edit election, politics and policy news and features stories.
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