The final debate between Republican U.S. Senate candidates Mike Braun, U.S. Rep. Luke Messer (R-Greensburg) and U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Brownsburg) was focused almost entirely on attacks between each candidate.
The moderator at one point implored them to answer his specific question – a request the candidates mostly ignored.
Each of the candidates’ attacks played along a theme. For Rokita, it was: who can you trust to support Donald Trump?
“The Republican establishment like Luke Messer … the Democrats like Mike Braun – they continue to be against this president,” Rokita says.
For Messer, the theme was honesty.
“One guy [Rokita] got asked by the Trump campaign to pull down his advertisements because he was faking the president’s support," Messer says. "The other guy [Braun] can try to cover it up all that he wants – he’s a lifetime Democrat.”
And Mike Braun didn’t mince words.
“This is what you get out of two career politicians that are taking their last gasp,” Braun says.
Only Messer participated in the traditional post-debate press conference. Braun and Rokita declined. The Indiana Debate Commission says that’s the first time that’s happened in its 10-year history.
