NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The excitement around the first GOP debate is yet to die down as it has proven to help Republican candidates show off their public appeal and convince people of their capabilities.
For Brian Kilmeade, the host from 'Fox & Friends' present in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the coverage on the ground level, Nikki Haley seems to take away the crown.
The South Carolina Governor came out as a surprisingly powerful candidate who knew all the right things to say and dared to make some strong remarks as well.
Co-hosts Ainsley Earhardt and Steve Doocy were also on board with Kilmeade's conclusion for the night.
Nikki Haley an unofficial winner for 'Fox & Friends'
The 'Fox & Friends' hosts were dejected for the past few weeks over Donald Trump's decision to not show up for the debate. But the three hosts had surprising impressions of the candidates for the night.
"I thought Nikki Haley came out ready to play on a myriad of topics," Kilmeade said. The hosts were especially impressed by Haley calling out candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on his "rookie" understanding of foreign policies, which she had strong opinions about.
"We did kind of an informal survey in the studio," Doocy revealed, "And they said that they felt that [Nikki Haley] ran away with the show."
Brian Kilmeade did not expect Nikki Haley to come through
In another segment for which Kilmeade was brought in to share his thoughts on the debate, he again pronounced Haley as the unexpected winner for the night.
"I thought Nikki Haley, to me, stole the show," Kilmeade shared from the Pancake House, "I expected her to be strong on foreign policy; aggressive and direct."
He continued to explain why he thought she came out as the winner, stating, "I did not expect her to say something like Donald Trump is the most unpopular politician in the country."
The 'Fox & Friends' host was further impressed by Haley slamming Republicans for making big and wrong expenditures.
"I also didn't expect her to rip Republicans on spending," Kilmeade added, "I know everyone has their own ideas and expectations."
He concluded, "So for me, Nikki Haley, confident, working all sides, taking on all commerce, with the direction, really confident. She had to do well. And I think she did."
