Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley had strong performances in Wednesday night's GOP presidential debate, SMU political science professor Matthew Wilson said.

He added that politcal newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy may have put a ceiling on his campaign on a night in which many Americans were exposed to him for the first time.

Photo: Republican presidential candidates (L-R), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) participate in the first debate of the GOP primary season hosted by FOX News at the Fiserv Forum on August 23, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)