Second Republican Debate At Reagan Library Won’t Feature Donald Trump, But His Supporters Already Are Declaring Him The Winner
27.09.2023 - 23:59
/ deadline.com
Donald Trump once again is skipping the second Republican presidential debate, but his presence was apparent at the venue, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
Along Madera Drive, about a dozen of his supporters waved large campaign flags and banners — including signs that read Save California, Save America, while another posted an apparently outdated Recall Newsom sign.
That said, the debate, to air on Fox Business and Univision, was being billed as a way for a Trump alternative to break through, and for some a make-or-break moment as donors get antsy as their campaigns languish in the low single digits.
Seven candidates qualified: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who qualified for the last debate, did not this time.
Even though Fox Business built up the event in the hours before, with some pundits suggesting that voters are open to a Trump alternative, one of its star anchors, Larry Kudlow predicted “that Donald Trump will once again be the winner,” as his former boss maintains a wide lead in national and early state polls. The former president has said that he does not plan to attend any of the debates, and was due in Detroit for some counter programming: A speech to union members.
Another bit of counter programming will come from Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, who planned to feature Bill O’Reilly as his guest on his X/Twitter show starting a half hour before the debate is to begin. It was Carlson who took O’Reilly’s timeslot after he was fired in 2017.
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