Absent Donald Trump will once again loom over US Republican debate
- Trump, who leads the race to become the Republican candidate for president, will skip the third debate and instead hold a rally nearby for supporters
- The 5 debating Republicans have been forced to grapple with how to make a splash while Trump sucks up all media attention
Third debate, third snub: Republican candidates will gather in Miami on Wednesday as they vie to become their party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election – once again without front-runner Donald Trump.
The ex-president, who leads the race by leaps and bounds, will skip the affair entirely and instead hold a rally nearby for supporters.
As with the last two debates, the real estate mogul says he has no need for the publicity given his large lead among his fellow Republicans.
Polling suggests he would receive a whopping 58 per cent of the Republican primary vote, crushing opponents thanks to a large and loyal base which has stuck by his side through two impeachments, multiple indictments and a variety of other scandals.
Primary races begin on January 15, with the eventual winner to face off against the Democratic candidate – almost certainly President Joe Biden – in next November’s presidential election.
The 77-year-old Trump’s alternate event, a major campaign rally, will be held just outside Miami, 11 miles (18 kilometres) from the NBC set where the debate will be broadcast.