Suddenly, Trump’s rivals will find out what it’s like to debate without his bluster and theatrics dominating the stage.
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“Tonight it’s Donald versus Trump, or as their known by their celebrity couple name: Dump”, Colbert joked to the cheering crowd at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Fox News was poised to rule television on Thursday night with the Republican presidential debate.
The Fox News debate without front-runner Donald Trump attracted the second-smallest audience of the seven such televised encounters among Republicans so far this election cycle, according to ratings figures released on Friday.
Thursday’s viewership was way down from the 25 million people who watched the first debate in August – that first sparring session was the most-watched nonsports program in cable news history.
“Welcome to debate night Americana style, a nation in the balance”, Colbert said on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert”. Trump, the statement said, “offered to appear at the debate upon the condition that Fox News contribute $5 million to his charities”.
Donald Trump held a rally nearby, in honor of war veterans, that threatened to overshadow the debate itself.
Trump on Tuesday announced that he would not attend Thursday’s debate over his objections to Fox News Channel’s anchor and debate moderator Megyn Kelly. “You and I had an agreement that you would not ask me that”, responded Trump.
A recent CNN/ORC poll of Republican voters has Trump at 41 percent to 19 percent for Cruz, with more than two-thirds of Republicans saying they believe Trump will be the party’s presidential candidate. Trump is leading in all polls in Iowa and nationally, followed by Ted Cruz.
“I think that was genius on his part”, said Grant Gardner, 76, an Air Force veteran. In fact, Rubio simply said that Trump just gave the others more time than what was previously allotted to them.
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Trump noted that skipping the debate was a “risk” given that other candidates could have shifted the dynamic of the race in Trump’s absence. Cruz briefly went into his soured relationship with Trump and quickly went on to express his gratitude to the people of Iowa.
