Fox News was poised to rule television on Thursday night with the Republican presidential debate.
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For each of them, the spotlight glowed brighter because Trump, for months the center of gravity in the Republican nomination battle, had made a decision to boycott the proceedings, saying he was protesting Fox News Channel’s choice of Kelly as co-moderator and what he deemed to be an offensive and antagonistic comment by the network mocking his concerns about her fairness.
“I kind of miss Donald Trump; he was a teddy bear to me”, said former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a frequent target of Trump.
The Republican front-runner opened with a profession of love for veterans and touted some of the contributors to the veterans’ groups, but soon found himself reciting bits of his campaign speech, complaining about Obama’s Iran deal and how he’s covered by the press. “And baby that’s why you should stump for Trump”.
It was a risky move politically, but Donald Trump helped raise $6 million to benefit veterans at an event three miles away from the debate stage. They walked slowly across the stage and stood awkwardly until Trump invited them to the lectern.
Santorum spoke standing slightly to the side of Trump’s podium, joking he didn’t want his picture taken with the Trump campaign sign.
“He cut and ran because it wasn’t popular with conservatives”, said Bush.
Bush then cited a book he’d written on immigration, acknowledging it wasn’t a “best-seller”, and said “we should have a path to legal status”.
Polka, who works in information technology for an insurance company, was seeing Trump for the first time in person, but said he’s already chose to support him in Monday’s caucus. On its roof, a jumbo-sized screen projected a live feed of Trump’s performance for the hundreds of people who were unable to fit inside the auditorium to see him in the flesh.
“He’s the one guy out there who’s not a politician from the get-go”, said Golay, a 54-year-old heating and air conditioning contractor.
“Never underestimate the magnitude of what “thank you” means to veterans”, he said.
“The time to change my mind was two days ago”, he said. It broke into a chant of “USA, USA”, when representatives from 22vets.com, which combats veteran suicides, presented Trump with an honor ring.
“Isn’t this better than that debate that’s going on?” She said she’s concerned primarily with the economy and foreign policy, though she thinks social issues are important.
He ended by promising a military “so strong, so powerful” that no country will “mess with us” and pledged that “we’re not going to be laughed at around the world, they laugh at our stupidity, they can’t believe what’s happening”.
Trump’s family joined him at the event and he noted that his daughter, Ivanka, was due to give birth in two weeks.
“Ivanka, it would be great if you had your baby in Iowa”, he said. So close to the first votes being cast, the candidates were either trying not to stumble before the Iowa caucuses, or trying to survive and advance to the New Hampshire primary.
“You are our heroes and our s-heroes”, they told the audience.
Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee and Jim Gilmore at the Fox News Republican debate on January 28, 2016. “It’s not going to take him very long to do it. He’s going to put the right people in”. Rivals like Ted Cruz have accused the billionaire of being too afraid to face them in the debate, and while some of Trump’s fans were supportive of his decision, several undecided voters were unimpressed. “He’s doing it for our country”.
He said he felt he had acted appropriately in backing out of the debate. “If you are in the establishment, you are part of the problem, you aren’t listening to us”.
The debate had a lackluster quality, and it’s not just because Trump wasn’t there.
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“Everyone else was in the witness protection program when I went after him on behalf of what the Republican cause should be: conservative principles, belief in limited government, belief in accountability, leading by fixing the things that are broken”, Bush said. Even the vendors selling “Make America Great Again!” hats and buttons tend to be unaffiliated with the Trump organization.
