'I've bigger things to focus,' Donald Trump shuns debate, while Ron DeSantis leads GOP pack

On Wednesday The first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election cycle took place in Milwaukee, but the event was overshadowed by the absence of Donald Trump, the party’s frontrunner and former president.

Trump, who is facing multiple criminal charges for his alleged role in trying to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to Joe Biden, opted to skip the debate and instead gave an online interview with Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News host.

“I have bigger things to focus on than debating candidates who are polling at one percent on the night before my wrongful arrest,” Trump, 77, wrote in a campaign email before the debate.

“We cannot waste energy and resources, arguing with members of our own party at a time when we should be united against Crooked Joe who is burning down America.”

The former President’s decision to snub the debate denied his rivals, who trail him by a wide margin in the polls, the chance to challenge him directly on stage.

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His closest competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 44, used the opportunity to boost his flagging campaign and present himself as a viable alternative to Trump.

“Ron DeSantis will be center-stage at the #GOPdebate because he believes in EARNING your support, rather than expecting it to be handed to him,” his campaign said in a jab at Trump.

The candidates discussed issues such as China, Ukraine, Russia, and immigration, topics that have exposed DeSantis’ lack of foreign policy experience in the past.

The debate also served as a platform for candidates who are hoping to be Trump’s running mate or secure positions in his administration, if he wins the nomination and the general election.

One of them was Indian-origin businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who introduced himself to the wider public as a fresh voice in the Republican Party.

But some analysts have argued that it is too early to call the race, and that the 45th U.S. President could face a serious challenge from someone who catches the momentum in the coming months.

“Nobody’s caught the wave yet but somebody’s going to and when they do, Trump’s going to have a race on his hands,” former US senator Judd Gregg told The Hill.

Trump also faced criticism from some of his former allies and opponents, who questioned his leadership and integrity.

Former vice president Mike Pence, who was attacked by Trump supporters during the January 6 riot at the Capitol, did not hold back his punches.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson also took aim at Trump, hoping to gain some traction in the crowded field.

“I think it’s fair when these other candidates say it’s not a coronation, it’s an election,” debate co-moderator Bret Baier said.

The Biden campaign took advantage of Trump’s absence and bought expensive ads on Fox News and its website before the debate. Biden himself said he would watch as much of the event “as I can.”

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Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who is also indicted in the same case as Trump for racketeering, surrendered to authorities in Atlanta hours before the debate.

“I am very, very honored to be involved in this case, because this case is a fight for our way of life,” Giuliani told reporters outside the county jail in Atlanta.

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