presidential nomination met at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, Calif. Wednesday night for a second debate, and though former President Donald Trump was not present, he loomed large over the event.
Several candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said Trump — who currently has a sizable lead in the crowded field — should have been on stage defending his record. Trump has missed both Republican debates so far.
Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
“Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage,” DeSantis said, adding that he should be present to explain why he added $7 trillion to the national debt when he was in office.
Later, he tore into Trump’s remarks calling Florida’s six-week abortion ban "terrible."
“The former president, who’s missing in action tonight, he’s had a lot to say about that,” he said. “He should be here explaining his comments — to try to say that pro-life protections are somehow a ‘terrible thing’? I want him to look into the eyes and tell people who have been fighting this fight for a long time.”
The Florida governor came out of the gate early with an attack that indicates he may be rethinking his refusal to tackle the former president head-on.
DeSantis being an attractive alternative for 2020 Trump voters. But Mr Trump's base has been sticking with him. So Mr DeSantis may have decided he has to take the former president down if he wants any hope of catching him - or even closing the gap - in the polls before voting starts in January.
As with last month’s debate, the Republican National Committee has partnered with Rumble — a video-sharing platform popular with some conservatives — to livestream this one, in lieu of the network’s YouTube channel. RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said earlier this year this was a decision aimed toward “getting away from Big Tech.”
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