The absent Trump was criticized by his rivals

Instead of attending the debate, which was broadcast live on television, radio and the Internet from Miami, Trump held a campaign rally in a nearby suburb.

– Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, addressing voters regarding Trump’s absence, said he owes it to you to stand on this stage and explain why he should get another chance.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said Trump “was right” when it came to supporting Ukraine, but now he “has gone weak in the knees.”

“Anyone who spends the next year and a half of their life focused on staying out of prison and out of courtrooms cannot lead this party,” Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, said in a tweet about Trump’s ongoing campaign. Legal case.

Thin out

This was the third direct debate between the Republican Party’s presidential candidates.

Seven candidates took to the stage during the previous debate, which took place in California at the end of last September. Former Vice President Mike Pence has since abandoned and withdrawn his nomination. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum did not qualify for the third debate.

Trump refused to participate because of his significant lead in opinion polls over other candidates in the party.

The Trump campaign suggested that the Republican National Committee stop holding debates and instead focus on supporting his campaign.

Trump: Not interesting

At his campaign rally across town, Trump declared the debate unmoderable and instead unchallenged self-promotion.

-You kept America safe. I kept Israel safe, I kept Ukraine safe, I kept the world safe, Trump told his supporters.

His rivals now have just over two months to catch up with public opinion before the start of the primaries, the process by which a party unifies behind a candidate. On January 15, the first vote will be held in Iowa.

The party’s nominated candidate will face President Joe Biden in the November 2024 presidential election.