Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized Donald Trump for skipping Wednesday's second Republican presidential debate where he and a half-dozen others sought a breakout moment that could weaken the former president's commanding hold on the primary contest.
"Donald Trump is missing in action," DeSantis said, drawing applause from the audience at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California. "He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record."
Trump, who led his nearest rival for the nomination by 37 percentage points in the most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, skipped the debate, as he did the first one in Wisconsin last month. With less than four months until Iowa's first-in-the-nation Republican nominating contest, Trump's rivals are running short on time to alter the dynamics of a race that Trump has dominated since he announced his re-election campaign 10 months ago.
Former South Carolina Gov. and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley's standing improved after a strong debate performance last month, and another solid outing could convince some Republican donors she has the best odds of unseating Trump.
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