GOP candidates look to make the most of Trump’s absence

That’s right – both the official Republican debate and Trump’s unorthodox event will kick off at the same time.

Republicans candidates, with one exception, are set to square off tonight in the FOX News/Google Debate in Des Moines, Iowa.

He also said more reporters were present at his event than at the official Republican debate.

Others on the debate stage will have their eyes on New Hampshire, where they’re hoping a strong showing in the February 9 primary will jumpstart their White House hopes.

Trump also posted the best numbers among self-described independent voters, with 26 percent naming him as the candidate they’d most like to see win.

Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, Iowa caucus winners in the past who have struggled to gain traction in the 2016 campaign, planned to join Trump at the event after appearing in an earlier undercard debate.

It’s all the buzz in politics this morning: Tonight’s republican debate without Donald Trump.

Running an unconventional election campaign, Trump has said that he would not attend the Republican presidential debate organised by Fox News and Google alleging that the popular American news channel is playing games with him.

After Trump said he was boycotting the Fox News-sponsored debate because of a feud with anchor Megyn Kelly, rivals accused him of being too afraid to face them on stage.

During an exchange with Cruz, Rubio said the Texas senator was willing to do or say anything in order to be elected. Her tough questioning of him in a previous debate makes her “biased”, Trump claimed. Ted Cruz supporter Loras Schulte called the decision “a diss”.

A website published Thursday to collect the funds is funneling donations to the Donald J. Trump Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Trump Organization.

Cruz will debate Gov. Jeb Bush, U.S. Sen. Candidates faring lower in the polls will debate at 7pm. The standoff poses a challenge for the network, which is popular with conservatives, over how it handles its relationship with the GOP presidential front-runner in real time – especially in his absence.

The row continued yesterday with Mr Trump, who is leading the Republican presidential polls, goading the television network that fewer people would tune in because he was not participating.