Low polling candidates attack Trump in ‘happy hour’ debate

While Trump was characteristically bombastic, most of the contenders standing alongside him clamored for their piece of the spotlight without engaging him directly.

That decision has already prompted complaints from candidates trying to challenge front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination.

To Trump’s right on the stage will be Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, whose victories over unions in his home state created his national profile.

According to one of Mr. Trump’s senior advisors, the billionaire didn’t even rehearse for the occasion.

“The reason America is a great country, the reason is because our compassion is in our laws”, the former Pennsylvania senator said in response to a question asking whether or not he would separate immigrant families through deportation. If they want Trump out of the game they should probably give him lots of time.

“Part of it is also the Donald Trump show because he’s been the big X factor in this entire campaign”.

“I’m fluent in Clinton speak – I’ve been dealing with this crowd for 20 years”, Graham said.

Trump’s blunt style was in line with the approach he’s taken to his campaign throughout the summer, appealing to voters frustrated with career politicians and perplexing his rivals.

Standing to Trump’s left on the debate stage will be former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a favorite of the wealthy donors and business leaders that populate the establishment wing of the Republican Party.

A solid 11 minutes went by during Fox News’ 5 p.m. debate with the lowest-polling Republican presidential candidates before the moderators brought up “the elephant that is not the room”: Donald Trump. They didn’t make the main debate. John Kasich.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that Trump, who will command center stage at the first Republican presidential debate on Thursday, is going to wind up the party’s nominee a year from now.

Is it because voters agree with pundits that assume she’s running for vice president or a cabinet post in the next Republican administration?

After the initial attacks on Trump, the businessman faded into the background as candidates talked about immigration, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the recent controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood.

Follow along on Twitter below and join the debate using #GOPDebate! Rand Paul, Florida Sen. He said he wanted to collect more information from terrorists, not law-abiding Americans.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama is interested in the arguments that will be made and will be following the news coverage of the debate. His personal story about his parents dying and having to support his younger sister is inspiring but the way he told it, it was just sad. Marco Rubio came out about as well as anyone else. “Right now, this election is about immigration”, said Vincent DeVito, a Republican election lawyer and strategist who worked for Romney in 2012.

Lindsey Graham: Tell me how you would degrade and destroy ISIL without American ground forces?