How to watch the Republican debate and Trump’s ‘special event’ tonight

“Let me say I’m a maniac, and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly”, Cruz deadpanned.

Well, all the Republican candidates save for Donald Trump, who skipped the debate for his own high-profile event in Iowa.

The interaction between the two men, who have spent the last week slinging a flurry of political attacks at one another, were among the most highly anticipated dynamics in the debate as they are battling to finish first in Iowa on Monday.

“First of all, don’t worry I’m not leaving the stage no matter what you asked me”, Rubio said.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio is third at eight percent, followed by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at six percent and Florida ex-governor Jeb Bush at five percent.

His absence, after a dust-up with the network over Megyn Kelly’s participation as moderator of the debate, was noted at the outset, but then the candidates moved on with sharp exchanges on topics such as the best way to fight ISIS and what to do about immigration.

Also in Iowa, Donald Trump put on an event he said would honor veterans.

“When you’re treated badly, you have to stick up for your rights”, he said, referring to his row with Fox.

For Paul, it marks a return to the main stage after he was relegated to the undercard at the January 14 debate in SC, which he refused to participate in.

While some of Trump’s Republican challengers have criticized him for not appearing at the debate, not everyone is shying away from the businessman turned politician. “I say, hasn’t it already started?” he mused.

Trump said Fox News Channel apologized to him for the network’s role in the conflict that led the presidential front-runner to back out of the debate, but it was too late for him to change his plans.

The tycoon held a rally at the same time as the debate in Des Moines, which his campaign said was to raise money for military veterans. “But, though many voters in Iowa will have been unimpressed by his no-show, skipping the debate probably gives Donald Trump even more media coverage than he might otherwise have expected”, Tame said.

In the end, who do you think won Thursday’s Republican debate? At one point, Trump named some of the biggest donors, including billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who contributed $500,000.