Undercard debaters lambaste media coverage of no-show Trump

“I think it’s the message isn’t getting out”, Huckabee said, leading off the conversation.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, meanwhile, was asked whether he felt “New York values were any different than Iowa values” – an assertion Texas Sen. He shared that he’s backed by people like “Thomas, a part-time Uber driver in Pennsylvania who sent me $25 this week”. “And if you can get people in the community across the state fired up about you so that they can go out and talk to their friends and neighbors, go to the caucus and speak on your behalf, you’re going to surprise a lot of people on caucus night”, Santorum says.

The candidates in the early debate are all mired in the single digits in Iowa polls, trailing far behind Mr. Trump and Senator Ted Cruz.

To qualify for the debate, candidates had to have a minimum of 1 percent support in at least one recent national poll. “This debate was called the undercard debate – the undercard debate”.

Santorum, his voice continuing to boom, urged voters to back him over Trump, the Republican front-runner who is boycotting the main event.

Our NPR Politics team – here in Washington, D.C., and in Iowa and New Hampshire – will keep you updated on everything happening tonight, from the debate to Trump’s counterprogramming to the undercard debate. As seven of his rivals stepped onto the debate stage, Trump supporters were gathered less than three miles away at Drake University, where the billionaire businessman was hosting a rival event billed as benefiting veterans.

“Look at Donald Trump’s record and you can find out what his positions are and majority are not conservative”. Instead, seven of his competitors went head-to-head on policy, as they jockeyed to prove their conservatism and preparedness to run the country. Trump has said he will skip tonight’s mainstage debate.

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images The hosts of the Fox News Channel undercard Republican presidential debate take a selfie before the start of the event at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

Gilmore also notes that he’s now the only veteran in the race. Fiorina said the former NY senator has escaped more prosecution than alleged Mexican drug lord “El Chapo”. And Jeb Bush – who has gotten the brunt of Trump’s criticism by calling him “low energy” – jokes that “I kind of miss Donald Trump – he was a little teddy bear to me”.

Fiorina said the people she has seen have not asked her about a “crisis” in the Republican Party, particularly if there’s a conservative vs. electability issue, but asked about the issues such as how to defeat the Islamic State militant group and repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

He says he couldn’t help but address his competition, including former governor ted Cruz.

“My friend Sen. Rubio stood with Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer” and supported amnesty, Cruz said.

Cruz, nevertheless, remains just points behind Trump in Iowa, which some have speculated is the cause for the billionaire’s latest round of outrageous antics.