Several of Donald Trump’s rivals stepped up their attacks against him in Wednesday’s second Republican presidential debate, urgently trying to dent the former president's commanding primary lead during an event that often seemed like an undercard without him.
Mr. Trump went to Michigan, aiming to capitalise on the autoworkers’ strike in a key State that could help decide the general election. His competitors, meanwhile, were asked by Fox Business moderators at the Ronald Reagan library in California to participate in a reality show-style game where they would write who else onstage they would “vote off the island.” They refused.
The debate’s tone was far removed from a campaign that’s been driven by Mr. Trump’s attacks on his rivals and democratic institutions as well as his grievances about a litany of criminal indictments and civil cases targeting him and his businesses. The moderators did not ask about the indictments or why the people onstage were better qualified than Mr. Trump, instead posing questions about issues including education, economic policy and the U.S.-Mexico border.
