Vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump, eight Republican candidates were gathering Wednesday night in Milwaukee for the first Republican presidential primary debate.
The former president wasn't on stage, choosing to skip the primetime event. But he will be a central figure nonetheless, with Fox News moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum expected to press his rivals to articulate how they would differ in style and substance from Trump, who holds a commanding early lead in the race.