The 2024 presidential race moves into second gear this evening as most of the Republican candidates gather for the first nationally televised debate. But front-runner Donald Trump isn’t expected to show up.
While that decision likely won’t impact Trump’s poll numbers, the debate is an opportunity for the pack to shuffle its order and for voters to learn more about the candidates who are hoping to present themselves as an alternative to the polarizing front-runner. Of particular interest to many voters will be how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis performs under pressure, as well as how Vivek Ramaswamy, who has been seeing a surge in the polls recently, comes across.
