The reigning champion, and undisputed winner, from the first Republican debate of presidential hopefuls? Donald Trump. Even in his absence, he was the main spectacle.
That much was predictable. Although many tried to dance around him, every candidate had to address the “elephant not in the room”. That put Trump centre-stage, in the limelight — exactly where the 2024 Republican favourite wanted to be.
Without Trump at a podium, it made critiques of him seem unfair, or land more softly, because he wasn’t there to defend himself. At the same time, Trump’s no-show only made him loom transcendentally larger with the Maga (make America great again) crowd that will determine the party’s nominee.
