Trump seeks to steal attention from GOP debate
by Jared Gans and Julia Mueller - 09/24/23 6:00 AM ET
Former President Trump, the front-runner of the Republican presidential race, is skipping the party’s second presidential debate this week, again leaving the rest of the field competing with him despite his absence from the debate stage.
While the GOP candidates on stage will only have a handful of minutes to share their message and stand out, Trump’s meeting with striking autoworkers grants him undivided attention at the center of a pressing, national issue.
Although Trump’s appearance in the Great Lakes State may not pull too many eyeballs from the debate stage in Simi Valley, Calif., the split screen between the two events will likely highlight the complicated Republican race — the leader of the field is skipping the party staple event in a drive to the general election, while the other competitors vie for what many see as a contest for second place.
“The next morning, when we turn on the ‘Today Show,’ or any of the networks and watch the morning programming, these are going to be the two stories. The only way to gauge a win between the two is who gets the first headline,” said Michigan-based GOP strategist Jason Cabel Roe of the two Wednesday events.
Trump is set to deliver prime-time remarks in Detroit, an auto industry hub, amid a major strike from the United Automobile Workers (UAW) — the same day qualified presidential hopefuls take the debate stage.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4219149-trump-seeks-to-steal-attention-from-gop-debate/
