
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Steer N' Stein bar at the Iowa State Fair on August 12, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Steer N' Stein bar at the Iowa State Fair on August 12, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesFormer president Donald Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary. And with a healthy lead in the polls, he's skipping the first Republican presidential debate on Wednesday.
So how do you prep for a big, televised debate when your biggest opponent decides not to show up?
That's been the question facing the eight Republicans who will be on stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.