Trump was right to skip GOP debate, defenders and critics say

Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner

Two days after the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election cycle, it’s clear that former President Donald Trump was right to skip out on the proceedings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to his supporters and a number of critics.

Some candidates, such as former Vice President Mike Pence, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, put up positive debate performances.

TOP THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE REPUBLICAN DEBATE IN MILWAUKEE

However, no one, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), fully separated themselves from the pack or made a serious case to the Trump faithful to ditch the former president in light of his legal troubles, and even a day after being arrested and booked in Fulton County, Georgia, Trump remains the GOP’s presumptive front-runner.

As of Friday, Trump holds a 41.1-point average lead over DeSantis, according to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate, a lead that has steadily grown amid a steady stream of federal indictments for the former president.