GOP prepares for Trump-less debate

A recent CNN/ORC poll of Republican voters has Trump at 41 percent to 19 percent for Cruz, with more than two-thirds of Republicans saying they believe the billionaire developer will be the party’s presidential candidate. Ted Cruz, Trump’s closest rival and threat here in the Hawkeye State. Contributions collected there were funneled to The Donald J. Trump Foundation, Trump’s nonprofit charitable organization. Plus, he said he raised $6 million for veterans in 24 hours! He earned 7 percent support behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 8 percent.

The senator also says in the ad that Obama is cause for American frustrations.

Trump also tweeted that the debate “will be a total disaster – low ratings with advertisers and advertising rates dropping like a rock”. Rick Santorum and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, graced the stage at the protest event, which aired on CNN, C-SPAN, and MSNBC.

But without the kind of Trump-Cruz war of words that dominated the last Republican debate, other candidates may have a better chance of breaking through at the showdown in Des Moines.

While earlier debates have been instrumental in the rise and fall of several GOP candidates, they have had minimal apparent impact on Trump’s standing.

On Wednesday night’s O’Reilly Factor, host Bill O’Reilly revealed Donald Trump’s love of milkshakes.

A CNN source said the network would likely air parts of the Trump event live and other networks are expected to give it live coverage as well.

“Turnout is basically what separates Trump and Cruz right now”, said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. He saw little need in spending much time talking about Mr. Trump. “They wouldn’t have made a lot of money, they wouldn’t even be here, if it weren’t for the vets and our great military”.

The New York Times reported that Trump said he had considered attending the debate, but concluded it would not be feasible because the event he was hosting that night was at the same time.

“Donald Trump isn’t scared of anything”.

It says that 100 percent of donations will go directly to veterans’ needs.

Thursday’s debate comes four days before the Iowa caucuses kick off the 2016 nominating contest. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen.

Others on the debate stage will have their eye on New Hampshire, where they’re hoping a strong showing in the February 9 primary will jumpstart their White House hopes.

Workers from restaurants including McDonald’s walked off the job for the day Thursday.

Trump’s decision to schedule a rival to event just a few miles from the debate to raise funds for veterans will surely pull focus from the Fox debate as rival cable news networks jump into the gap.

Early Thursday morning, Trump shared a post that attacked Kelly for a photo spread she did with GQ Magazine. Trump has feuded with Kelly since the first debate in August.

He told his supporters that he wanted to be at Fox News’ Republican presidential debate but that he had to stand up for himself because the network has “mistreated” him.