The candidates for the nomination of the Republican party in the presidential election of 2024 face off today in a second debate, again in the absence of the big favorite Donald Trump.

The former president has decided to snub the debates as he believes he has a big lead over his rivals in the polls.

At the time of the debate, Trump will be in Michigan, in an attempt to attract working-class voters, after US President Joe Biden’s participation in an auto industry strike picket yesterday.

On August 23, the day the eight other candidates for the Republican nomination took part in the first debate, Trump chose to be interviewed on Tucker Carlson’s show on Platform X.

Even from a distance, however, the billionaire has demonstrated the power of his influence, with six of his rivals saying he should take over the presidency even if he is convicted in one of the many cases in which he is accused.

Today six men and one woman will be on the set of Fox Business at 18:00 (local time, 04:00 am Greek time) in California. The challenge remains the same: how to exist against a former president who attracts all the media attention with his provocative statements and court adventures?

Fall of DeSandis

First up is Florida Governor Ron DeSandis, who is seen by some conservatives as the alternative to the Republican Party, but whose popularity is declining, according to polls.

DeSandis — who has become known for his shocking views on abortion, LGBTI+ rights or immigration — is more than 40 points behind Trump, according to RealClearPolitics.

The remaining contenders for the Republican nomination — including former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former President Mike Pence — are between 4 and 5 percent.

Four months before the first primaries, Trump, facing charges in four cases, is still defeating every opponent and benefiting from the massive support of Republican voters.

Moreover, most of his opponents for the nomination avoid attacking the former president, as they do not want to alienate his base.

Trump-Biden duel in Michigan

The Republican billionaire has already dedicated himself to his election campaign and has focused attacks on the face of Biden, his opponent in the 2020 election.

The Democratic president, for his part, has also recently begun to accelerate the pace of his election campaign and was in Michigan yesterday to support striking workers at the big three auto manufacturers.

Biden has made winning back working-class voters, who in 2016 surprised Trump over Hillary Clinton, a centerpiece of his campaign.

The Republican former president will deliver a speech tonight in front of a parts factory in Clinton Township, a little more than 40 miles from where the Democrat stood with union leaders yesterday.