Skeptical that he would follow through on his boycott, the other campaigns held practice sessions with and without someone playing Trump.
And Donald doesn't have to suffer the slings and arrows attendant to a debate just before Republicans caucus in Iowa. Perry told reporters in Albia that he came to Iowa to "add to the edge" Cruz already has in the state, where the senator is facing a fiercely competitive battle against billionaire Donald Trump. "Or does it cement the fact that he is someone who beats to his own drum and just kind of dictates the terms of this nomination process?"
"It's not really that Donald is afraid of me", Cruz said at a rally Wednesday night outside of Des Moines. "Heading into Iowa, Sen".
With Fox carrying the debate, other cable channels were likely to show Trump's event, stealing away at least some viewers who would have otherwise watched the contest.
"Back in 2012, Trump tweeted about the "First Wives Club" actress, saying ".@BetteMidler talks about my hair but I'm not allowed to talk about her ugly face or body -- so I won't. "It's time to be adults about this". Trump wanted Kelly removed as a debate moderator, but Fox News refused.
The key issue: Trump opposes Fox anchor Megyn Kelly moderating again, about six months after she confronted the businessman over his comments about women as a moderator in the first GOP debate. Then, Cruz was up 24% to 19% over Trump.
After all, Sabato saw how Trump's decision dominated the Wednesday morning news cycle.
My theory is Trump is concerned that he's running so closely to Cruz, and that a debate between the two would benefit Cruz more than it would benefit Trump.
The Trump personality cult has warped the political scene beyond recognition.
But the absence could also put a giant target on Cruz's back. "But for Cruz, Rubio, the other candidates, there is no audience that is just as large", Strawn said. King said. "It's quite a possibility". You would have made a much better deal.
Another Republican candidate, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, said he wanted to focus on keeping the party united in order to beat Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, if she becomes the Democratic nominee.
Angry over what he considered unfair treatment at the debate, republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told CNN on Friday night that Kelly had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever".
If so, Trump had to weigh the risk of doing combat in a high-profile debate against the risk of negative fallout if he withdrew. The media will be all invited and we'll see how Fox does in its ratings with no Trump on stage.
Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said Wednesday that "Mr. Trump doesn't play games...."
The Trump campaign is hoping voters see Trump's decision as an example of the bold and unforgiving attitude Trump has promised to bring into the Oval Office.
Politics can be tiresome sport, but not so with Donald Trump, who continues to inject it with the addictive faux drama of a reality TV show (Rhys Blakely writes).
"Fox was going to make a fortune off this debate".
"It should be clear to the American public by now that this is rooted in one thing - Megyn Kelly, whom he has viciously attacked since August", Fox said about the GOP frontrunner's decision to skip the debate.
Indianapolis school principal sacrifices own life to save her students
Last May, students and staff even made an 11-minute video tribute thanking her for just being wonderful . Jordan was able to receive these heartfelt messages while she was still with us", user Sonya CH wrote.
