In one corner: Donald Trump, the mud-slinging mogul with a complicated hairdo and a flair for the dramatic. In the other: Nine other US Republican presidential hopefuls who wish Trump was not standing among them.
That is the unfolding scenario for the Republicans’ first televised debate in Cleveland on Aug. 6.
Several campaign officials privately said they were counting on Fox News, the host for the debate, to make sure Trump does not dominate the event entirely by answering questions posed to other candidates or interrupting their answers.
Photo: AFP
“All candidates will be treated equally and fairly,” Fox News executive vice president for news Michael Clemente said.
The debate carries an extra air of unpredictability since it is to be the first time the 10 Republican candidates, who are polling the highest in the 16-candidate field, are in the same room together.
Given Trump’s trash-talking ways and eye for the spotlight, his rivals from Jeb Bush to Scott Walker to Ben Carson are strategizing on how best to get their points across and not let the debate degenerate into a carnival-barking sideshow.
With six months to go until Iowa holds the first Republican nominating contest on the road to next year’s November election, several campaigns said they would focus on making a favorable impression on voters, rather than tangling with Trump.
“Treat him like any other candidate,” said Ron Kaufman, who was a senior adviser to 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney and who now supports Bush.
That might prove challenging, given Trump’s headline-grabbing antics in the more than five weeks since he declared his candidacy. The debate could go off the rails if Trump revels in his poll numbers and tries to torment his competitors.
Trump has launched a series of personal attacks on rivals for the Republican nomination. He mocked former Texas governor Rick Perry, saying he wore new glasses so that people would think he was smart; described US Senator Lindsey Graham as an “idiot,” who would not be able to get a job in the private sector; and said former Florida governor Jeb Bush was “terrible.” He even read out Graham’s cell phone number at a campaign rally.
Despite — or because of — his unprecedented actions, Trump remains effectively tied with Bush for the lead with 16 percent of the vote, according to a Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll updated on Thursday.
“Trump or no Trump, we are approaching this sort of like a sporting event: You play your own game,” said Doug Watts, spokesman for candidate Ben Carson, who is currently hovering at about fifth place in many polls.
Another candidate likely to take part, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, will “focus on his record and showing a contrast between him and the other candidates,” Huckabee spokeswoman Alice Stewart said.
Fox News has yet to release the format and ground rules for the two-hour debate. In past years, front-runners held a central position on stage and received a greater share of questions and speaking time.
Fox anchors Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly are to moderate the debate. All three showed a willingness to challenge Republican candidates and impose time limits during debates in the 2012 election campaign.
Fox News declined to make any of the three moderators available for an interview. The Republican National Committee had no say over the format, according to one committee member who spoke on condition of anonymity.
One source said it had been suggested to Fox executives that they require a commitment from each candidate not to run as an independent, as Trump has not ruled out an independent bid. The suggestion did not gain traction.
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