With the absence of Trump, the Fox News debate will include eight candidates: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum; former New Jersey governor Chris Christie; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley; former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson; former Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott; and Vivek Ramaswamy.
The debate is organized by the Republican National Committee which set the conditions for candidates to participate.
With the GOP frontrunner not participating, who isn't on stage in Milwaukee will likely be a topic.
According to Trump, he is not participating because he is the frontrunner and has nothing to gain by joining his competitors on stage.
During an appearance on American Family Radio, former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis suggested a potential third option – a legal one – for Trump not participating.
“His lawyers are advising against it,” she said. “They've been very careful to have what he says in the media, a little bit more careful than what Trump has previously done. And I think that that's smart, frankly."
Citing a poll of GOP voters, Ellis pointed out 73% said Trump should participate.
“So the fact that he isn’t going I think is going to hurt him a little bit but not over the long haul,” she predicted.
Ellis, who hosts an early-morning show on AFR, made her comments on the mid-morning “Today’s Issues” program.
