Second Republican Debate Kicks Off Without Frontrunner Donald Trump

Seven presidential hopefuls faced off Wednesday for the second Republican primary debate -- with frontrunner Donald Trump bidding to steal the headlines despite spurning the showdown.

Trump, 77, announced in August he would be skipping the debates, usually a staple of presidential nomination contests, because he has no need to waste time on his distant challengers.

Instead, the populist real estate tycoon, who is battling multiple criminal cases ranging from mishandling state secrets to conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, met auto industry workers in the battleground state of Michigan.