Republican rivals at debate, while Trump held a separate rally

(Patria) - Donald Trump's rivals for the Republican presidential nomination held a debate, while the former president separately organized a rally for his supporters a few kilometers away.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized Trump for skipping the debate, which was held in their shared state of Florida, and suggested that the party's poor result in next year's elections should be attributed to Trump, Reuters reported.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was slightly milder in her criticism.

"Everyone wants to talk about President Trump. I can tell you that I think he was the right president at the right time," she said.

"I think he is not the right president now," she added.

With the first Republican nominating contests in Iowa just over two months away, Trump's rivals may not have many more chances to erode the lead he holds among Republican voters in public opinion polls, despite his multiple criminal indictments.

For the third time, the frontrunner did not appear at the debate but instead held a rival event nearby. Trump did his best to deny Haley and DeSantis a direct target, instead focusing on what he expects will be a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.

In two previous televised debates, Haley and DeSantis, the most popular Republicans after Trump, were careful not to attack Trump too harshly for fear of alienating his supporters, whose support they will need if they want to win the Republican nomination in July.

The election is almost exactly a year away - November 5, 2024. Trump held a campaign rally a few kilometers away in the city of Hialeah, a predominantly Hispanic city, counting on the votes of that community.