Barring Trump from the debates: It is hard for me to believe that the “GOP elites” could be so stupid as to do that, although they are mostly stupid. The debate would be a giant megaphone for Trump by his absence alone, and his poll numbers would go up at least ten points. And it would make the participants dishonest clowns for even being there.
They’re not called ‘The Stupid Party’ for nothing. They’ll deserve whatever backlash they get if they pull a stunt like this.
Not having Trump there might be the only way they can get their points made without fear anybody will call them on it. Trump would, and we already see they don’t know “How” to respond to him.
Should they succeed in getting him eliminated he’ll just have his own, and with enough fanfare to pull the voters. Imo.
At any rate...he needs to be at the debates.