Like Trump or not, he skipped Iowa because of the plants in the audience, and to let the attackers focus on Cruz, hoping to damage him among fence sitters.
Cruz: "So Donald Trump's position is once you deport them, it's what's called touchback. A lot of establishment Republicans had touchback," Cruz said in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. "Basically you make them fly back to their country for a minute, touch the ground, and then they come back with amnesty as citizens. Now, Donald is entitled to do that. He can advance that position, but he doesn't get to pretend that it's not amnesty if he's legalizing 12 million people [who are] here illegally."
"I would note at that time, right in the middle of the fight, Donald Trump was publicly supporting amnesty. He was supporting Marco Rubio's Dream Act," Cruz said. "He was criticizing Mitt Romney for being too tough on immigration. That's where Donald Trump was in 2013. Now, when he launched his campaign for president, suddenly he discovered illegal immigration was a problem." Source
I personally don’t buy that line, trump is supposed to be the big tough art of the deal stare ‘em down, cause ‘em to quake kind of guy. He was chased off by a 110 pound girl. BY A GIRL. Tough guy not.
Don't kid yourself about why Donald Trump skipped the the debate. He had his reasons. I have no idea what they were. But it looks to the world outside the Trump Universe as a childish act. There is really nothing anyone can do now to affect that view.
I think Cruz handled the "attacks" directed at him brilliantly and was helped by this debate. Would Trump have been as good? I doubt it. We'll never know.
Bottom line: If you are a Trump Fan he made a brilliant move in dodging the Silver Debate Bullet. If you are anyone else he looks like a Cry Baby.
I think we are in for a very rough ride between now and November.
She pressed the issue because she is “ me me me”. Look at how many times Kelly used the word “I” ( I think, I know...). What does “I” have to do with questioning by a moderator? HER opinions carry no weight at a debate, she can do that in HER show...but it is not in the job description of a moderator to express their opinions, only the opinions of the debaters should be on display. (Now she even looks like Rachel Maddow).