NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — They have been holding mock debates, hunkering down with advisers and finessing policy answers. But the most pressing concern for many Republican presidential contenders as they prepare for the first debate of the 2016 primary season is one man: Donald Trump.
The billionaire businessman has dominated the 2016 Republican race in recent weeks, and he threatens to do the same when the top 10 Republican candidates — as determined by national polls — face each other for the first time on national television. It’s a high-risk, high-reward event for candidates eager to stand out in a packed field in which Trump is playing the ultimate wildcard.