As Republicans debate, Biden campaign, Trump, RFK Jr to target voters offstage

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivers his political soapbox speech at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Scott Morgan/File Photo

(Reuters) -As U.S. Republican presidential hopefuls converge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for their first debate Wednesday evening, an unusual amount of political action will take place offstage.

Former President Donald Trump, leading significantly in the early polls, is skipping the debate and doing an interview with former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson instead.