This guy has not only divided our party, he has divided families all over this country. No trump, no problem. Some of his republican rivals took shots at him anyway. Plus, we are starting date, really the night if you are out in california, good day to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, i am kasie hunt. And it is thursday, september 28, 5 00 a. M. In the east, 2 00 a. M. Out in simi valley, california. Of course out there still in the middle of the night after the second republican president ial debate whereas we all know, the elephant was not in the room. Donald trump opting out once again, although didnt prevent some of his rivals from attacking the frontrunner by name this time. Donald trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record. This is where President Trump went wrong. He focused on trade with china, he didnt focus on the fact that they were buying up our farm land. You are afraid of being on the stage and defending your record. You are ducking these things. You keep doing that, no one will call you donald trump, well call you donald duck. Thought a lot about that one. At that moment trump was firing back from a distance. Specifically from detroit. He mocked his rivals in a speech to Union Workers who were assembled at a nonunion auto parts company. They want to be in the they all want anything. Secretary of something. They even say v. P. Anybody see any viceany v. P. In group . I dont think so. And of course well hear from President Biden a few hours from now in arizona, he is delivering a speech in honor of the late John Macccain and focus of thats sustaining democracy. But so much ground to cover. Lets bring in alice stewart, republican strategist. And also margaret talip. And also Shelby Talicot who is out in california where she was in the spin room covering the debate throughout the night. And first of all, thank all of you. It has been a late night for all of us. There is probably some folks watching who never actually went to sleep. And shelby, let me start with you. Because it is the middle of the night out there. And i want you to kind of give us a sense of what the takeaways were once the candidates got off the stage. You started hearing from their surrogates in the spin room about how the night went. I think we saw some interesting dynamics playing out on the stage with Vivek Ramaswamy who really came into a little bit of a pileon. So im interested kind of in the nitty gritty of that and also the big picture. How did these folks feel about the fact that there was no donald trump on the stage and still so far behind him in polls, whether or not any of that actually matters at the end of the day . Good morning, im one of those people who has not gone to bed yet. Obviously the spin room is designed for the campaigns to pitch why their candidate won. And so we heard a lot of that tonight in the spin room after the debate. One of the big things was from Team Desantis who doubled down on his candidates push against donald trump. They said donald trump should be here, he should be defending his positions and this is exactly what ron desantis needs to do to win. We heard from the Vivek Ramaswamy team who said that they knew that they were going to get hits just like the first debate. We did see a little bit on the debate stage from vivek. He kind of pulled back from his first debate in terms of going after other candidates. And so it was a really interesting dynamic. But the overarching theme afterwards was essentially all of these campaigns who are vying for a very far second place against trump trying to convince the media and the public why they still have a chance in this primary. So i want to show everyone who is kind of emerging as one of the top moments and this is Nickly Kki Haley Taking on Vive Ramaswamy Over China and children on social media. Take a look. Honestly, every time i hear you, i feel a little dumber for what you say. Because i cant believe that if i may the tiktok situation, what they are doing is 150 Million People are on tiktok. That means that they can get your contacts, your financial information, they can get your emails, they can get let me just say they can get your text messages. And what we see is youve gone and youve now you will excuse me. Excuse me. Know want kids to go on social media that is dangerous for all of us. You are in business with the chinese. We cant trust you. Margaret, quite a moment there from nikki haley. She wasnt there for a lot of the beginning of the debate. But, man, she came out swinging at him. She found her moments. He really is sort of the perfect foil for her and she used these moments not just to bat him down but to be able to call out really her policy views on china and some of these other things. I couldnt help but think i wondered if donald trump had been on that stage whether she could have handled him that way or whether it only works with Vivek Ramaswamy. But i think she walked out of the night with a lot of breakthrough moments like that. The fact that Donald TrumpsCampaign Put Out A Release attacking nikki haleys record ten minutes before the end of the debate tells us that they were sort of watching her as the person who has been advancing also. Yeah, im really glad you mentioned that. It stuck out to me too. Alice, to that Point Margaret was making sorry, alice, to margarets point, nikki haley taking on potentially donald trump. Still an open question whether well see donald trump on any of the future debate stages but we know how trump has treated women on stage in the past. He wasnt there, but what do you make of haleys performance and the rise from trumps team . I pity the fool who tries to take on nikki haley and thinks that she will just cower. Because shes proven herself in a way where shes gone after the fellow candidates on policy. But done so in a way that brings about a takeaway line. And she did so during the last debate, first debate, where she basically schooled Vivek Ramaswamy on miss forhis foreig. And this time again on his support and using of tiktok and using that i feel dumber line. That is what people will be talking about. And that is how you go about making a good policy contrast with these candidates. But you have to do so in a very practiced and rehearsed way so you do have the takeaway line. And she has been able to not just attack vivek, but also able to lob some attacks on donald tr trump. And so that is why it got under Donald Trumps skin. It is very interesting. And honestly, it comes across i think from her as more authentic than we obviously heard Chris Christie call him donald duck. Im not sure ive used candidates use nicknames as effective as donald trump does. But what did you make out of any other stand out moments and what will we be talking about a couple weeks from now . Right now key Takkey Takeawa Alice quoting mr. T. But i go back to 2004. I used that same canned line, donald duck, against an opponent who wouldnt debate. You have those moments where you try to use them. But despite some applause in the audience, the republican primary voters dont really care that donald trump wasnt there. And so everything that we saw last night, some going after him, but on some policy, but we didnt see republicans saying that you know what, maybe we shouldnt support somebody who calls for assassinating our own generals, maybe we shouldnt support somebody whose Business Record is declared an entire fwr fraud. So they are not really doing anything to launch solid hits on donald trump regardless of whether or not we saw real life from tim scott or nikki haley had some strong moments. She sure did. But we use this in politics quite often of Rerngi Aarrangin deck chairs on the titanic. And i think last night it was rearranging the deck chairs on a ship not leaving harbor. And well talk about what donald trump had to say in the next break, but im glad that you raise that because we can talk about what was said, but what wasnt said, no attacks on donald trump for being indicted, no focus on his record, although things you lay out extremely important points. Everybody stick with us. When we come back, well continue to break down all the action from last night with our panel. And coming up, well talk about this john endorsed trump and you can take a two month vacation, come back, and you guys will be better than you ever were. Donald trump propping a perk if he gets the uaw endorsement. And also democratic colleagues call for menendezs resignation. Like ron desanctimonious. He tried to destroy social security. Now hes pack pedaling. Were competing with the job candidates. They are all running for a job. They are all job candidates. They want to secretary of something. They even say vp. I dont know. Does anybody see any vp in the gro group . I dont think so. Donald trump taking shots at his rivals last night. The former president did skip the debate to hold a Campaign Rally in front of striking autoworkers in michigan. We should point out it was held at a nonunion facility. Lets bring the panel back. Doug, back to what trump said, anyone seem like a v. P. . I dont think so. And that dismissive attitude has invade the campaign. He is certainly running a general election campaign. He always punches down at anybody that he can. But ultimately i think that donald trump raises a point here, if you look at these candidates last night, why are they running . Are they running to beat candidate or running for Something Else . With vivek, well see book sales or a tv show on newsmax or Something Like this. With the other candidates we could see a Secretary Of State or something. And here is why that is important. If these candidates are running against donald trump, it appears that they are running against him in theory than in practice. Donald trump is 30 points ahead in the polls and including a lot of the state polls. The nomination goes through du and not around him. Kasie, you are a star wars fan. We learned darth vader had to be confronted by Luke Skywalker. Luke couldnt sit back and hope that the force would take care of things for him. And that is what weve seen from most of these candidates. Even as they i think nch a litt after donald trump, they still dont go after him especially on the indictments that they would against any other candidate. They treat donald trump differently and reinforce his messaging constantly. And alice, it does seem like all these candidates are afraid like Luke Skywalker did of losing a hand, right . But he got a new hand and a better hand. He did. But alice, i get they seem unwilling to say the obvious about the flaws of donald trump. But the reality is that that is more likely than not to leave your Republican Party with a deeply flawed general election nominee who lost to joe biden in 2020. That is the calculated strategy here. It is not so much as they dont want to piss off donald trump, they dont want to piss off his base. And they understand if they are going to broaden the electorate and bring on win in this primary, they have to make the case against donald trump and show the voters why they are a better general election candidate. But the only way is by getting some of the disaffected trump voters on their side without them feeling as though they are attacking their guy and attacking donald trump. And that is specifically why we didnt hear any of them talk about the indictments against donald trump because that would also further the narrative that he is putting out there that he is the victim of the weaponization of doj. And that is one issue that they did not want to attack him on. They were fine with what he did with the debt and abortion and what he is doing with the debate stage, but they would not go after him on these indictments. And we also didnt hear that donald trump cant win, which we heard at some point in the first debate a couple of times. They cant make that argument anymore because trump is neck and neck with the polls. So it makes it harder for them to make their Core Argument that only they can beat donald trump, donald trump is unelectable. Didnt hear that once last night. Part of that is because the Debate Moderators didnt ask about it. I mean, it was like 10 or 15 minutes before the end of the debate when kind of the trump question you would have wanted to hear happened but not really. And i just think that the debate was just a train wreck of people yelling at each other and the moderators didnt have any control of the questions and the format moved so fast that one person got halfway through a question and they switched topics. That it just completely validated trumps strategy of having a Counter Programming event. He managed like trump and biden were the big winners from last night. So i just want to say that when you have a tight headon shot of donald trump at a rally at a nonunion plant talking about unions for trump, just because someone is holding a sign that says union worker for trump doesnt mean that they are in the union. It didnt mean that they are in the uaw. And the whole thing was just like this perfectly orchestrated show that allowed him to ride almost completely above the fray of all the people who were supposedly trying to nudge him out of the way to become the nominee. And staying away benefited him completely last night. And im not sure it helped anyone who was in the room. And much different Counter Programming than the first debate where he sat down with Tucker Carlson and talking to people in his own party already. This was a play to talk to people that he will need if he wants to get reelected. All right. Well have much more ahead with the panel. Thank you for continuing to stay. Just ahead, donald trump attempting to oust the judge from his 2020 Election Interference Case. Well tell you what happened there. Quick hits across america now. There were other things happening besides the debate. The judge overseeing Donald TrumpsElection Interference Case here in washington refused a bid to recuse herself. Trump lawyers said that judge chutkan made comments referencing their client during sentencing. And a private who crossed in on north korea is back in the u. S. After pyongyang expelled him. Officials say that travis king landed at Joint Base San Antonio earlier this morning and was taken to an army medical center. And House Republicans will hold an Impeachment Inquiry hearing this morning into President Biden. They say that they plan to review constitutional and legal questions at 10 00 a. M. And that they could subpoena the president s son and brother later this week. Lets go now to weather. Record Heat Hit Parts of the country over the next few days. And lets go to derrickek van d. What have we got . You know what it is, i think it is because i ordered my first Pumpkin Spiced latte yesterday. That is the problem. I jinxed it. I cant do pumpkin spice. But yes, you absolutely jinxed it. This is like nature trying to come back and say hey, look, you think that you can predict the weather, but this is a problem. Well bring you back that warmth that you dont like so much. Well, that is the case. Right . Like that is not just here in atlanta the deep south, you will warm up. But so is the east coast. And for next week. Lets check it out. Middle parts of the country, that is where were focusing today. Were talking temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above average for this time of year. All being driven by a warm front lifting north. By the way, stronger thunderstorms possible once again today across kentucky and in to the Tennessee River valley. Here is a look at those temperatures. Well see the average highs reach the 80 degree mark as far authorities at u. S. And canadian border. Look at friday and saturday for minneapolis. And then even further south temperatures in the middle 90s. We should be about 75 for omaha. So were running again 15 to 20 degrees above average for this time of year. But check out where the heat goes to the east coast, the great lakes for next week, which by the way happens to be this weathermans birthday. But chicago, lower 80s by the weekend. And look at this, tuesday 83. So the general theme here is that summer, late summer, not quite done yet. And i think that lot of people will enjoy it while it lasts because we know the cold weather is coming. Im a fall girl myself. But hey, happy early birthday. Does that make you a virgo libra. Derek, thank you. And just ahead here, republican contenders for president hammer each other and a lot of chaos on that debate stage. Well break it down. Plus former u. S. Ambassadors Savage Burn AgainstVivek Ramaswamy. Ness wholy, every time i hear you, i feel a little bit dumber. It is infuriating because tiktok is one of the most dangerous Social Media Apps that we could have. Every time i hear you i feel a little dumber. He always talks about what happens on day one. You better watch out because what happens on day two is when you are if trouble. Day two in florida you banned fracking. Ten cents on the gallon in South Carolina as the u. N. Ambassador, you liter