Following a chaotic second GOP debate, former President Trump dismissed his attackers while Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) challenged him to a showdown and former Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) referred to him as “Donald Duck.”

Trump, who skipped the first debate, opted to attend an auto workers gathering rather than participate in the second debate, claiming that it was “much more important” for him to work to “save” autoworkers Wednesday night than to appear at the debate due to his massive lead in the primary polls.

The former president did give an interview to Fox News Digital clapping back at his GOP opponents in an exclusive interview on Wednesday night following a speech to autoworkers.

(Video Credit: MLive)

“I thought it was much more important, considering I have a 56-point lead, for me to be dealing with the UAW and the fact that the Biden Administration is going to destroy their jobs over the next two years by going all-electric vehicle,” Trump asserted.

He gave a rousing speech to a crowd of autoworkers in Clinton Township, Michigan Wednesday night, telling them that if he is elected, the future of the automobile will be “Made in America.”

“The crowd was incredible — unreal,” he told Fox News. “I think we have great support to save the autoworker.”

Heading to Michigan now.

I LOVE, & WILL SAVE, THE AUTOWORKERS.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!pic.twitter.com/XmTsXcoaQQ

(Donald Trump Truth Social Post 03:57 PM EST 9/27/23)

— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 27, 2023

Trump was roundly attacked during the debate by Christie, who seems obsessed with smearing the former president.

“Donald, I know you’re watching. You can’t help yourself,” Christie stated. “You’re ducking these things. And let me tell you what’s going to happen. You keep doing that, no one here’s going to call you Donald Trump anymore.”

“We’re going to call you Donald Duck,” he said.

(Video Credit: Fox Business)

Trump told Fox News that he didn’t watch the debate, but knocked Christie for the feeble attack.

“Anybody that would come up with that nickname shouldn’t be running for president,” he said.

Hey Donald Duck.

We could have talked about this if you had the guts to show up.

Keep duckin. pic.twitter.com/dF3eTAaQaE

— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) September 28, 2023

In response to Christie’s trite nickname,” X exploded with the new trend of calling the rotund former governor “Porky Pig.”

Christie called Trump “Donald Duck.” If Trump calls Christie “Porky Pig,” it’s over.#GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/Bw625SftEf

— (@GiftsUngiven_) September 28, 2023

Donald duck is ok as a nickname for trump, but Porky Pig for Christie is hilarious. #Trump2024

— Mike (@Mike198537) September 28, 2023

If Trump is Donald Duck, Christie is Porky Pig

— Laurie (@LaurieRndr) September 28, 2023

Chris Christie calls Trump “Donald Duck” and “Porky Pig” starts trending instead.

— The Bad Luck Boys (@TheBadLuckBoys) September 28, 2023

DeSantis sat down with Fox News host Sean Hannity after the debate and challenged Trump to a one-on-one face-off.

The Florida governor is already prepping to take on California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in a personalized debate. He’d like to do the same with Trump.

“You know what, maybe we can say since the former president didn’t come here maybe he’d be willing to do one with you and I,” DeSantis told Hannity.

“I think he owes it to our voters to come and make the case,” he contended.

Let’s do it.

Donald Trump owes it to our voters to come and make the case. pic.twitter.com/I4aiwDY805

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) September 28, 2023

DeSantis made similar comments during the debate, calling on Trump to defend his record. He called Trump, “missing in action.”

“Where’s Joe Biden, he’s completely missing in action from leadership,” DeSantis proclaimed during the debate.

“And you know who else is missing in action?” he asked. “Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on the stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record. They added. 7.8 trillion to the debt that set the stage for the inflation we have now.”

(Video Credit: Fox News)

Trump isn’t biting on that one and said that Republicans should just cancel the rest of the debates, asserting that he’s so far ahead the nomination is already his according to the Daily Mail.

At a campaign stop in Summerville, South Carolina, on Monday, Trump called the GOP debates “stupid.”

“Basically, it’s a job interview. You look at the debates, it’s a job interview, and so far, I’m not too interested,” he said at a campaign field office.

“Tonight’s GOP debate was as boring and inconsequential as the first debate, and nothing that was said will change the dynamics of the primary contest being dominated by President Trump,” the former president’s 2024 senior adviser Chris LaCivita wrote in a statement concerning the debate.

Good morning!

The latest ABC/Washington Post Poll has Trump beating Biden by 10% and they are desperately scrambling trying to call it an “outlier.”

It’s not an outlier. The elitist Left and their stenographers in the mainstream media should talk to more voters across America.… pic.twitter.com/sH13O3M82C

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) September 24, 2023

“The RNC should immediately put an end to any further primary debates so we can train our fire on Crooked Joe Biden and quit wasting time and money that could be going to evicting Biden from the White House,” he urged.

The most recent Fox News poll shows that 60% of Republican primary voters support Trump for the GOP nomination. That number has jumped from 53% in August.

Not only is Trump leading the GOP field of contenders by 42.2 points according to Real Clear Politics, but he’s also leading President Biden by 10 points in a head-to-head general election survey among voters.

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