Brandon Livesay
Live reporter

We've been listening to Donald Trump speak at a non-unionised car part supplier in Michigan, where he's been attacking the policies of President Joe Biden.

Trump is still talking (and we will keep updating with any major news from there), but we will now focus on the second Republican debate which is about to kick off.

Stay with us as we bring you analysis and updates from California.

Natalie Sherman
Reporting from Michigan

Image source, Getty Images

Absent from the debate stage, Donald Trump is in Michigan tonight to woo striking car-workers, just a day after President Joe Biden turned up on the UAW union picket line in the Midwestern state.

He is speaking right now in an early skirmish in the battle for the blue-collar vote ahead of next year's White House election.

The former president is delivering primetime remarks at a non-unionised car parts supplier just outside Detroit as his Republican rivals prepare to take the debate stage.

On Tuesday, Biden's glad-handing of United Auto Workers (UAW) members, also near Motor City, was a first for a sitting US president during a strike in modern times.

Trump is arguing in his remarks that manufacturing workers will be better off under another Trump presidency.

As Biden cautiously endorses the car workers' demands for a 40% pay rise, Trump wrote on his social media platform in an all-capital-letters post to union workers: "I will keep your jobs and make you rich."

You can read more about the UAW strike here.

While Trump is speaking about the auto industry in Michigan, let's take a look at what some of the other candidates have been saying on the campaign trail ahead of tonight’s debate.

Nikki Haley: In an interview with the Ronald Reagan Foundation’s CEO on Wednesday, the former UN ambassador touted her foreign policy credentials, saying: “I negotiated not with one country, but with 193.”

She also praised former Republican President Ronald Reagan, saying: “He was all about freedom. He was all about patriotism, and he was all about restoring that love for America, and that's what we have to go back to."

Mike Pence: Trump’s former VP condemned his old boss for not showing up to tonight’s debate. “I think he ought to be on that debate stage,” he told ABC News.

“He ought to be engaging all of us that are vying for this nomination. He ought to be sharing his vision.”

Tim Scott: The South Carolina Senator has been spending the day with his family, praying and exercising, his campaign says.

Earlier on Wednesday, he posted a Bible passage that reads: “I lean not on my own understanding, but in all my ways acknowledge the Lord, and He shall direct my paths.”

Chris Christie: The former New Jersey Governor poked fun at the mania surrounding Taylor Swift’s latest romance, this time to an NFL star, by quoting one of her most popular songs.

Reposting a viral tweet that shows the former Trump ally turned critic attending a football game this past weekend, he wrote: "I was just a guy in the bleachers on Sunday... but after tonight, Trump will know we are never ever getting back together.”

Natalie Sherman
Reporting from Michigan

If any Republican candidates are still hoping that Donald Trump’s mounting losses in the courts and multiple indictments will weaken his support, they are bound to be disappointed.

“They did the same thing to Jesus too. In fact I’ve never seen anybody so persecuted since the time of Jesus,” said Mark Hanna, 61, one of the Trump supporters attending tonight’s rally in Michigan.

He added that he did not think the losses posed a problem for the general election either: “There’s more than enough people voting for Donald Trump”.

He said he wasn’t worried about missing a debate he sees primarily as a testing ground for the vice-presidency.

“I trust Donald Trump’s judgement when it comes to picking a running mate,” he said, adding: “I think he can do better than Pence.”

The former president is now speaking at a rally in Michigan.

He will not be attending the Republican debate, which begins in 45 minutes across the country in California.

Natalie Sherman
Reporting from Michigan

Over two thousand miles away from where the Republican debate is taking place in southern California, Donald Trump is soon to hold a rally in the town of Clinton, Michigan.

His supporters started arriving hours ago to line up for his speech at an unremarkable area of office and industrial buildings.

Trump's address was deliberately timed to conflict with the debate and pull attention away from his competition.

Many attendees said they were confident that Trump - who has a commanding lead on his rivals in the polls - would be the eventual Republican candidate. Some said they had no qualms about missing tonight’s debate on TV.

“I did record the last one but I never watched it,” said Denise Acciacca, 64.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from Simi Valley, California

While the candidates don’t take the stage for a couple more hours, some protesters have gathered at the end of the driveway to the Reagan Library.

These debates often draw individuals trying to make their voices heard as the nation’s media descends.

A large group of protesters held a green sign that read “Immigrants are welcome here". Some held signs shaped like butterflies that read “no hate in our state".

A few members of the SEIU union also appeared to be among them.

And despite Donald Trump’s absence, about a dozen of his supporters also stood outside the library, waving flags.

From the media shuttle I spotted a “TRUMP 2024: Make America Great Again” poster tied to a traffic sign, with an image of Trump in the style of Shepard Fairey’s famous campaign poster of Barack Obama.

We’re still more than a year away from the election.

Yes, you read that correctly, more than a year.

The next US president will not be decided until November 2024.

But beginning in January, Republicans will get to start voting on who they want to represent their party.

Here’s a look at the key upcoming dates.

Today: Second Republican primary debate

15 January 2024: Iowa caucus - the race officially begins, we start to see what voters think of the candidates

13 February 2024: New Hampshire primary - a big one to win

5 March 2024: Super Tuesday - several states vote - often determines the likely nominee

15 July 2024: First day of the Republican National Convention where states officially decide the nominee

5 November 2024: Election day

You can read more about how the Republican Party chooses a candidate here.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty/Reuters/EPA

Here’s who will be on the stage tonight.

Ron DeSantis - The Florida governor, 44, has made a name for himself for his legislative attacks on“woke” culture - defunding diversity programmes at schools, halting gender and identity education, and banning drag shows around the state.

Vivek Ramaswamy - A 37-year-old Indian-American biotech entrepreneur with no previous political experience who is the dark horse for the nomination.

Nikki Haley - Former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the UN under Trump, the 51-year-old stresses the need for "a new generation" of US leaders.

Mike Pence - Trump’s 64-year-old former vice-president is a born-again evangelical Christian. As Indiana governor he signed bills to restrict abortion and protect religious freedom.

Chris Christie - The former New Jersey governor, 60, was massively popular during his first term, despite being a Republican in the strongly Democratic state.

Tim Scott - The 57-year-old South Carolina senator came to the race with more campaign cash than his rivals. He is only black man to ever serve in both chambers of Congress.

Doug Burgum - The wealthy North Dakota governor, 67, is a former software entrepreneur and is using his own fortune to boost his campaign.

Wednesday's showdown takes place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, about 45 miles (72km) northwest of Los Angeles.

The two-hour event kicks off at 21:00 ET (01:00 GMT).

It is being hosted by the Fox Business Network and the Spanish-language TV channel Univision.

It will also be live-streamed on the Rumble video platform.

Moderating the debate will be Fox anchors Dana Perino and Stuart Varney, as well as Univision's Ilia Calderon.

The inclusion of Univision comes as Hispanic voters have begun to peel away from the Democratic Party in recent years, in states like Arizona and Texas.

Brandon Livesay
Live reporter

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second Republican debate.

Donald Trump once again decided he won’t be involved and instead has chosen to give a speech in Michigan this evening.

The former president holds a commanding lead over his party rivals in the polls, which leaves the seven Republican candidates taking the stage today in a rather awkward position.

To be named as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024, they need to defeat Trump.

However, Trump has not felt the need to share the debate stage with them yet.

A debate is essentially a contest.

But will the winner of this second debate be able to rise high enough in opinion polls to be seen as a true rival to the former president?

We’re eager to see how it plays out.

Stick with us.