All eyes are on Donald Trump as the Republican White House hopefuls prepare to do battle in the first debate of the 2024 race on Wednesday — with the main attraction threatening not to show up.
Five months ahead of the start of primary elections to choose the party's flagbearer, the runaway front-runner's grassroots support is as strong as ever, but numerous criminal cases have cast a pall over his comeback bid.
The 77-year-old former president, who is rarely out of the headlines, has been vocal about possibly skipping the event in the Midwestern city of Milwaukee, wary of sharing the limelight with lower-polling rivals.