Some time on Thursday, Donald Trump’s police mugshot will hit the internet and probably go viral. At that point, what little Republicans might recall from the party’s presidential debate on Wednesday night is likely to be erased.

Trump was the ghost at the banquet, refusing to appear on stage with what he called “l(fā)osers”. Since he is polling more than the other candidates combined, their job was to take him down or make him less relevant. They made no inroads in either task.

To be fair to the rest, including the ever-shrinking candidacy of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, they face an almost impossible dilemma. It is hard enough to differentiate yourself from Trump without alienating his base, a large chunk of which they need to win over. It turns out to be even harder when he is not there.