Washington - As the second Republican presidential debate got underway, Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie launched a scathing critique against Former US President Donald Trump for his decision to forego the debate.

In a playful jab at Trump's penchant for assigning nicknames to his political adversaries, Christie bestowed a moniker upon the former business tycoon turned politician. Amidst the intense debate, Christie dubbed Trump "Donald Duck" for evading participation in both presidential debates. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis joined Christie in his criticism, asserting that Trump always seemed to be "missing in action."

Addressing the issue directly, Christie declared, "If you keep doing that, no one up here's gonna call you Donald Trump anymore. You're gonna be Donald Duck." Christie looked into the camera, emphasizing that Trump's absence stemmed from his fear of defending his record. "I want to look at the camera right now. Let me tell you, Donald, I know you're watching. You can't help yourself. I know you're watching. You're not here tonight not because of polls, and not because of your indictments. You're not here tonight because you're afraid of being on the stage and defending your record. You're ducking these things," he added.

Former President Trump is notorious for bestowing nicknames upon his adversaries, such as "Crooked Joe," "Meatball Ron," and "DeSanctimonious." Christie later took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where he posted an image of the iconic Disney character, tagging the former president.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continued his critique against his former ally during the second presidential debate. DeSantis took the opportunity to criticize both Trump and US President Joe Biden for appearing "missing in action." He questioned, "Where's Joe Biden? He's completely missing in action from leadership, and you know who else is missing in action: Donald Trump."

DeSantis made these remarks while discussing the impending government shutdown during the debate. He asserted, "[Trump] should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record, where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt that sets the stage for the inflation that we have."

DeSantis also laid blame on Washington politicians for the shutdown dispute, stating, "People in Washington are shutting down the American dream with their reckless behavior." He added, "They borrowed, they printed, they spent, and now you're paying more for everything." Trump had previously announced his decision to skip the presidential debate earlier that month, citing various poll results.

As Trump remains a central focus, President Biden appears to pay limited attention to the 2024 GOP debate, while Trump's legal team seeks clarification on the implications of a fraud ruling for the former president's business.