While all eyes will be on a debate stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night as the first Republican primary debate officially kicks off the 2024 presidential campaign season, the elephant not in the room will be former President Donald Trump. 

This doesn't mean Trump won't be visible on Wednesday night.

After vowing not to "do the debates," Trump announced on Sunday that a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson will instead run on Wednesday night, as counter-programming to the debate itself. 

In perhaps another counter-programming effort, Trump PAC MAGA Inc. on Tuesday dropped a 30-second campaign ad attacking Joe Biden and the Biden Border Crisis, which delivers the message, in no uncertain terms, that only Donald Trump can secure the border, stop the Mexican drug cartels in their tracks, and put an end to the deadly fentanyl flowing across the border.

The narrator kicks off the ad:

The reason Donald Trump is dominating the race? What he did for us, and what he'll do for us. He secured our border.

Sent 5,000 troops to stop drugs and criminals.

But, Joe Biden's screwed it up.

Drugs are flowing into our neighborhoods. Killing kids.

President Trump will secure our border, again.

Plans to declare war on the cartels. And destroy them – like he did ISIS.

President Trump will keep us safe.

Damn good ad, don't you think? 

The Bottom Line

As I suggested at the top, while Donald Trump won't be on the debate stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, chances are he'll be the most discussed Republican presidential candidate of the evening. 

Trump will be omnipresent, from the Tucker Carlson media talking heads to keyboard jockeys everywhere, and even in a new 30-second ad that's sure to get attention as well, including from Trump himself.