US election 2016: Republican rivals mock Trump over no-show
Donald Trump has been mocked by his Republican rivals at a televised debate in Iowa, after quitting the event in a row with Fox News.
He decided to withdraw after the broadcaster refused to drop host Megyn Kelly, whom Mr Trump accused of bias.
The debate began with his rival Senator Ted Cruz marking his absence by throwing mock insults at the others.
The billionaire businessman is holding a charity rally nearby, in honour of the country's war veterans.
Voters in Iowa on Monday are due to pick their presidential nominee for each party.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush also poked fun at the billionaire businessman, who often tormented Mr Bush in previous debates.
"I kind of miss Donald Trump; he was a teddy bear to me," he said with smile.
Other debate highlights:
- Florida Senator Marco Rubio was on the defensive over immigration reform
- Texas Senator Ted Cruz said: "I will hunt down Isis [IS] wherever they are and completely destroy them"
- Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said he has had "more 2am phone calls than anyone else here", making life or death decisions
- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he would get government working for people again
- Ohio Governor John Kasich says he would "get everyone together" of all religions to defeat Islamist radicals
- Ex-Florida Governor Jeb Bush says the country's veterans deserve greater respect than they get in Obama's US
In making his decision to skip the main debate in Des Moines, Mr Trump claimed "unfair" treatment from Ms Kelly of Fox News, which is hosting the debate in Iowa's state capital, Des Moines.
The Republican field is a wide one, and a debate undercard featuring four of the lowest-polling candidates was held earlier on Thursday evening.
Analysis - Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter in Iowa
It's like a Mad Max film without Max; Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs. But it now appears Donald Trump will be a no-show for Thursday night's Republican debate.
His absence presents a particular challenge to Ted Cruz. The Texas senator traded barbs with the New Yorker at the last debate, although neither gained the upper hand. Since then, he has been sharpening his attacks and appeared eager to use his polished debate skills to win round two.
Mr Trump's absence denies him that opportunity. Mr Cruz is likely to try to paint his opponent, in absentia, as either a coward afraid of a fight or an intemperate personality given to rash decisions.
Pummelling an empty lectern can grow tedious, however, and Mr Cruz - who is knotted with Mr Trump atop Iowa polls - may draw fire from the rest of the field.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump will take his spotlight to a different venue, where he can employ his unconventional rhetorical skills without challenge.
So far every move Mr Trump has made, no matter how seemingly risky, has ended up with him on top. If he loses Monday's caucuses, however, his debate decision will be heavily criticised - and could dent his reputation as a political savant.
Reuters
In polls, Mr Trump is currently leading the Republican pack in Iowa with 33.2% of the vote (6.5 percentage points above his nearest rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz), and is in the lead nationally with 36.2% (16.8 points over Mr Cruz).
The Iowa caucuses on Monday are seen as the first real test of the election campaign, and the beginning of a series of state-by-state contests to chose delegates for both Republicans and Democrats.
Unlike a primary, which is a traditional election featuring secret ballots on polling day, the caucuses in Iowa is a meeting of registered party voters and activists where they discuss the candidates and then vote.
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