When debate moderators asked the 2024 GOP candidates about the impending government shutdown, some – including Trump’s closest opponent DeSantis – pivoted to blame the former president and current President Biden for the logjam.

Both men also called out Trump for his absence on stage, noting that he should be answering for himself as the shutdown looms.

"People in Washington are shutting down the American dream with their reckless behavior,” DeSantis said.

“And you know who else is missing an action? Donald Trump is missing an action. He 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 set the stage for the inflation that we have.”

Chris Christie – one of Trump’s staunchest critics – also admonished the former president.

“If the government shuts down, should voters blame populace Republicans? Very simply everybody who's in Washington, D.C.,” said Christie.

“And let's be honest about this with the voters. You know, during the Trump administration, they added $7 trillion — $7 trillion in national debt. And now the Biden administration has put another 5 trillion on and counting.”

“Donald Trump– he hides behind the walls of his golf clubs, and won't show up here to answer questions like all the rest of us are up here. He puts 7 trillion on the debt. He should be in this room to answer those questions for the people you talk about who are suffering,” Christie said.

–ABC News’ Isabella Murray

Scott, one of many candidates jockeying with Ramaswamy for third place nationally, pointedly asks Ramaswamy about his business dealings in China. This follows the first debate when both Pence and Christie attacked Ramaswamy too. It doesn’t seem like the other candidates like him very much …

—Analysis from Nathaniel Rakich of 538

DeSantis is trying a bit there to be the adult in the room, which was effective for him last debate when he derailed a question about climate change, but isn't as effective this time around.

-Jacob Rubashkin, 538 Contributor

Ramaswamy brings up one of his key stump speech issues, ending "birthright" citizenship for people who are born on American soil. It's one of the ideas Trump championed in his campaign and earlier presidency — a bit of showing his hand here as he tacks to be the default Trump replacement in the case that he ends up dropping out of the race.

— Analysis by G. Elliott Morris of 538

The candidates who are not on the debate stage tonight are still trying to make their case to voters, but face the challenge of being out of the almost-literal spotlight tonight. Some are also starting to be more candid about their prospects.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is pitching himself as a moderate conservative alternative to Trump, is in the difficult position of having been onstage at last month’s debate – and then not qualifying for tonight’s event.

Instead of trekking to California, Hutchinson spoke in Detroit this morning, not far from where Trump, who’s off the debate stage by choice, is holding a rally tonight. "I'm here, in Detroit, because I want to debate. Donald Trump is here in Detroit tonight because he wants to avoid a debate,” Hutchinson said at the presser.

Media attention is largely focused elsewhere today; only four cameras were at Hutchinson's event, according to ABC News campaign reporters Libby Cathey and Fritz Farrow.
Hutchinson wrote earlier this week that he is going to try to “increase my polling numbers to 4% in an early state before Thanksgiving,” setting a self-imposed benchmark for himself without directly saying whether he would withdraw or not if he doesn’t make it there.

He’s not the only one having a moment of campaign contemplation. Fellow offstage candidate and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd wrote today that he’ll continue campaigning, with a focus on New Hampshire, but that “our campaign is at an inflection point.” And last month, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez suspended his campaign about a week after the first debate aired. We’ll have to see if others follow in his footsteps after the dust settles from tonight, but it looks like Hutchinson and Hurd plan on staying in the game for now.

—Oren Oppenheim of ABC News