With a sizeable lead in the Republican presidential nomination race, Donald Trump is no way in danger of not featuring in the first GOP Debate of the electoral cycle. Donald Trump has hogged the headlines since his announcement due to his outlandish statements and attacks on senior politicians. However, Trump has promised that he will be “very nice and highly respectful.”

I look forward to the debate on Thursday night & it is certainly my intention to be very nice & highly respectful of the other candidates. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2015

With the crowded Republican field, many senior politicians such as Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, and Lindsay Graham are still jockeying to be included in the big GOP debate. Donald Trump, however, was in Scotland earlier this week, attending the Women’s British Open that is currently being hosted at his Turnberry resort.

Unusual for Trump, this has been a quiet week for the 69-year-old. There has not been any sporadic outbursts like we’ve witnessed in the past few weeks. In fact, Donald Trump has been on the defensive, as he’s had to dodge allegations of marital rape and claims of misogyny in the workplace.

The GOP debate will be the first time the wide public will hear first hand of how Republican candidates will handle critical issues such as the economy and foreign policy. Politicians such as Jeb Bush and Scott Walker will be seen as the more likely to handle the debate well, while others, such as Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz, are also outside favorites, given their alternative views.

That being said, others, such as Jeb Bush, will be avoiding any chance of getting into a slug-fest with Donald Trump. According to Politico, “Bush has not tussled as frequently or as intensely with Trump as other GOP candidates have, and several insiders advised that the longer the focus is on Trump’s battles with the others, the better it is for Bush to quietly consolidate support while others struggle to break through.”

Donald Trump, however, has benefited from his widely broadcasted name and his demagoguing throughout his campaign. Now, Trump will be face to face with politicians that are more adept in running a governing body. Once on the stage at the GOP debate, he can no longer rely on just name calling.

[Photo by Scott Olson / Getty Images]