Donald Trump just did something ridiculous: Before the Republican debate even happened on Wednesday night, Trump declared himself the winner of it.

Despite the fact that he wasn't going to attend.

Do you know what the craziest thing about it is?

Trump might be right.

Even Fox News' own staff said that this debate felt like a bit of an undercard without the clear leader of the Republican primary polls being there.

That proves just how important Trump really is to the Republican party and to this country right now.

"President Trump has already won this evening’s debate because everything is going to be about him," Trump's senior advisor said before the debate on Wednesday night."

Trump had nothing to gain, everything to lose.

While much of America would have liked to see Trump go through the same rigors as the rest of the candidates, it seems like much of Trump's base is agreeing that there really was very little reason for Trump to show up at the debates.

Why should he stand around and be a target for people who are polling 1/50th as successfully as Trump?

Chris Christie is pretty much basing his entire campaign around the fact that he is an anti-Trump Republican.

Without Trump there, Christie failed to make a major impact on stage.

If Trump HAD shown up, then Christie would have had a lot more material to work with.

By not being there, Trump avoided a lot of heat.

Trump actually turned himself into the victim, as anyone in the debate who spoke negatively about him looked like an unattractive sourpuss.

"Only President Trump has the policy ideas, the fortitude, and the polling to go head-to-head with Crooked Joe Biden in the general election. Republican voters recognize this, hence President Trump’s 62-16 lead in the GOP primary," Trump's senior advisor continued. "Tonight’s Republican undercard event really shouldn’t even be called a debate, but rather an audition to be a part of President Trump’s team in his second term."

"You should also expect the Fox hosts to show an unnatural obsession with President Trump tonight, asking other Republican candidates over and over to react to President Trump’s policy positions. In fact, we will be tallying the number of times President Trump’s name is brought up, and his total ‘speaking time,’ even though he is not in attendance," Trump's senior advisor concluded. "When the other candidates do get a chance to speak, they will be a faint echo, or maybe even a copycat, of President Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda. That’s because President Trump’s first four years in office were the most consequential — and led to the best economy — in American history."