Whether you like Donald Trump or not is irrelevant. On Thursday, Donald Trump will appear on a Presidential debate stage with nine other Americans out of more than 300 million people.

The nine candidates who will be on stage with Trump still have not figured out how to deal with Trump. Maybe by Thursday they will. The way to deal with Trump is to speak on the issues that galvanize the Republican base — the dysfunction of Washington and the capitulation of the Washington Republicans.

Trump is triumphant. He is on the stage as a player. If they gang up on him, he wins. If they ignore him, he wins. Trump alone can sabotage Trump on Thursday. He might do that. He might not show a grasp of issues. He might nuance his foot into his mouth.

The simple truth of Thursday is that Trump has the least to lose and is least likely to lose it. The other simple truth is that Trump’s campaign would not even exist if the Republican Party in Washington, D.C. kept its promises and liked the non-monied portion of its base.

You may not like Donald Trump, but Trump is on a debate stage on Thursday and you and I are not.