If it's Wednesday, where hours away from the second Republican presidential debate,

with seven candidates set to take the stage and make their case in what could be their

last big chance to shake up a race that's being dominated by Donald Trump.

Plus, Senator Menendez and his wife plead not guilty to federal bribery charges in their

first court appearance since last week's damning indictment, as calls for the senator's

resignation grow louder on Capitol Hill.

And no let up on the log jam in Congress.

I'll talk to elected Republicans from both sides of Capitol Hill about their party's perilous

path to avoid a government shutdown now just three days away.

Hello and welcome to Meet the Press Now on Brian Noble's reporting in Washington.

The seven of the Republican presidential hopefuls are getting ready to debate the future

of their party once again, without the frontrunner on stage.

And once again, as that frontrunner is facing legal peril.

This time after a judge ruled late yesterday that Donald Trump committed years of business

fraud, ordering that some of his companies should be removed from his control and dissolved.

But folks, heading into tonight, Republican primary voters have made it abundantly clear

to this field that every candidate on stage tonight is effectively running as a plan

B to Donald Trump, despite his growing legal issues.

Our new national NBC news poll has Trump leading his closest rival by 43 points nationally.

He's almost at 60% support among likely Republican primary voters.

It's the same story in the early state polls.

About half of Republican primary voters are backing Trump in the new CBS U-Gov polls out

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