ATLANTA — Republican presidential candidates are getting a second chance to make a good first impression with conservative activists after their inaugural televised debates had unheard of millions tuning in to see how they would play off each other.

Unlike the Fox News debates that divided the 17-candidate field into two groups on crowded stages, the RedState Gathering in Atlanta offered several of those seeking the Republican nomination a half-hour all to themselves. On Saturday, the lineup includes former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Businessman Donald Trump had been on the program, but late Friday RedState’s Erick Erickson said he was withdrawing his invitation because of a comment Trump made earlier that evening about Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly.

Referring to Kelly’s questions during the debate, Trump told CNN, “There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.” In a statement on his RedState website, Erickson said: “I just don’t want someone on stage who gets a hostile question from a lady and his first inclination is to imply it was hormonal.”

Trump’s campaign responded: “This is just another example of weakness through being politically correct. For all of the people who were looking forward to Mr. Trump coming, we will miss you. Blame Erick Erickson, your weak and pathetic leader.”

Trump was leading in the polls going into the prime-time debate Thursday night and drew most of the attention before, during and after a program that drew a record 24 million viewers. Carly Fiorina, the former tech industry executive, came out of the late afternoon debate, watched by 6 million, with renewed interest in her campaign.

“Well, I don’t know. I think we kind of rumbled last night. What do you think?” Fiorina said Friday to cheers from more than 1,000 people at the RedState Gathering. “I had a lot of fun last night.”