Trump objected to Cruz’s comments on his city by referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
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“No place on earth could have handled that more beautifully, more humanely than NY”.
“I know nothing about it, but I hear it’s a very big thing”, Trump said of the loan in an interview with Bloomberg Politics posted online Thursday.
Cruz, a Texas senator who was born in Canada to a mother who was a US citizen, tried to brush aside the question of his citizenship as a joking matter, but grew pointed as he lambasted those who have insisted it should be reason for the party to deny him the nomination.
Mr Rubio likened Mr Christie’s policies to Mr Obama’s, particularly on guns and education reform – an attack Mr Christie declared false. Seeking to undermine Rubio’s qualifications for president, Christie suggested that senators “talk and talk and talk” while governors such as himself are “held accountable for everything you do”.
“Trump shows remarkable resiliency with the GOP primary electorate and has even increased his support since December, while Cruz has leveled off”, said Fred Yang, a Democratic pollster at Hart Research who conducted the survey with Republican Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.
“If he could get rid of the Second Amendment he would”, Rubio said of Obama. “That is not consistent conservatism – that is political calculation”. “And I thought his hit on NY was disgraceful, frankly, and I guess a lot of people are saying that from what I hear”. It’s not just that Cruz walked into a trap knowing what is coming but that Trump acted in a way that is quite uncharacteristic.
The debate came at the end of a week that has highlighted anew the deep rifts in the Republican Party. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a rising GOP star, was widely praised by many party leaders for including a veiled criticism of Trump’s angry rhetoric during her response to Obama’s State of the Union address – only to be chastised by conservative commentators and others for the exact same comment.
“I will gladly accept the mantle of anger”, he said, rattling off a litany of his complaints about how the country is being run.
Trump stuck with his controversial call for temporarily banning Muslims from the United States because of fear of terrorism emanating from overseas.
“The Constitution hasn’t changed – but the poll numbers have, and I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa”, he said.
Bush, an early favorite who is struggling to make his mark on the race, suggested an investigation into her use of a private server while secretary of state may cause her problems. John Kasich called for a halt on allowing Syrian refugees into the country.
“But I was born here, big difference”, Trump interjected. “But we don’t want to put everybody in the same category”. All three of the candidates were sharply critical of President Barack Obama on issues such as gun control, national security and the economy.
“I’m not bringing a suit, I promise, but the Democrats are going to bring a lawsuit”.
Bush, meanwhile, said the idea that the country is better off today than before Obama took office is an “alternative universe”.
Florida senator Marco Rubio went even further, saying Mrs Clinton was “disqualified for being commander in chief”, accusing her of mishandling classified information and lying to the families of Americans killed in the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya.
Ben Carson, who has fallen behind his rivals despite being well-liked among Republican voters, generated laughs after joking about having to wait almost 15 minutes to get his first question.
Here is the latest from the GOP presidential debates, sponsored by Fox Business Network, in North Charleston, S.C. All times local.
The undercard debate between Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum has concluded. In fact the only budget you’ve ever voted for, Ted, in your entire time in the Senate, is a budget for Rand Paul that brags how it cuts defense.
The poll was taken from January 7 to January 14, before questions about Cruz’s eligibility became one of the most heated moments of Thursday night’s Republican primary debate.
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Pace reported from Washington.
