The debate was indicative of a Republican primary that is fast reaching its boiling point just less than three weeks before the Iowa caucuses, and the most intense sparring took place between the two candidates locked in a neck-and-neck race in that state: Donald Trump andTed Cruz. A Reuters/Ipsos rolling national poll on January 12 showed Trump had 39 per cent of the vote, Cruz 14.5 per cent, Bush 10.6 per cent, Carson 9.6 per cent, while 6.7 per cent favored Rubio, once viewed by the Republican establishment and many donors as a rising star.
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Trump has gone after Cruz over the past week, raising questions about his eligibility to serve as president because of his birth in Canada – an issue Trump said he will raise at the debate, which is sponsored by Fox Business Network.
Cruz – who is still marginally behind in the opinion polls – then drew his rival’s ire by criticising “New York values”, referring to Trump’s brand of conservatism reflected the more liberal leanings of the Big Apple, where he lives.
Only later, when Cruz turned on Trump over his “New York” sensibility, did Trump back the senator into a corner by invoking the heroism of the city in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, ending the feuding. “And I’ll tell you, I’m not going to be taking legal advice from Donald Trump”, Cruz said. In turn, the Texas senator hit back at Trump by accusing him of holding “New York values” and alleging that the businessman was not a true conservative.
“It’s very disturbing on many levels and hypocritical criticizing NY money”, Cuomo said on MSNBC. “Everybody in the world watched, and everyone in the world loved NY and loved New Yorkers….” In that interview, Cruz said Frank Sinatra’s song “New York, New York” might be a more appropriate anthem, because Trump “comes from New York, and he embodies New York values”.
The other contenders were trying to focus their attention on attacking president Barack Obama.
Cruz also defended his failure to disclose loans of some $1 million from Wall Street banks on federal election forms during his 2012 Senate campaign, saying it was little more than a “paperwork error”. “And I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made”. Ted Cruz dominated the latest episode of the GOP presidential debates, battling in a one-on-one match that got heated and personal – further establishing them as the big dogs in the race. And I could say, oh, I’m not angry. Trump said: “We have to stop with political correctness”. Trump was steadfast in wanting to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States. Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, and Sen.
Cruz and Marco Rubio have been at each other’s throats for months and now it’s an all out war.
Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
The billionaire also said he would not “care less” about his company, The Trump Organization, if he became president, allowing executives and his children to run it.
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“If you’re anxious about the world being on fire… you can not give Hillary Clinton a third term of Barack Obama’s leadership”, said Christie. The row over Cruz’s birthplace ended with the slick-haired senator telling Trump: “I’m happy to consider naming you as V.P. and so, if you happen to be right, you can get the top job at the end of the day'”.
