Cruz performs better among Republicans who have voted in state primary elections before, leading that group by 5 percentage points over Trump.
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Trump, the billionaire developer and Republican presidential front-runner, says his closest rival was “very badly hurt” in Thursday’s GOP presidential debate in Iowa – an event Trump boycotted, placing Cruz squarely in the line of fire of other candidates.
Lagging Republicans struggled to climb higher in their crowded field, while Hillary Clinton faced more email troubles on Friday as the presidential contenders barreled toward a final weekend of campaigning before Iowa’s crucial caucuses.
Hundreds of voters are awaiting Trump’s arrival in Nashua, New Hampshire Friday, for a rally scheduled less than 12 hours after the Fox News debate he opted to skip, claiming he was treated unfairly by the network at their August debate.
First, he refused to take part in a Fox News debate with other candidates. Then he negotiated his return to the show until the last moment (Fox said he demanded a $5 million contribution to charity, but was told that money couldn’t change hands under any circumstances).
“It’s like a bunch of racists on stage trying to compete over who is going to keep the most brown people out of the United States”, he noted.
“I didn’t want to be here”, Trump began, a faux-rueful reference to his absence from the debate across town. You give me a microphone, I talk.
But for Trump, it’s important for his supporters to stay engaged. The 57-year-old says he’s voting for Trump in New Hampshire’s February 9 primary and, if he wins the nomination, in November. While the debate was taking place, Trump was just miles away hosting a fundraiser for veterans at Drake University, where he ended up raising almost $6 million, which included $1 million of his own money, reported The Daily Caller. He was introduced by the presidential candidate as a sharp poker player and his top choice to negotiate with China. Finally, it had Trump himself, the reality show host with a message about “sticking up for your rights”, fighting an attempt to slight him by “mainstream media” (Fox, in this instance).
Trump raised roughly six million dollars for veterans and personally donated one million dollars.
The victor in a Trump-less debate is… Ted Cruz’s presidential bid is done.
Some viewers were likely watching the debate on the big screen while keeping an eye on Trump’s event via their smart phones. These are known as “make-goods” in the TV industry.
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Trump’s pro-veterans event was, in a sense, against another kind of veteran – political veterans with their old-time tactics, techniques and understanding of voter behavior.
