“The fundamental differences between our exceptionally qualified candidates and the Democrat field couldn’t be more clear, which is why the American people will elect a Republican president next November”, he said in a statement. “So, so far, I’m doing better”, Trump said, apparently referring to his standing in a recent poll.
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Mr. Cruz and Mr. Rubio locked horns several times over issues of immigration and national security.
Trump fired back immediately with a quip about Bush’s poll ratings.
“Donald, you know, is great at one liners, but he’s a chaos candidate and he’d be a chaos president”. Pretty soon you’re going to be off the end… Policy on terrorism and immigration were two hot-button political issues that dominated much of the debate, and sparked heated exchanges between some of the candidates at the Venetian Theatre.
The more personal exchanges instead came between the man seeking to become the third President Bush and the reality TV star who has stunned the establishment with his brash, outsider campaign.
He followed by reiterating his belief that Trump is not a serious candidate. Trump’s response to the Paris and San Bernardino attacks was to call for a total ban on Muslims entering the US – a proposal that was roundly criticized by his rivals but that is nevertheless resonating with some of his supporters. “They’re Muslim”, said the former governor.
“I understand why Donald made that proposal”. He promoted his own legislation as more appropriate and narrowly focused.
Paul has argued that some policies, like arming certain factions of Syrian rebels to overthrow ISIS, has led to the rise of the Islamic State in the region. Trump is also calling out members of the media to stop calling IS fighters “masterminds” because, in reality, they are thugs and bad people.
“I’m going to be a Republican”, Trump said on CNN after the debate.
“We are not talking about isolation; we are talking about security”, he said.
That portion of the debate highlighted the growing rivalry between Rubio and Cruz, the two candidates who appear best-positioned to profit if the months-long Trump boom ever subsides. “I will tell you, I am totally committed to the Republican party, I feel very honored to be the front-runner and I think I’ll do very well if I’m chosen”.
That’s a drastic change from the first debate, when Trump alone raised his hand to show that he wasn’t willing to swear off running as an independent. “I have a lot of respect for him”. However, he revived the idea of mounting a third-party bid late last month, following reports that super-PACs were planning to launch attacks against him.
Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey had been slowly growing his support in New Hampshire, the first primary state in the country.
Christie frequently addressed the cameras directly – a different strategy than most of the others. It is radical Islamic terrorist.
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The plan was scarcely mentioned during the three-hour debate, despite the condemnation he attracted at home and overseas.
