Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh also speculated that Bush’s refusal to endorse Trump may give the businessman grounds to renege on his promise not to launch a third-party run.
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The result of the showdown: Some winners and some losers.
“I started thinking after the debate, this was an inside deal”, the former congressman said on his morning news talk show.
Trump insisted he wasn’t seeking to discriminate against Muslims.
Although the subject was raised early on, and Mr Trump stood by his position, it received only tepid condemnation.
Mr Trump shot back, saying that Mr Bush called him “unhinged” over his Muslim plan because he has fallen behind in the polls.
It’s also the first debate in which Cruz has risen to the top of the pile, putting him in Trump’s line of fire.
And that, essentially, was that. Last week in the wake of Trump’s call to temporarily ban most Muslims from entering the country, the PAC began airing an ad that called Trump “unhinged”.
Winner: Mr Trump, of course. “You know, he’s a good man. He’s a good person, and I think I would do the same thing if I were him”.
Bush dismissed the proposal as unserious, saying “Donald is great at the one-liners, but he’s a chaos candidate and he’d be a chaos president”. “Leadership is not about attacking people and disparaging people”.
Struggling former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush found his footing in trying to discredit Trump’s qualifications for the White House, chiding the brash billionaire for trying to “insult your way to the presidency”.
“I don’t want them using our internet to take our young, impressionable youth and watching the media talking about how they’re masterminds – these are masterminds”.
Winner: Mr Bush definitely baited Mr Trump into losing his temper, and the former governor held his own in the ensuing exchanges. Jeb Bush’s and Sen. As it is, however, he was the victor – but with a victory that will likely prove hollow.
“Well, let’s see”, Trump said, “I’m at 42 and you’re at 3 so, so far, I’m doing better”.
Cruz and Rubio clashed in a heated exchange at Tuesday’s Republican debate with the Florida senator arguing Cruz’s votes and advocacy for the bill weakened America’s defenses.
Mr Rubio struck first, criticising Mr Cruz for voting to curtail United States surveillance powers. He was joined by Mr Paul, a long-time critic of the National Security Agency, in attacking Mr Rubio.
“If elected, we will hunt down and kill the terrorists”, Cruz said.
“Everyone understands why Donald has suggested what he has”, Cruz said. Cruz and Rubio, both 44, battled over Cruz’s proposal to “carpet-bomb” areas of the Middle East controlled by Islamic State militants, also known as ISIS. Cruz, Rubio, and Cruz all clock in above 13 minutes.
Among other Republican candidates, Chris Christie – whose numbers are rising in the key state of New Hampshire – followed up the debate by continuing to stress his experience as governor of New Jersey, as well as a US attorney in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
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With the debate focussing on national security and the fight against Islamic extremism, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson declared: “We are at war”.
