Two hours before Thursday night’s Fox News debate, I was in constant conversations with GOP operatives, Fox anchors and other journalists, all asking the same question: Would Donald Trump show up after all?
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Trump declined to participate in the Fox-hosted debate, which took place in Iowa just days the state becomes the first to weigh in on the GOP primary next Monday.
“I’m supporting another candidate, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together” to honor America’s veterans, Santorum said. Ted Cruz, Trump’s closest rival in the Hawkeye State.
Donald Trump was absent from the debate, but certainly not forgotten.
Roe added that his organization’s figures show there are 9,131 Iowans choosing between Cruz and Donald Trump, 2,807 people choosing between Cruz and Florida Sen.
We got a glimpse here in Iowa of what the campaign would look like had Donald Trump stayed on the sidelines. “He was a little teddy bear to me”, joked former Florida governor, Jeb Bush. “Everybody else was in the witness protection program when I went after him”.
“The exchanges were much more civil”.
“In theory, I would’ve rather done the debate because you’re leading”.
Rubio, who co-sponsored the so-called “Gang of Eight” bipartisan immigration reform bill, was on the defensive on one of his most vulnerable issues. Rubio’s voice grew louder as he said there was no way to deport 12 million illegal immigrants but that first the country needed border enforcement.
Bush turned to his fellow Floridian and said he was “confused” to hear Rubio say this, as he accused the senator of changing his position for political expediency.
“That’s not a sign of strength”, Bush said. But Cruz also supported legalization, though not citizenship.
Cruz argued that Rubio had stood with Sen.
“This is the lie that Ted’s campaign is built on”, he said.
Christie – who is counting on a solid performance in New Hampshire – seized on the moment to deliver a powerful rebuke of his rivals.
In addition to Bush, Kasich, Rubio, Carson, Christie and Cruz, Sen.
“I feel like I need a Washington to English dictionary converter”, he said to laughter.
Rand Paul also joined in, accusing Cruz of flip-flopping. I think it’s one of the reasons he’s a nervous wreck, too. The statement said Trump agreed to appear at the debate only if Fox contributed $5 million to Trump’s charities. The campaign said it started the year with about $19 million in available money, giving him a financial edge over most of his Republican rivals. He dismissed any notion that his absences from the debate would hurt him with voters.
“When you’re treated badly, you have to stick up for your rights”, Trump said in explaining his boycott.
Undercard candidates and former Iowan favorites Huckabee and Santorum were both invited to the event, and accepted recognition at Trump’s call. “The people of Iowa … care a lot about the issues”.
In Iowa, polls suggest Trump is locked in a tight race with Cruz, a favorite of the conservatives and evangelical Christians who hold significant sway in the state’s Republican caucuses. Their take is that because Cruz’s Super PACs are attacking Trump now, the campaign itself can afford to spend some money to try to hold Rubio back.
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Despite getting the most camera time and a few easy questions in the early minutes, Mr. Cruz protested to the moderators that he was being mistreated.
