He told CNN debate moderators, “We are not talking about isolation, we are talking about security”.
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But the gathering of White House hopefuls in Las Vegas shaped up as a pair of mini-match-ups: One debate unfolded between the 44-year-old senators, Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida.
With the Iowa caucuses about two months away, the focus Tuesday was national security both nationally and in Minnesota. No Raul and Christine, but Trump and Cruz you could say were the stars of the show! The remaining five candidates on stage struggled to muscle in on the discussion, with Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson openly complaining about their lack of airtime.
GOP Frontrunner Donald Trump took credit for zeroing in on the importance of strengthening borders and his proposals, “Radical Islamic terrorism came into effect even more so than it has been in the past”.
Mr Rubio and Mr Cruz had several heated exchanges on their policies and past history of dealing with immigration reform.
The second half of the debate went on as if Trump had not offered one of the most controversial ideas from a leading presidential candidate in recent memory.
Rubio still leads the GOP pack with 34% odds to win the Republican nomination after withstanding repeated attacks during the debate, according to the Political Prediction Market.
In fact, for much of the debate, it was not Trump on the defensive, but Rubio.
Then there was the most tweeted moment of the entire debate, when Bush directly addressed Trump: “You’re not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency”.
Responding to a question about whether he’d be willing to order a strike against ISIS that could result in the deaths of innocent children, Carson pointed to his experience as a neurosurgeon.
Another dynamic in Tuesday’s debate involves Cruz and Florida Sen.
The debate was being held at the Venetian Hotel, which is owned by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, one of the GOP’s prolific donors, and he and Trump were to meet beforehand. “They have some really great people up there, and I’ve gotten to know them, and I’ve gotten to respect a lot of the people”.
“I think when we think about the judgment about someone who might want World War III, we might think about someone who might shut down a bridge”, said Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. “The old program covered 20 percent to 30 percent of phone numbers to search for terrorists”, Cruz said. “He would not be the commander-in-chief we need to keep our country safe”, Bush said. People like what I say.
Senator Rand Paul said that killing families of Isis members would require withdrawing from the Geneva Conventions and that closing the internet would end the First Amendment.
“Just two months ago he said that Hillary Clinton would be a great negotiator with Iran”, Bush said. Media have deemed each an “outsider” taking on the Republican “establishment”, but the debate revealed little serious distinctions among the foreign policies of the nine.
Rubio said. “And the answer better not be, ‘Because we didn’t have access to records or information that would have allowed us to identify these killers before they attack'”.
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“It would defy every norm that is America, so when you ask yourself, whoever you are, if you think you’re going to support Donald Trump, think: Do you believe in the Constitution?”
