Will the debate, hosted by CBS News, be dominated by the winners of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary – Ted Cruz and Donald Trump? And already, SC – with its reputation for vicious political onslaught – has spurred plenty of mudslinging and personal attacks between the candidates.
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The debate was shaken by the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia hours before the candidates took the stage.
Rubio’s poor performance has created a potential opening for Bush, the former Florida governor, and Kasich, the current governor of Ohio.
Republican presidential candidate Sen.
Cruz called the conservative Scalia an “American hero” and said the Senate should “ensure that the next president names his replacement”.
Donald has been causing controversy left and right ever since he announced he was running for POTUS, so we can’t say we’re surprised that TK took aim at him during the televised debate.
He tried to clarify: “Just so you understand, you know what that is? That’s Jeb’s special interests and lobbyists talking”. You have to knock out ISIS …
The months-long feud between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump has moved well beyond simple clashes over policy.
Trump, seeking to blunt Bush in a state where his dynastic family remains popular, went after the former Florida governor on foreign policy and immigration, and lambasted Jeb’s brother president George W Bush’s war in Iraq as “a big fat mistake”.
“Lindsey Graham, who backs him, who had had zero in his polls”, Trump said, digging in. “I am sick and exhausted of him going after my family”.
“I lost hundreds of friends, the World Trade Center came down during the reign of George Bush”, Trump said, while the crowd’s boos almost drowned him out. The crowd immediately started booing.
“He’s had the gall to go after my mother-” Bush said. After Bush put forth a spirited defense of his brother’s administration, Trump essentially blamed the former president for the September 11 attacks.
“The weakest person on this stage by far on illegal immigration is Jeb Bush”, he said.
“You want to talk about weakness?” Bush asked this morning at a rally in Anderson. It’s weak to disparage Hispanics.
Bush countered that it’s weak to disparage women, Hispanics, the disabled, and to call John McCain a loser. Cruz accused Rubio of teaming with Democratic U.S. Sen.
The relationship between the billionaire and the Texas senator has become increasingly acrimonious in recent days.
“I don’t know how he knows what I said on Univision because he doesn’t speak Spanish”, said Rubio, who is fluent in the language. “You have Iran. You have them with Assad and you have them with Syria”, he continued.
But perhaps his sharpest attacks came earlier in the day at the Anderson stop, where he said Cruz and Rubio are too inexperienced for the White House.
“Ted Cruz has just been telling lies”, Rubio said. Trump and Ben Carson blame the Cruz campaign for spreading false word at the last minute that Carson was dropping out. He lies about Planned Parenthood, he lies about marriage. “He’s lying about all sorts of things and now he makes things up”. Cruz’s campaign released a video this week that says Trump “pretends to be a Republican”. “You probably are worse than Jeb Bush”.
Trump also had a heated exchange with Cruz when the senator said Trump would appoint liberals to the Supreme Court.
Trump challenged his opponent’s claim, asking numerous times, “Where did I support it?”
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But he promised to cut back. “We spent $5 trillion dollars all over the Middle East. We have to rebuild our country; we have to rebuild our infrastructure; you listen to that you’re going to be there for another 15 years”. I was a very good student at a great school.
