Still, the debate is emerging as a fight between Trump, Fiorina, Bush and Paul.
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Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has largely avoided criticizing his fellow candidates, isn’t expected to join his rivals in taking on Trump. He avoided any clashes, strategically staying above the fray. This isn’t the first time Trump has gotten himself into hot water with women. She was making her first appearance on the main debate stage after a standout performance in an undercard event last month.
There were pictures of five of the Republican candidates: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), real-estate magnate Donald Trump, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Trump said that was “totally false” – a statement that is not true, according to several fact-checking reports. Jeb Bush, who came into the debate facing questions about whether he had the grit to take on Trump, also engaged directly with the real estate mogul while still trying to fulfill his promise to run a joyful campaign.
Bush had a very humanizing moment when he admitted to smoking pot. The Donald said his code name would be “Humble”.
It was not long before Mr Trump was confronted by his own words about the only female Republican candidate Carly Fiorina.
Bush may have the most at stake in the debate. The race has seen another unlikely surge, as soft-spoken retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has leapt into second place, according to polls. Ted Cruz accused Republican leaders in both houses of “preemptively surrendering”.
Fiorina was well prepared for the jab.
CNN moderator Jake Tapper opened the two-hour debate by asking Carly Fiorina a question – about Donald Trump, and whether he should ever have his finger on the nuclear button. “Would anyone vote for that?” “And Jimmy Carter was our president, and it was pathetic”, Trump said to Forbes.
The crowd cheered in support, until Trump, who was clearly taken aback, said, “You’ve got a lovely face, and I think she’s a attractive woman”.
Trump looked silly in his comeback, saying that Fiorina has a “beautiful face”. “He’s weak on immigration”, Trump said. Rand Paul, R-Ky., out of the blue. He is number 11, he’s got one percent in the polls and I don’t know how he got up there, there are too any people.
“Mexico and nearly every other country in the world doesn’t have that”.
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On Not Knowing All of America’s Enemies in a CNN Interview: “Name after name-Arab name, Arab name, Arab name-and there are few people anywhere that would have known those names”. Trump responded by saying, “Your brother’s administration gave us Barack Obama because it was such a disaster those last three months that Abraham Lincoln couldn’t have been elected”. Under federal laws, that large contribution would be illegal.
