In another rough exchange, Rubio accused Trump of shifting his position on deportation, hiring people from other countries to take jobs from Americans and being fined for worker violations.
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Slamming Trump for a lack of a health care plan, Rubio begged Trump, “What is your plan?”
Whether it’s the advent or demise of the GOP, Republicans have to start realizing that Donald Trump will likely become their nominee for president.
Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, places third in the poll, with 12 percent, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich is next at 7 percent. “And when you’re funding open-border politicians, you shouldn’t be surprised when they fight for open borders”.
Five Republican presidential candidates will gather here Thursday night for a final showdown before Super Tuesday.
The pressure is strongest, though, on candidates Kasich and especially Carson, whose campaign has steadily fallen in the polls and has performed poorly in the first four contests.
Ted Cruz: This was his home turf and you could tell with the audience.
On the CNN debate stage, Trump quipped: “The wall just got 10 feet taller”. He says America would appear to be “heading off the abyss of destruction” were any one from 30 years ago be told about today’s world.
Rubio replied, “I see him repeat himself every night”.
Speaking to CNN’s Chris Cuomo after the debate, Trump mused about why he’s been audited so often: “Maybe because of religion, maybe because of something else, maybe because I’m doing this, although this is just recently”. Trump says he would pick up some of that support as well. Rubio in particular recently attacked Trump by name at a Houston rally, saying that “the front-runner in this race, Donald Trump, has said he’s not going to take sides on Israel versus the Palestinians because he wants to be an honest broker”.
Men on a mission: Each man came into the CNN-sponsored Texas debate with a mission.
The one Republican who has gotten under The Donald’s skin in recent days is none other than Mitt Romney, who has suggested there’s a “bombshell” in Trump’s tax returns-an odd version of the gambit Harry Reid pulled on Romney in 2012.
Trump shot back at Rubio: “I hired tens of thousands of people. I even went to your wedding…’ He can’t prosecute the case against Hillary”.
Cruz has had the upper hand in most public polls of Texas, though Trump’s strength there has raised the possibility that Cruz could lose his own turf, a blow that would strike at the core of his southern strategy and raise questions about his path forward.
“If I can’t beat her (Clinton), you’re really going to get killed aren’t you?” A Trump victory in the swing state – as well as its 99 delegates – would be a major win and potentially seal his path to the nomination.
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Trump on Rubio and Cruz: “This guy’s a choke artist and this guy’s a liar”.
