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| GOP debate: Trump says world would be better off if Saddam Hussein, Moammar Gaddafi were left in power | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Billionaire front-runner Donald Trump offered a backhanded appreciation of two Arab dictators who had been fierce enemies of past Republican administrations – saying that both Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and Libyan strongman Moammar Gaddafi should have been left in power. | |
| “If we had Saddam Hussein and we had Gaddafi in charge,” both countries would be more stable, and terrorists would not have seized control of part of those countries, Trump said. “They were bad, they were really bad [but] we would have been better off if the politicians had taken the day off and not gone into war.” | |
| [Live updates from the debate] | |
| That was a remarkable statement by a GOP front-runner: Both regimes had been the subject of U.S. military action ordered by Republican presidents. George W. Bush ordered the 2003 invasion of Iraq in which Saddam Hussein was executed, and Ronald Reagan ordered airstrikes on Libya in 1986, after Gaddafi’s regime was tied to the bombing of a Berlin disco. | |
| Trump spent most of the evening under relentless attack by Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), his top two rivals in the GOP primary. Their sparring often turned starkly personal, with Trump – in his trademark way – seeking to hang a pithy moniker on both those men. | |
| “This guy’s a choke artist,” he said, meaning Rubio. “And this guy’s a liar.” | |
| The debate, at one point, descended into a multi-sided shouting match. | |
| “Donald, you can get back on your meds now,” Cruz said at one point. “You can relax.” | |
| “You’re the basket case,” Trump responded. “Don’t get nervous.” | |
| Those personal insults threatened to obscure the policy details of Thursday’s debate, in which Trump sometimes violated GOP taboos. He criticized President George W. Bush, praised Planned Parenthood, and offered a kind of muddled praise for government-provided health insurance. | |
| The shouting left another candidate – retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson – feeling left out of the debate. | |
| “Can somebody attack me please?” Carson said at one point. | |
| Trump called former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney “a fool” for delaying the release of his tax returns in the 2012 election. Then Trump said he would delay releasing his own tax returns, blaming the delay on an IRS audit. | |
| “Mitt Romney looked like a fool when he delayed and delayed and delayed. . . . As far as my return, I want to file it. Except!” Trump said. “I can’t do it until the audit is finished.” | “Mitt Romney looked like a fool when he delayed and delayed and delayed. . . . As far as my return, I want to file it. Except!” Trump said. “I can’t do it until the audit is finished.” |
| Earlier this week, Romney himself – who got Trump’s endorsement in 2012 — had predicted that there would be a “bombshell” in Trump’s tax returns. | Earlier this week, Romney himself – who got Trump’s endorsement in 2012 — had predicted that there would be a “bombshell” in Trump’s tax returns. |
| When pressed by debate moderator Hugh Hewitt, Trump responded by insulting the ratings of Hewitt’s conservative radio show. | When pressed by debate moderator Hugh Hewitt, Trump responded by insulting the ratings of Hewitt’s conservative radio show. |
| “First of all, very few people listen to your radio show,” Trump said. “I want to release my tax returns. But I can’t release them while I’m under audit.” | “First of all, very few people listen to your radio show,” Trump said. “I want to release my tax returns. But I can’t release them while I’m under audit.” |
| Cruz jabbed at Trump over lawsuits alleging that “Trump University” defrauded its students. | |
| “I want you to think about . . . Having the Republican nominee on the stand in court, being cross-examined about whether he committed fraud,” Cruz said. | “I want you to think about . . . Having the Republican nominee on the stand in court, being cross-examined about whether he committed fraud,” Cruz said. |
| Trump responded, as he has before, by pointing to poll numbers. He pointed out that Cruz was trailing him in many states – and that even polls in Texas showed Cruz might be in trouble. | Trump responded, as he has before, by pointing to poll numbers. He pointed out that Cruz was trailing him in many states – and that even polls in Texas showed Cruz might be in trouble. |
| “You’re not beating Hillary,” Cruz said, meaning the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton. | “You’re not beating Hillary,” Cruz said, meaning the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton. |
| “If I can’t beat her, you’re really going to get killed,” Trump said to Cruz. Then, in mock-encouragement “Keep fighting, keep fighting, keep swinging for the fences.” | “If I can’t beat her, you’re really going to get killed,” Trump said to Cruz. Then, in mock-encouragement “Keep fighting, keep fighting, keep swinging for the fences.” |
| After 10 GOP debates, Trump was finally treated like the front-runner on Thursday in Houston: Rubio and Cruz tag-teamed in attacking Trump, calling him a poor businessman, a shaky conservative, and – turning around an attack previously used on Rubio – prone to repeating himself. | After 10 GOP debates, Trump was finally treated like the front-runner on Thursday in Houston: Rubio and Cruz tag-teamed in attacking Trump, calling him a poor businessman, a shaky conservative, and – turning around an attack previously used on Rubio – prone to repeating himself. |
| “So that’s the only part of the plan? Just the lines?” Rubio said, hammering Trump for repeatedly saying his health-care plan was to “get rid of the lines” that block insurers from selling insurance across state lines. “Now he’s repeating himself.” The audience laughed, because Rubio had been mocked for robotically repeating the same talking point in a past debate, under pressure from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, now-departed from the GOP race. | “So that’s the only part of the plan? Just the lines?” Rubio said, hammering Trump for repeatedly saying his health-care plan was to “get rid of the lines” that block insurers from selling insurance across state lines. “Now he’s repeating himself.” The audience laughed, because Rubio had been mocked for robotically repeating the same talking point in a past debate, under pressure from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, now-departed from the GOP race. |
| Cruz then took up the attack, although with a different thesis: Where Rubio had blasted Trump for not having a health-care plan, Cruz attacked him for having a health-care plan that was too complicated and government-centric. He said that Trump’s “socialized medicine” could lead to rationing that would deny elderly people knee replacements and hip replacements. | Cruz then took up the attack, although with a different thesis: Where Rubio had blasted Trump for not having a health-care plan, Cruz attacked him for having a health-care plan that was too complicated and government-centric. He said that Trump’s “socialized medicine” could lead to rationing that would deny elderly people knee replacements and hip replacements. |
| “Does the government pay for health care? Yes or no? Answer the question!” Cruz said. | “Does the government pay for health care? Yes or no? Answer the question!” Cruz said. |
| “I do not want socialized medicine,” Trump responded, but did not detail his health-care plans beyond a desire not to see people die on the sidewalk, a nod to some sort of medical safety net. | “I do not want socialized medicine,” Trump responded, but did not detail his health-care plans beyond a desire not to see people die on the sidewalk, a nod to some sort of medical safety net. |
| Thursday night’s debate, telecast on CNN, comes less than a week before the critical Super Tuesday elections, when Republicans in 11 states will go to the polls, deciding the allocation of 595 GOP convention delegates. | Thursday night’s debate, telecast on CNN, comes less than a week before the critical Super Tuesday elections, when Republicans in 11 states will go to the polls, deciding the allocation of 595 GOP convention delegates. |
| Trump, who in the Nevada caucuses claimed more votes than Cruz and Rubio combined, claimed that he was reshaping the Republican Party, by drawing in a wider swath of people. | Trump, who in the Nevada caucuses claimed more votes than Cruz and Rubio combined, claimed that he was reshaping the Republican Party, by drawing in a wider swath of people. |
| “We are building a new Republican Party: A lot of new people are coming in,” Trump said, after a question about how he would attract Hispanic voters after making his calls for a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. “I will do really well with Hispanics. I will do better than anybody on this stage . . . I’m telling you also, I’m bringing people, Democrats over, independents over, and we’re building a much bigger, much stronger Republican Party.” | “We are building a new Republican Party: A lot of new people are coming in,” Trump said, after a question about how he would attract Hispanic voters after making his calls for a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. “I will do really well with Hispanics. I will do better than anybody on this stage . . . I’m telling you also, I’m bringing people, Democrats over, independents over, and we’re building a much bigger, much stronger Republican Party.” |
| Rubio and Cruz both challenged Trump’s shifting on issues important to conservatives. | |
| “We’re always looking for converts into the conservative movement,” Rubio said, meaning that Trump was a recent convert. He was responding to a question about the replacement a President Trump might appoint to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon: “I have a doubt about whether Donald Trump, if he becomes president, will replace Justice Scalia with someone like Justice Scalia.” | “We’re always looking for converts into the conservative movement,” Rubio said, meaning that Trump was a recent convert. He was responding to a question about the replacement a President Trump might appoint to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon: “I have a doubt about whether Donald Trump, if he becomes president, will replace Justice Scalia with someone like Justice Scalia.” |
| Trump still seemed willing to break with conservative orthodoxy, praising Planned Parenthood, an institution reviled by many on the right because of its involvement in abortion: “Millions and millions of women, cervical cancer, breast cancer, are helped by Planned Parenthood,” Trump said. “I would defund it because I’m pro-life, but millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood.” | Trump still seemed willing to break with conservative orthodoxy, praising Planned Parenthood, an institution reviled by many on the right because of its involvement in abortion: “Millions and millions of women, cervical cancer, breast cancer, are helped by Planned Parenthood,” Trump said. “I would defund it because I’m pro-life, but millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood.” |
| The other two candidates on the stage – Carson and Ohio Gov. John Kasich – seemed mostly happy to be bystanders while Rubio and Cruz fired upon Trump. | |
| Kasich repeatedly condemned the arguments onstage and used his opening statement to make a nonpolitical statement, urging children to follow their dreams. “America is great, and you can do it,” Kasich said. | Kasich repeatedly condemned the arguments onstage and used his opening statement to make a nonpolitical statement, urging children to follow their dreams. “America is great, and you can do it,” Kasich said. |
| Carson, as usual, was a mild presence on the stage – but still showed a gift for vivid metaphor. Asked how he would evaluate a potential Supreme Court appointee’s record, Carson responded: “The fruit salad of their life, is what I would look at.” | Carson, as usual, was a mild presence on the stage – but still showed a gift for vivid metaphor. Asked how he would evaluate a potential Supreme Court appointee’s record, Carson responded: “The fruit salad of their life, is what I would look at.” |
| [Republicans ask: Can Donald Trump be stopped?] | [Republicans ask: Can Donald Trump be stopped?] |
| From the opening moments, Rubio launched a volley of attacks at Trump. | |
| He focused one attack on one of the front-runner’s strengths: his business record. Rubio criticized the management of “Trump University,” his bankruptcies at his companies, and his use of undocumented immigrants to work on one of his properties in New York. | He focused one attack on one of the front-runner’s strengths: his business record. Rubio criticized the management of “Trump University,” his bankruptcies at his companies, and his use of undocumented immigrants to work on one of his properties in New York. |
| “If he hadn’t inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be? Selling watches in Manhattan,” Rubio said. | “If he hadn’t inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be? Selling watches in Manhattan,” Rubio said. |
| Trump responded by saying that Rubio had exaggerated his inheritance from his father, and by saying that Rubio had never run a business at all. He referred to a case in which Rubio sold a house to a lobbyist at a significant profit. “He sells it to a lobbyist, who’s probably here,” Trump said. | Trump responded by saying that Rubio had exaggerated his inheritance from his father, and by saying that Rubio had never run a business at all. He referred to a case in which Rubio sold a house to a lobbyist at a significant profit. “He sells it to a lobbyist, who’s probably here,” Trump said. |
| In the first hour of Thursday’s debate, Rubio was strikingly more aggressive than he had been, and Trump — who had benefitted as other candidates attacked one another – was the subject of a number of attacks. Earlier in the debate, Rubio and Cruz teamed up to attack Trump for switching his position on immigration – and for hiring illegal immigrants – during Thursday night’s Republican debate, taking the fight to the Republican front-runner at a moment when he is close to running away with the race. | In the first hour of Thursday’s debate, Rubio was strikingly more aggressive than he had been, and Trump — who had benefitted as other candidates attacked one another – was the subject of a number of attacks. Earlier in the debate, Rubio and Cruz teamed up to attack Trump for switching his position on immigration – and for hiring illegal immigrants – during Thursday night’s Republican debate, taking the fight to the Republican front-runner at a moment when he is close to running away with the race. |
| “You’re the only person on this stage that’s ever been fined for hiring people to work on your projects illegally,” Rubio said, referring to a decades-old legal judgment against Trump for hiring undocumented Polish workers at one of his projects in New York. At the time, Trump maintained that he did not know the workers were undocumented. | “You’re the only person on this stage that’s ever been fined for hiring people to work on your projects illegally,” Rubio said, referring to a decades-old legal judgment against Trump for hiring undocumented Polish workers at one of his projects in New York. At the time, Trump maintained that he did not know the workers were undocumented. |
| “I’m the only one on this stage that’s hired people,” Trump said, in a rebuke to Rubio, who has spent nearly all of his life in politics. | “I’m the only one on this stage that’s hired people,” Trump said, in a rebuke to Rubio, who has spent nearly all of his life in politics. |
| “People can look it up,” Rubio said, pressing on. “I’m sure people are googling it right now.” As the two talked over each other (“Wrong. Wrong.” “That happened!”), Trump used the same kind of shutdown he had used on former Florida governor Jeb Bush, now out of the race: “Let me talk.” | “People can look it up,” Rubio said, pressing on. “I’m sure people are googling it right now.” As the two talked over each other (“Wrong. Wrong.” “That happened!”), Trump used the same kind of shutdown he had used on former Florida governor Jeb Bush, now out of the race: “Let me talk.” |
| Cruz then picked up the attack, saying that he had battled a 2013 effort to pass immigration reform and give undocumented immigrants a legal pathway to citizenship. | Cruz then picked up the attack, saying that he had battled a 2013 effort to pass immigration reform and give undocumented immigrants a legal pathway to citizenship. |
| “Where was Donald? He was firing Dennis Rodman on Celebrity Apprentice,” Cruz said, mocking Trump’s long career in reality television. He then said Trump had donated to many of the reform bill’s sponsors: “When you’re funding open-border politicians, you shouldn’t be surprised when they fight for open borders.” | “Where was Donald? He was firing Dennis Rodman on Celebrity Apprentice,” Cruz said, mocking Trump’s long career in reality television. He then said Trump had donated to many of the reform bill’s sponsors: “When you’re funding open-border politicians, you shouldn’t be surprised when they fight for open borders.” |
| Trump had a comeback ready, based on Cruz’s unpopularity in the Senate: “You get along with nobody,” Trump said .”You don’t have one Republican senator backing you. Not one.” | Trump had a comeback ready, based on Cruz’s unpopularity in the Senate: “You get along with nobody,” Trump said .”You don’t have one Republican senator backing you. Not one.” |
| Cruz had a comeback for that, too, though it lacked some of the zing of Trump’s: “Donald, if you want to be liked in Washington, that’s not a good attribute for a president.” | Cruz had a comeback for that, too, though it lacked some of the zing of Trump’s: “Donald, if you want to be liked in Washington, that’s not a good attribute for a president.” |
| Rubio began the debate with a veiled attack on front-runner Donald Trump, saying that he hoped the Republican Party would not lose the hopeful identity that came from Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. | Rubio began the debate with a veiled attack on front-runner Donald Trump, saying that he hoped the Republican Party would not lose the hopeful identity that came from Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. |
| “They also appealed to our hopes and our dreams. Now we have to decide if we’re still going to be that kind of party,” Rubio said. “Or if we’re going to be a party that preys on people’s anger and fear.” | “They also appealed to our hopes and our dreams. Now we have to decide if we’re still going to be that kind of party,” Rubio said. “Or if we’re going to be a party that preys on people’s anger and fear.” |
| Rubio had signaled before the debate that he intended to be more harshly critical of Trump, who has benefitted as Rubio, Cruz and others battled in his shadow. That opening statement was a sign he might – although he didn’t actually mention Trump by name. Trump has called for mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, and for barring Muslim foreigners from entering this country. | Rubio had signaled before the debate that he intended to be more harshly critical of Trump, who has benefitted as Rubio, Cruz and others battled in his shadow. That opening statement was a sign he might – although he didn’t actually mention Trump by name. Trump has called for mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, and for barring Muslim foreigners from entering this country. |
| Later, Rubio attacked Trump for changing his positions on immigration – and for hiring foreigners to work at his properties in Florida. | Later, Rubio attacked Trump for changing his positions on immigration – and for hiring foreigners to work at his properties in Florida. |
| “Donald, you’ve hired a significant number of people from other countries to take jobs that Americans might have filled,” Rubio said, noting that his mother – an immigrant from Cuba – worked as a maid at a hotel, and that people like her would have been excluded from Trump’s properties. | “Donald, you’ve hired a significant number of people from other countries to take jobs that Americans might have filled,” Rubio said, noting that his mother – an immigrant from Cuba – worked as a maid at a hotel, and that people like her would have been excluded from Trump’s properties. |