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| Republican debate: Candidates address supreme court vacancy – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.32am GMT | |
| 02:32 | |
| Kasich answers a question and Carson answers a question. They feel like a sideshow to this: | |
| pic.twitter.com/vnNN2YFqbh | |
| Anybody remember the movie? Who wins this fight? | |
| 2.31am GMT | |
| 02:31 | |
| Trump: 'millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood' | |
| Rubio says he doubts that Trump would appoint a real conservative to the Supreme Court. | |
| Trump invokes Reagan to say that it’s OK to evolve. Trump doesn’t admit that he personally has evolved on issues such as abortion. But then he rather daringly slides into a measured defense of Planned Parenthood: | |
| Millions of millions of women, cervical cancer, breast cancer, are helped by Planned Parenthood... I would defund it because I’m pro-life. But millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood. | |
| 2.28am GMT | |
| 02:28 | |
| Cruz, Rubio tag-team Trump | |
| Trump is asked whether “religious liberty” would be a litmus test for “all court employees.” | |
| He opts to hit Cruz over a vote in favor of the nomination of John Roberts. | |
| “Justice Roberts was strongly recommended and pushed by Ted. Justice Roberts gave us Obamacare. It might as well be called Robertscare,” says Cruz. | |
| “That is a rough thing, and I know Ted probably feels badly about it... but that judge has been a disaster in terms of everything we stand for... Ted very very strongly pushed Justice Roberts.” | |
| Cruz replies: | |
| “Yes it’s true, I supported the Republican nominee once it was made.” | |
| Then he opts to list all the Democrats that Trump has given money to over the year. He accuses Trump of being willing to “cut a deal” on the Supreme Court instead of taking a stand. | |
| “Let me tell you Donald, I will not apologize for a minute over... defending the Bill of Rights,” Cruz says. | |
| Rubio is taking a break for a moment while Cruz beats up on Trump. They are tag-teaming. | |
| 2.23am GMT | |
| 02:23 | |
| Supreme Court question for Cruz. Pitching to his sweet spot. | |
| Cruz basically says that if a Democrat is elected president Americans will lose all their guns and their god and cats and dogs etc. | |
| “For voters who care about life, or marriage, or religious liberty or the second amendment... I give you my word, every justice I nominate will vigorously defend the Bill of Rights for my children and for yours.” | |
| Applause. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.24am GMT | |
| 2.22am GMT | |
| 02:22 | |
| Trump: Hispanics are incredible people. | |
| Carson – who is indeed sporting a nontraditional elegant striped tie – takes a question about whether he thinks GOP rhetoric alienates Latino voters. | |
| Carson calls for “liberty and justice” for all. He said that before too. He says that ending dependence and creating opportunity will help everybody. | |
| Arrarás goes back to Trump. “A brand new Telemundo poll says that 3 of 4 Hispanics nationwide have a negative opinion of you.” | |
| Trump: “First of all, I don’t believe a thing Telemundo says.” Funny and gets laughs. | |
| Then Trump: | |
| I currently employ thousands of Hispanics, and over the years I have employed tens of thousands of Hispanics. They’re incredible people. | |
| Then he starts talking about his crushing Nevada win, including among Hispanics. | |
| Arrarás persists. A Washington Post poll showed 80% of voters have a negative opinion of you. | |
| Trump tries to interrupt her. | |
| “Let me finish,” she says. She insists that Hispanic voters are leery of Trump. | |
| He denies it. | |
| “I’m just telling you, I’m doing very well with Hispanics. And as you know, I settled my suit with Univision... we’re good friends now... I will do really well Hispanics.” | |
| He fought with Univision over airing a beauty pageant. | |
| 2.17am GMT | |
| 02:17 | |
| Kasich on Hispanic voters: 'I think they like me' | |
| Arrarás asks Kasich about whether the Republican party does not need to widen its aperture on immigration. | |
| “Well, I’m not gonna talk about that,” he says, uncharmingly. | |
| Then he makes the same argument Cruz did. If you create economic growth, everything follows. | |
| Kasich has an addendum: “We have to create the sense that everyone can rise.” Cruz did not mention that part. | |
| Kasich concludes: | |
| “With me and the Hispanic community, I think they like me, and I appreciate that.” | |
| 2.15am GMT | |
| 02:15 | |
| Rubio: 'We are the party of diversity, not the Democratic party' | |
| Arrarás says there’s a perception that Cruz and Rubio are “missing a huge opportunity to expand the Republican base” by taking a hard line on immigration instead of talking to Latino constituencies. | |
| Cruz says it is amazing that two of the five onstage are the children of Cuban immigrants. Then he trashes the media which he says has constructed a myth that if you’re Hispanic you have to be liberal. | |
| Cruz argues that “the Obama economy” has hurt “the Hispanic community” the most and that he would help, in short, by creating economic growth. | |
| Rubio points out that in addition to the immigrant sons onstage there is an African American. | |
| “We are the party of diversity, not the Democratic party,” Rubio says. Applause. | |
| Trump is silent. Rubio is winning applause. | |
| 2.12am GMT | |
| 02:12 | |
| Telemundo’ María Celeste Arrarás goes into the weeds with Rubio on his policy for DREAmers, undocumented migrants who arrived as children to the United States. | |
| Rubio unspools a fluent answer claiming absolute consistency. Trump jumps in rather lamely: | |
| He lied. He lied. 100% | |
| Rubio smiles and returns fire: | |
| You lied to the Polish workers. You lied to the students of Trump University. | |
| Trump mumbles something about that being the past. | |
| “You lied to them eight years ago,” says Rubio. “I guess there’s a statute of limitations on lies?” | |
| The crowd likes that line. | |
| 2.08am GMT | |
| 02:08 | |
| Trump on Fox 'fucking wall' quote: The wall just got 10 feet taller | |
| To Trump: You want to build a wall. But Mexican leaders say that will never happen. In fact Vicente Fox said, Quote: “I’m not going to pay for that quote, effing wall.” | |
| How will Trump get Mexico to pay? | |
| Trump: “I will. And that wall just got 10 feet taller.” | |
| Then Trump objects to Fox’s profanity: “I tell you, if I would have used even half of that word,” it would’ve been a scandal. | |
| “This guy used a filthy disgusting word on TV, and he should be ashamed of himself and he should apologize.” | |
| Trump says the wall would be 1,000 miles long and cost $10bn-$12bn and “it’s a real wall.” “Mexico will pay for it because they are not doing us any favors.” | |
| Then Rubio cuts loose with a highly prepped slam: | |
| If he builds the wall the way he builds Mar-a-Lago he’ll be using illegal workers to do it. Your ties and clothes he made are made in Mexico and China. | |
| Make them in America! | |
| Trump: “You don’t know a think about business. You don’t know anything about it.” | |
| Rubio back with a hit: “I don’t know anything about bankrupting companies either.” Then he hits Trump over lawsuits against a university that used to bear his name. | |
| Rubio is unloading the oppo arsenal onstage. | |
| Trump is wound up. “Here’s a guy that buys a house for $179,000, he sells it for $380,000 to a lobbyist, probably who’s here!” | |
| Rubio is not letting up: | |
| “Here’s a guy that inherited $200m!” | |
| Update: inre Donald and the F word: | |
| pic.twitter.com/cMRzxM6ZsR | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.09am GMT | |
| 2.01am GMT | |
| 02:01 | |
| Now to Kasich. He starts by pointing out the elder Bush’s presence in the audience. He holds up the Bush era as a time when the parties could work together, in tacit contrast with what we’re witnessing onstage. Then Kasich says he would take care of immigration reform first thing as president. | |
| Carson is asked about his beliefs on immigration. He says “I believe in liberty and justice for all.” Then he warns terrorists are trying to cross the border. Then he calls for boosting the Mexican economy. He mentions China too. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.01am GMT | |
| 1.59am GMT | 1.59am GMT |
| 01:59 | 01:59 |
| Cruz joins attack on Trump | Cruz joins attack on Trump |
| Cruz says he finds it funny that Trump pretends he invented the immigration issue. He says when he was fighting the Gang of 8 immigration reform proposal, “Where was Donald? He was firing Dennis Rodman on Celebrity Apprentice.” | Cruz says he finds it funny that Trump pretends he invented the immigration issue. He says when he was fighting the Gang of 8 immigration reform proposal, “Where was Donald? He was firing Dennis Rodman on Celebrity Apprentice.” |
| Laugh line. | Laugh line. |
| Then Trump hits Cruz for being unpopular. “Nobody likes you.” Trump: | Then Trump hits Cruz for being unpopular. “Nobody likes you.” Trump: |
| “I get along with everybody. You get along with none of them... you don’t have one Republican senator backing you, and you work with these people... you should be ashamed of yourself.” | “I get along with everybody. You get along with none of them... you don’t have one Republican senator backing you, and you work with these people... you should be ashamed of yourself.” |
| Cruz flips the attack. “Donald, if you want to be liked in Washington, that’s not a good attribute for president,” he says. He also hits Trump for hiring foreigners. | Cruz flips the attack. “Donald, if you want to be liked in Washington, that’s not a good attribute for president,” he says. He also hits Trump for hiring foreigners. |
| “Anyone who really cared about illegal immigration wouldn’t be hiring illegal immigrants,” Cruz says. | “Anyone who really cared about illegal immigration wouldn’t be hiring illegal immigrants,” Cruz says. |
| Trump hits back at Cruz, calling him duplicitous for leaving a 2012 loan from Goldman Sachs after financial disclosure forms. | Trump hits back at Cruz, calling him duplicitous for leaving a 2012 loan from Goldman Sachs after financial disclosure forms. |
| 1.56am GMT | 1.56am GMT |
| 01:56 | 01:56 |
| Rubio hits Trump on immigration | Rubio hits Trump on immigration |
| Rubio says that he would secure the border “before we doing anything on immigration.” Then he turns to Trump: “a lot of these positions that he’s now taking are new to him.” He mentions a 2011 Trump position in favor of a path to citizenship and the fact that Trump criticized 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney for talking about “self-deportation.” | Rubio says that he would secure the border “before we doing anything on immigration.” Then he turns to Trump: “a lot of these positions that he’s now taking are new to him.” He mentions a 2011 Trump position in favor of a path to citizenship and the fact that Trump criticized 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney for talking about “self-deportation.” |
| Rubio goes straight to the attack. | Rubio goes straight to the attack. |
| He then picks up on a New York Times report that Trump hired foreign workers on immigration visas instead of Americans at a Florida resort. | He then picks up on a New York Times report that Trump hired foreign workers on immigration visas instead of Americans at a Florida resort. |
| Trump defends himself: | Trump defends himself: |
| “As far as the people that I’ve hired... during the absolute prime season... you could not get help, it’s the up season... everybody agrees with me on that. They were part-time jobs.. because you couldn’t get help in that hot, hot section of Florida.” | “As far as the people that I’ve hired... during the absolute prime season... you could not get help, it’s the up season... everybody agrees with me on that. They were part-time jobs.. because you couldn’t get help in that hot, hot section of Florida.” |
| Then Trump defends his criticism of Mitt Romney: | Then Trump defends his criticism of Mitt Romney: |
| “He should’ve won that election... he ran a terrible campaign, he was a terrible candidate, that’s an election that should’ve been won.” | “He should’ve won that election... he ran a terrible campaign, he was a terrible candidate, that’s an election that should’ve been won.” |
| Applause. | Applause. |
| But Rubio will not let him go: | But Rubio will not let him go: |
| “You did criticize him for using the term “self-deportation.” Then Rubio says, “you’re the only one on this stage for hiring people to work illegally.” | “You did criticize him for using the term “self-deportation.” Then Rubio says, “you’re the only one on this stage for hiring people to work illegally.” |
| Trump has a great comeback: “I’m the only one on this stage who’s hired people.” | Trump has a great comeback: “I’m the only one on this stage who’s hired people.” |
| Rubio keeps after Trump, accusing him of hiring workers from Poland. He tells the audience to Google it. | Rubio keeps after Trump, accusing him of hiring workers from Poland. He tells the audience to Google it. |
| “I’ve hired tens of thousands of people,” Trump says. | “I’ve hired tens of thousands of people,” Trump says. |
| “Many from other countries,” Rubio says. | “Many from other countries,” Rubio says. |
| Sizzling! | Sizzling! |