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Republican debate: Trump under fire as Rubio and Cruz attack – live
Republican debate: Trump 'totally pro-Israel' as candidates talk foreign policy – live
(35 minutes later)
3.44am GMT
03:44
Commercial break number two. Tell us in the comments: Who’s winning?
3.42am GMT
03:42
Trump is asked, in effect, why not build a wall on the Canadian border too – couldn’t Isis fighters enter the United States from Canada?
“You’re talking about a border that’s many many many times longer,” Trump says. And we have less problem with that border, not counting “the tremendous amount of drugs that are coming in.”
3.40am GMT
03:40
Now question on Apple’s decision to defy an FBI request to disable a self-destruct mode on an iPhone to comply with an investigation of the San Bernardino terror attack.
“Apple doesn’t want to do it because they think it hurts their brand. Well let me tell you their brand isn’t superior to the national security of America,” Rubio says.
Cruz agrees, saying Apple should be required to comply with the search order, because it applies to only one phone, not to all phones. “On the question of unlocking this cell phone... we should enforce the court order.. Apple doesn’t have a right.”
Carson agrees. “If they don’t comply with that, you’re encouraging chaos in our system.”
Kasich says, “you know what the problem is, where’s the president been?” He says the president should have “locked the door” on a meeting between intelligence community folks and Apple until they compromise. And kept the whole thing out of the newspapers.
Updated
at 3.40am GMT
3.35am GMT
03:35
Cruz to Trump: “For 40 years you’ve been funding liberal politicians.”
Trump: “I funded you.”
Cruz admits Trump gave him five grand.
Then there is a big messy Cruz-Rubio-Trump mess.
Blitzer gets control back with effort.
3.32am GMT
03:32
Interesting Beck boost for Rubio:
From a Cruz backer https://t.co/SfAFS6WonH
Rubio is killing it.#gopdebate
Updated
at 3.33am GMT
3.31am GMT
03:31
Cruz now says he’s going to upload an interview to his web site in which Trump advocates for toppling Gaddafi, despite Trump’s just having said he never wanted to remove Gaddafi.
“If you care about Israel, you don’t write checks to politicians that are undermining Israel,” Cruz says.
Kasich tries to talk but Blitzer says Trump gets to because he was attacked.
“There is nobody on this stage that has done more for Israel than I have... you are all talk and no action,” Trump says.
Then Trump gestures respectively to Rubio and Cruz: “First of all, this guy’s a choke artist and this guy’s a liar.”
Carson gets a big cheer with the line: “Can someone attack me please?”
3.27am GMT
03:27
Trump is asked about a prospective ceasefire in Syria.
He says “it’s a meaningless cease fire” so he doesn’t support this particular deal.
Cruz says he’s hopeful but skeptical. Then he says Russia has strengthened its position because the Obama administration had given Russia the region. Then Cruz says Trump and Rubio supported the Obama Libya policy and Rubio supported John Kerry for secretary of state.
Trump says he never supported deposing Gaddafi. Rubio says he supported Kerry to get Clinton out of the state department.
Updated
at 3.28am GMT
3.23am GMT
03:23
Dr Carson, how would you deal with North Korea?
“People say I whine a lot because I don’t get enough time. I’m going to whine,” says Carson. “Because I didn’t get asked about taxes. I didn’t get asked about Israel.”
Wolf tells Carson to go for it. “This is your time.”
Carson says the IRS “is not honest and we need to get rid of them.” Carson says he went to Israel a couple months ago and talked to a lot of people and none of them did not think that the United States had not turned its back on Israel. Carson says Kim Jong-Un is unstable but understands strength and that the United States should strengthen regional alliances and develop a strategic defense initiative.
3.19am GMT
03:19
Kasich is back to North Korea. He’s asked whether he would assassinate Kim Jong-Un. He says Chinese intervention is needed in North Korea.
“You look for any measure you can to be able to solve the problem,” Kasich says.
But would he risk war for regime change?
“If there was an opportunity to remove the leader of North Korea, and create stability... but I’m also aware of the fact that there are 10m people in Seoul... perhaps the Chinese can accomplish that working with this man who is now the leader,” Kasich says.
Trump gets the North Korea question and he starts talking about defending Japan “for peanuts.”
3.16am GMT
03:16
Kasich is up. He seems to get dinged almost immediately, after a jag he takes into North Korea policy.
Rubio is up. He accuses Trump of taking an “anti-Israel position.” He says you can’t be an honest broker when “one side acts in bad faith.”
Then Rubio and Trump get in another slapfight, with a pretty good line from Rubio about the Palestinians not being a real estate deal.
“A deal between Israel and the Palestinians, given the current makeup of the Palestinians, is not possible,” Rubio says. “I will be on Israel’s side every day.”
Trump: I’m a negotiator. I have done very well over the years.
Rubio: The Palestinians are not a real estate deal.
Trump: A deal is a deal.
Rubio: Not dealing with terrorists. Have you ever dealt with terrorists?
Trump: You will never bring peace.
3.13am GMT
03:13
They’re back! Question for Trump. You said you wanted to be “neutral” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. How can that be when Israel is America’s closest ally in the Middle East?
“As president there is nothing that I would rather do than to bring peace to Israel and it’s neighbors generally,” Trump says. “It doesn’t help if I start saying – I am very pro-Israel.. but it doesn’t do anything to start demeaning the neighbors.”
“With that being said, I am totally pro-Israel.”
Cruz: “This is another area in which Donald agrees with Hillary Clinton... If I’m president, America will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel... it is not equivalent.”
Trump continues to imagine brokering a Middle East peace as president: “If I could bring peace, that would be a fantastic thing, it would be one of my greatest achievements as president.”
3.06am GMT
3.06am GMT
03:06
03:06
OK folks, commercial break after only one hour.
OK folks, commercial break after only one hour.
Who’s winning? Tell us in the comments?
Who’s winning? Tell us in the comments?
3.05am GMT
03:05
Trump is comparing his poll numbers with Cruz: “A poll just came out in Bloomberg where I’m beating him so badly, I’m embarrassed.”
“Hillary Clinton, take a look at USA Today... I beat her and I beat her badly... and I haven’t even started with her...”
Trump said he mixed it up with her a few weeks ago when her camp accused him of being sexist, “and believe me, they had a rough weekend that weekend, between Bill and Hillary, they had a rough weekend.”
Cruz then jumps in and accuses Trump of being a past Clinton admirer.
“On substance, how do we nominate a candidate who said Hillary Clinton was the best secretary of state of modern times?” Cruz asks.
Cruz says Trump “can’t take it to [Clinton] and beat her on the debate stage and the polls.”
Trump’s reply is sharp and is cheered loudly:
“If I can’t beat her you’re really going to get killed won’t you,” he says.
Then Trump pats Rubio and Cruz on the head:
I know you’re embarrassed, I know you’re embarrassed. Keep fighting keep swinging. Swing for the fences. Swing for the fences.
3.00am GMT
03:00
Trump: I can't release tax returns because I'm being audited
Trump is asked about Mitt Romney’s assertion that there is a “bombshell” in Trump’s taxes, pertaining perhaps to his wealth or charitable giving being smaller than he makes out.
“I was the first one to file a financial disclosure form... You don’t learn anything about someone’s wealth from a tax return.... people were shocked,” Trump says.
“I will say this. Mitt Romney looked like a fool when he delayed and delayed and delayed, and Harry Reid baited him so beautifully” on releasing his tax returns.
“As far as my return, I want to file them. Except for...I will absolutely give my returns but I’m being audited now for two or three years. So I can’t” turn over the returns until the audit is through.
Trump is pressed by a moderator.
“I want to release my tax returns, but I can’t release them if I’m under an audit,” Trump says. “We’re under a routine audit. As soon as the audit is done” I’ll release them.
Question goes to Rubio. When will you release your returns?
He answers simply: “Tomorrow or Saturday... and luckily I’m not being audited this year, or last year.”
Cruz then hits Trump over his admission that he’s being audited.
“Donald says he’s being audited. Well I would think that would underscore the need to see those returns.”
Updated
at 3.08am GMT
2.53am GMT
02:53
Twitter metrics, via Twitter. Looks like the polls in Florida. Wow that image renders tinily. Here’s what it says. The share of the Twitter conversation thus far is split like so:
Trump 51%
Rubio 23%
Cruz 14%
Carson 7%
Kasich 5%
Updated
at 2.54am GMT
2.50am GMT
02:50
Cruz insists on answering the Obamacare question and uses it to bludgeon Trump.
He says that Trump likes Planned Parenthood, while he would investigate it and prosecute any infractions.
Cruz then accuses Trump of “advocating socialized medicine:”
Donald wants to end it because he says that it doesn’t nearly go far enough. ... For decades Donald has been advocating socialized medicine... If you’re a small business owners, Donald Trump’s socialized health care will kill more jobs than Obamacare.
Cruz to Trump: “True or false: you said the government should pay for everyone’s health care.”
Trump says “false”.
Then Cruz brings up a line from a couple debates ago, in which Trump said he would not let people “die on the sidewalk.”
Trump stands by his position: “I will not let people die on the streets if I’m president.”
Then Trump manages a moment of humanity, which strangely under the force of Cruz’s cross-examination feels like some kind of moment of grace:
Let me talk. We’re going to have private health care. I am not going to let people die on the streets or the sidewalks of this country, if I am president. You might be fine with it. I’m not fine with it.
2.49am GMT
02:49
Jeb Lund
Who is doing best so far? Jeb Lund thinks Marco Rubio is putting on a good performance – but should stop laughing at his own jokes
Marco Rubio is doing very well. He hit Trump smartly on apt points, and he even had a good punchline. Cruz isn’t doing as well as Rubio, which should probably be alarming for Cruz supporters, because he’s the one who should be tap-dancing around everyone on stage. Kasich seems pleased to talk when people remember him and just as pleased to watch when no one does. Ben Carson was let out by the roadside to run free through a meadow as mom and dad peeled off in the car.
That said, it’s a fool’s game to think that the normal rules of debates apply here. Rubio’s shots on Trump and his one-liner would have been body blows to any candidate who was running as a candidate. But Trump is still Trump, a personality rather than a candidacy, fame rather than a campaign. And ultimately everything Rubio just said probably isn’t going to matter to anyone leaning toward Trump.
Yeah, sure, Trump employed immigrants. But I’m a Trump supporter, and I like Trump, that’s just a canny move. He saved money! He knew the game was rigged, and he played it. He got sued — so what? He’s a famous rich guy, they get sued all the time.
Trump’s playing a different game, which is scored differently among the fanbase. When he owns someone, it rules. When people bite back, it’s annoying. If they bite back too much, they’re desperate. (Also, for as many good lines as Rubio’s getting in on him tonight, Rubio is clearly enjoying them the most of all, which is just bad form. Don’t enjoy your joke more than I can, man. That’s amateur hour. Act like you’re not stunned that this is the first time your brain thought of something clever.)
On top of that, these guys are trying to work Trump, and he’s working the room. There’s something kind of final about the way that he can turn to them and engage, then turn to the moderators and the room and act as if they’ve vanished. At some point, he remembers that the other two don’t actually matter, and it shows.
2.43am GMT
02:43
Under attack from Rubio, Trump struggles to describe health plan
Next up: the Affordable Care Act. Rubio accuses Trump of liking the individual mandate in the law, which requires people to carry health insurance.
Rubio reels into his own castle-in-the-clouds plan for repealing and replacing Obamacare. He says the law is not only bad for health care, it’s a “job-killing law.”
Trump says he would throw out Obamacare... but keep requirements that insurers cover pre-existing conditions.
“I agree with that 100% except pre-existing conditions,” Trump says. “I want to keep pre-existing condition. I think we need it I think it’s the modern age and I think we have to have it.”
Then he says “the insurance companies are making a fortune with every thing they do.” He doesn’t mention medical products manufacturers and drug companies, who are making the bigger fortunes.
“I know the insurance companies, they’re friends of mine. One of them is in the audience, he was just waving to me, he was just laughing – he’s not laughing so much anymore. Hi.”
Trump says he would erase the lines between states, meaning set up national interstate competition in the insurance market.
Then Rubio mounts the most effective attack of the night so far at Trump.
“You may not be aware of this Donald, because you don’t follow this stuff very closely, but here’s what happened,” Rubio says. He says Obamacare included a bailout for insurance companies who couldn’t sustain the initial costs of the new law.
“What is your plan?” Rubio challenges Trump. Erase the lines?
Trump accuses Rubio of not knowing about state markets: “The biggest problem he’s got is he really doesn’t know about the lines. I watched him melt down two weeks ago with Chris Christie.”
Rubio persists: “Your only thing is to get rid of the lines around the states. What else is your plan?”
Trump: “you’ll get rid of the lines...”
Rubio: So that’s the only part of the plan? Just the lines?
Trump: You’ll have many different plans. You’ll have competition. It’ll be beautiful.
Rubio: Now he’s repeating himself!
Trump: I watched him repeat himself five time two weeks ago!
Rubio: I watched him repeat himself five times five second ago!
Rubio: He says five things. Everyon’es dumb. He’s gonna make America great again, wer’e gonna win win win, and the lines around the states.
Moderator Dana Bash: Mr Trump, anything to add?
Trump: No! There’s nothing to add. What is to add? What is to add?
Trump just appeared not to have a health care reform plan any deeper than “we’ll create competition and it’ll be beautiful.”
Updated
at 2.46am GMT
2.39am GMT
02:39
James Pethokoukis
Ding. Ding. Ding. Republicans, at least Marco Rubio, finally figured out how to go after Donald Trump. Rather than tagging him as a New York City liberal, you go after his supposed strengths.
You say he is phoney on issues, not much of a businessman and hardly a friend of the common man. And you press the issue machine-gun style, over and over and get under his skin.
Rubio did that when he accused him of hiring undocumented immigrants for his Trump University. Even Cruz jumped, forming a brief alliance with Rubio.
Perhaps for the first time during these debates, Trump looked rattled, even petulant.
We’ll see if Rubio and Cruz can keep it up during the rest of this debate and coming weeks.
2.36am GMT
02:36
Hari Ziyad
Rubio’s claim that the GOP is “the party of diversity” only proves the hollowness of “diversity”.
Yes, there are two candidates of Latino descent in the race, and Ben Carson. But painting the face of a racist system a different color does not stop its racist operations.
This is, after all, the party whose front-runner paints an entire country as rapists and who whipped-up racialized fears during the Central Park 5 case.
For voters who care about diversity, more representation will do nothing to undo the damage wreaked by Donald Trump’s harmful comments.
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.
