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| 'Zombie frontrunner' Trump and Ben Carson charge ahead of Republican field | 'Zombie frontrunner' Trump and Ben Carson charge ahead of Republican field |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A new CNN poll released on Tuesday showed Donald Trump and Ben Carson clear at the front of the 15-strong Republican presidential primary field. Another outsider candidate, Carly Fiorina, had however fallen away, dropping to only 4% support after a surge fuelled by the first two GOP debates. | A new CNN poll released on Tuesday showed Donald Trump and Ben Carson clear at the front of the 15-strong Republican presidential primary field. Another outsider candidate, Carly Fiorina, had however fallen away, dropping to only 4% support after a surge fuelled by the first two GOP debates. |
| Related: Jeb Bush: Trump's 9/11 comments prove he's an 'actor' in candidate's clothes | Related: Jeb Bush: Trump's 9/11 comments prove he's an 'actor' in candidate's clothes |
| Trump, a real-estate billionaire and reality TV host, led the poll on 27%, with the retired neurosurgeon Carson second on 22%. The nearest rivals were former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Florida senator Marco Rubio, both on 8%. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Kentucky senator Rand Paul each scored 5%. | Trump, a real-estate billionaire and reality TV host, led the poll on 27%, with the retired neurosurgeon Carson second on 22%. The nearest rivals were former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Florida senator Marco Rubio, both on 8%. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Kentucky senator Rand Paul each scored 5%. |
| Trump subsequently called in to CNN’s New Morning show for a long conversation in which he rejected criticisms of his statements about former president George W Bush and the issue of culpability for 9/11. His remarks have prompted a strong repudiation from Jeb Bush, the former president’s brother, and moved the squabbling Republican primary conversation on to questions of foreign policy and US military might. | Trump subsequently called in to CNN’s New Morning show for a long conversation in which he rejected criticisms of his statements about former president George W Bush and the issue of culpability for 9/11. His remarks have prompted a strong repudiation from Jeb Bush, the former president’s brother, and moved the squabbling Republican primary conversation on to questions of foreign policy and US military might. |
| On Tuesday, Mike Murphy, who runs the Jeb Bush Super Pac Right to Rise USA, said in an interview with Bloomberg Politics that too much attention was paid to polls and that Trump would “never be president of the United States, ever”. Murphy also called Trump a “zombie frontrunner”. | On Tuesday, Mike Murphy, who runs the Jeb Bush Super Pac Right to Rise USA, said in an interview with Bloomberg Politics that too much attention was paid to polls and that Trump would “never be president of the United States, ever”. Murphy also called Trump a “zombie frontrunner”. |
| The same day, Trump was unrepentant. He said: “How can you say you were safe under his brother when we just had the worst attack in the history of our country?” | The same day, Trump was unrepentant. He said: “How can you say you were safe under his brother when we just had the worst attack in the history of our country?” |
| Asked if he thought it had been a mistake for the US to invade Afghanistan after 9/11, Trump said: “Do I love it, no. Do I love anything about it? No. I think it’s important that we, No 1, keep a presence there and ideally a presence of pretty much what they’re talking about, 5,000 soldiers. | Asked if he thought it had been a mistake for the US to invade Afghanistan after 9/11, Trump said: “Do I love it, no. Do I love anything about it? No. I think it’s important that we, No 1, keep a presence there and ideally a presence of pretty much what they’re talking about, 5,000 soldiers. |
| “But we really need to do it for different reasons. We have Pakistan there, which legitimately has nuclear weapons, it’s a real problem.” | “But we really need to do it for different reasons. We have Pakistan there, which legitimately has nuclear weapons, it’s a real problem.” |
| He then brought a familiar target of his campaign rhetoric into the picture. | He then brought a familiar target of his campaign rhetoric into the picture. |
| “It would be nice to have other people help us, like China is taking all the minerals out of Afghanistan and we’re fighting all the time,” he said. “China’s on the other side of the ridge with their big equipment, taking all the minerals out of Afghanistan.” | “It would be nice to have other people help us, like China is taking all the minerals out of Afghanistan and we’re fighting all the time,” he said. “China’s on the other side of the ridge with their big equipment, taking all the minerals out of Afghanistan.” |
| Trump denied making a previous statement in which he said invading Afghanistan was a “terrible mistake”. | Trump denied making a previous statement in which he said invading Afghanistan was a “terrible mistake”. |
| “No, no,” he said. “We made a mistake going into Iraq. | “No, no,” he said. “We made a mistake going into Iraq. |
| “Afghanistan is a different kettle. Afghanistan is next to Pakistan, it’s an entry in, you have to be careful with the nuclear weapons.” | “Afghanistan is a different kettle. Afghanistan is next to Pakistan, it’s an entry in, you have to be careful with the nuclear weapons.” |
| Was it a mistake to go into Afghanistan? Trump weighs in on @NewDay. #TrumpOnCNN https://t.co/QSa20MqKGG | Was it a mistake to go into Afghanistan? Trump weighs in on @NewDay. #TrumpOnCNN https://t.co/QSa20MqKGG |
| Related: Donald Trump to host Saturday Night Live in November | Related: Donald Trump to host Saturday Night Live in November |
| The real-estate mogul was also asked about an appearance at a rally in South Carolina on Monday night in which he said President Obama, who has indicated a willingness to sign executive orders on gun control issues such as background checks, in the aftermath of the Oregon college shooting, “wants to take your guns away”. He was unrepentant. | |
| “He was thinking about it,” Trump said. | “He was thinking about it,” Trump said. |
| Asked about his impending appearance as a host on Saturday Night Live, which has led to promises of protests from Hispanic groups offended by his virulent anti-immigrant rhetoric, he said: “I think they’ll have luck in driving up the ratings … this will be the highest-rated show of all time.” | |
| Calling such protesters “scammers”, he added: “I know these Spanish groups, they only care about themselves.” | Calling such protesters “scammers”, he added: “I know these Spanish groups, they only care about themselves.” |
| Trump also repeated his oft-expressed contention that he would “win with Hispanics” in the 2016 election, “and that’s a big statement because no Republican has ever won with Hispanics”. | Trump also repeated his oft-expressed contention that he would “win with Hispanics” in the 2016 election, “and that’s a big statement because no Republican has ever won with Hispanics”. |
| The next Republican debate is scheduled for 28 October, and is again set to include the top 10 candidates in national polling. | The next Republican debate is scheduled for 28 October, and is again set to include the top 10 candidates in national polling. |
| In the lower reaches of the new CNN poll, New Jersey governor Chris Christie and and Texas senator Ted Cruz were level with Fiorina on 4% each, Ohio governor John Kasich scored 3% and the former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum 2%. South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham brought up the rear on 1%. | In the lower reaches of the new CNN poll, New Jersey governor Chris Christie and and Texas senator Ted Cruz were level with Fiorina on 4% each, Ohio governor John Kasich scored 3% and the former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum 2%. South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham brought up the rear on 1%. |
| The RealClearPolitics.com poll average for the Republican nomination shows Graham, Santorum, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, former New York governor George Pataki and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore missing out on the main stage at the next debate. | The RealClearPolitics.com poll average for the Republican nomination shows Graham, Santorum, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, former New York governor George Pataki and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore missing out on the main stage at the next debate. |
| Asked on CNN about a possible Trump-Carson ticket in 2016, the real-estate mogul joining with the retired neurosurgeon to form a White House team completely untested in elected office, Trump said: “Stranger things have happened.” | Asked on CNN about a possible Trump-Carson ticket in 2016, the real-estate mogul joining with the retired neurosurgeon to form a White House team completely untested in elected office, Trump said: “Stranger things have happened.” |