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| Trump’s comments on barring Muslim immigrants are ‘unhinged,’ Bush says | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Former Florida governor Jeb Bush called billionaire Republican front-runner Donald Trump “unhinged” during the sixth GOP presidential debate Thursday evening, for Trump’s proposal to bar Muslim foreigners from entering the United States, saying that it would alienate vital Muslim allies in the fight against the Islamic State. | |
| “All Muslims? Seriously?” Bush said, in one of his strongest moments during six not-very-strong debates. “They are unhinged,” he said of Trump’s comments on the subject. | |
| A moderator pointed out that Trump’s support had risen in South Carolina by eight points since then. | |
| “Eleven points to be exact,” Trump interjected. He responded with a general statement of concern about Islamic terrorism: “There’s something going on, and it’s bad. We have to get to the bottom of it.” | |
| [Follow our debate live blog] | [Follow our debate live blog] |
| The exchange came shortly after Trump had rebuked rival Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) for talking negatively about “New York values,” offering a tribute to the city’s response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. | |
| “When the World Trade Center came down, I saw something that no place on Earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York,” Trump said. He continued: “The people in new York fought and fought and fought, and we saw more death, and even the smell of death. Nobody understood it. And it was with us for months, the smell in the air. | |
| That followed an attack by Cruz in which he said that “New York values” were socially liberal, and tied to money and the media. He said that Trump was representative of those values, and therefore not aligned with the values of early-voting states such as South Carolina, where the debate was held. | |
| “I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made,” Trump said. | |
| It was the second time in this debate that Cruz and Trump – who had once had an unofficial alliance, but now are rivals – had tangled, with Trump having the last word. Earlier in the debate, the two had argued about whether Cruz was even eligible to run for president, since he was born in Canada to an American mother. That led to a long exchange that allowed Trump to restate the point again and again. | |
| In the shadow of those two, a pair of lower-polling rivals — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) – each tried to cast the other as too liberal and too friendly to President Obama’s priorities. Christie, in particular, responded with some unusually tough words for Obama himself. | |
| “This guy is a petulant child,” Christie said, when asked about Obama’s efforts to circumvent Congress with executive actions to expand background checks on gun purchases. Christie then said he hoped that Obama was watching: “We are going to kick your rear end out of the White House come this fall!” | |
| Unless Christie knows something everybody else doesn’t, Obama is not running in the election this fall. He is scheduled to leave office in January, when a new president takes office. | |
| During the exchange about Cruz’s citizenship, Trump told Cruz that “there’s a big question mark on your head, and you can’t do that to the party.” | |
| “Who the hell knows if you can run for office?” Trump added. | |
| The exchange took several minutes, and also demonstrated the danger – even for a skillful debater like Cruz – of tangling with Trump, a trained master of reality TV. It began with a question for Cruz, who was born in Canada to an American mother, about whether he fit the Constitution’s definition of a “natural born” American citizen, and was eligible to run for president. He said that Trump had dismissed the idea earlier in the race but now was suddenly concerned. | |
| “The Constitution hasn’t changed. But the poll numbers have. And I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling,” Cruz said. | “The Constitution hasn’t changed. But the poll numbers have. And I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling,” Cruz said. |
| That set off a long exchange in which Trump admitted he had, indeed, become more concerned because of Cruz’s rise in the polls. “Because now he’s doing a little bit better. You know, I didn’t care before,” Trump said, although he also reminded Cruz that he was still ahead in the polls. “He’s got probably a four or five percent chance” of winning the race. Trump imagined a scenario in which Trump himself might choose Cruz as a running mate, “And the Democrats sue because we can’t take him along for the ride. I don’t like that.” | That set off a long exchange in which Trump admitted he had, indeed, become more concerned because of Cruz’s rise in the polls. “Because now he’s doing a little bit better. You know, I didn’t care before,” Trump said, although he also reminded Cruz that he was still ahead in the polls. “He’s got probably a four or five percent chance” of winning the race. Trump imagined a scenario in which Trump himself might choose Cruz as a running mate, “And the Democrats sue because we can’t take him along for the ride. I don’t like that.” |
| “I’m not going to be taking legal advice from Donald Trump,” Cruz, a Harvard Law graduate and former Supreme Court clerk, responded. Cruz said that maybe he would make Trump a vice president, which means he could benefit if Cruz was disqualified: “You can get the top job at the end of the day.” | “I’m not going to be taking legal advice from Donald Trump,” Cruz, a Harvard Law graduate and former Supreme Court clerk, responded. Cruz said that maybe he would make Trump a vice president, which means he could benefit if Cruz was disqualified: “You can get the top job at the end of the day.” |
| Eventually, Rubio butted in. “I hate to interrupt this episode of Court TV.” | |
| [Still don’t think Donald Trump can win? This chart should convince you.] | [Still don’t think Donald Trump can win? This chart should convince you.] |
| Earlier in the debate, Trump called Syrian refugees a “Trojan horse” that brought terrorist sympathizers into the U.S. | Earlier in the debate, Trump called Syrian refugees a “Trojan horse” that brought terrorist sympathizers into the U.S. |
| “It’s reality. You just have to look today at Indonesia. Bombings all over. You look at California. You look, frankly, at Paris,” Trump said when asked about a refugee that President Obama had invited as his guest to the State of the Union. Trump said that refugee’s sympathetic story was not typical: “That’s not representative of what you have in that line of migration. That could be the great Trojan horse.” | “It’s reality. You just have to look today at Indonesia. Bombings all over. You look at California. You look, frankly, at Paris,” Trump said when asked about a refugee that President Obama had invited as his guest to the State of the Union. Trump said that refugee’s sympathetic story was not typical: “That’s not representative of what you have in that line of migration. That could be the great Trojan horse.” |
| Trump has said that he wants a temporary ban on all Muslim foreigners seeking to enter the U.S., and a wall to keep out undocumented immigrants along the border with Mexico. He did not appear to have changed that tactic: “We can’t let all these people come into our country and break our borders. We can’t do it.” | Trump has said that he wants a temporary ban on all Muslim foreigners seeking to enter the U.S., and a wall to keep out undocumented immigrants along the border with Mexico. He did not appear to have changed that tactic: “We can’t let all these people come into our country and break our borders. We can’t do it.” |
| Later in the debate, broadcast on Fox Business Network, Cruz was asked about a New York Times report that he had failed to disclose loans made to him by Citibank and Goldman Sachs with election officials, while he ran for the Senate from Texas in 2012. Cruz later disclosed the information with Senate authorities. He rejected it as a “hit piece.” | Later in the debate, broadcast on Fox Business Network, Cruz was asked about a New York Times report that he had failed to disclose loans made to him by Citibank and Goldman Sachs with election officials, while he ran for the Senate from Texas in 2012. Cruz later disclosed the information with Senate authorities. He rejected it as a “hit piece.” |
| “Yes, I made a paperwork error, disclosing it on one piece of paper instead of the other. But if that’s the best that the New York Times has got, they’d better go back to the well,” Cruz said. | “Yes, I made a paperwork error, disclosing it on one piece of paper instead of the other. But if that’s the best that the New York Times has got, they’d better go back to the well,” Cruz said. |
| Cruz began the night by criticizing Obama for failing to mention the 10 U.S. sailors who were seized – and later released – by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf, calling it evidence of Obama’s weakness. | Cruz began the night by criticizing Obama for failing to mention the 10 U.S. sailors who were seized – and later released – by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf, calling it evidence of Obama’s weakness. |
| “We were horrified to see the sight of 10 American sailors on their knees with their hands on their head. In that state of the union, President Obama didn’t so much as mention those 10 sailors,” Cruz said, ignoring – for the moment – the fact that he had actually been asked about jobs. “It was heartbreaking. But the good news is the next commander in chief is standing on this stage.” | “We were horrified to see the sight of 10 American sailors on their knees with their hands on their head. In that state of the union, President Obama didn’t so much as mention those 10 sailors,” Cruz said, ignoring – for the moment – the fact that he had actually been asked about jobs. “It was heartbreaking. But the good news is the next commander in chief is standing on this stage.” |
| The sailors were later released by Iran, and the Pentagon said Thursday that they had entered Iranian territorial waters by mistake after a navigational error. But Cruz said that the sailors’ treatment – including the release of footage that showed them with hands on their heads as they were taken into custody – would have drawn a sharper response from a President Cruz. “Any nation that captures our fighting men will feel the full force and fury of the United States of America,” Cruz said. | The sailors were later released by Iran, and the Pentagon said Thursday that they had entered Iranian territorial waters by mistake after a navigational error. But Cruz said that the sailors’ treatment – including the release of footage that showed them with hands on their heads as they were taken into custody – would have drawn a sharper response from a President Cruz. “Any nation that captures our fighting men will feel the full force and fury of the United States of America,” Cruz said. |
| Later, Christie criticized Obama for underplaying the threats to the U.S.: “I watched storytime with Barack Obama.” | |
| The main debate, which began at 9 p.m., was preceded by an “undercard” debate among former tech executive Carly Fiorina, former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. | The main debate, which began at 9 p.m., was preceded by an “undercard” debate among former tech executive Carly Fiorina, former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. |
| In the earlier debate, the trio of long-shot candidates offered gloomy visions of the country’s path, all hoping that they might get a ticket to the top tier of the race with just a few weeks remaining until the first votes. | In the earlier debate, the trio of long-shot candidates offered gloomy visions of the country’s path, all hoping that they might get a ticket to the top tier of the race with just a few weeks remaining until the first votes. |
| Fox Business Network hosted both debates. | Fox Business Network hosted both debates. |
| Viewers of the main event will see a race that has split into two bitter mini-battles. One is between Iowa front-runners Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, whose old truce unraveled into insult-trading this week. | Viewers of the main event will see a race that has split into two bitter mini-battles. One is between Iowa front-runners Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, whose old truce unraveled into insult-trading this week. |
| The other battle is between everybody else: a universe of candidates hovering in the single digits or low teens, all focused on taking one another out. | The other battle is between everybody else: a universe of candidates hovering in the single digits or low teens, all focused on taking one another out. |
| That group — highly accomplished, great-on-paper candidates such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Christie, Rubio and Bush — are all relying on some variant of the same strategy: Survive long enough for voters to come to their senses. | |
| [The conservative media’s civil war over Ted Cruz ‘birtherism’] | [The conservative media’s civil war over Ted Cruz ‘birtherism’] |
| Trump had continued to bring up Cruz’s eligibility on the campaign trail this week, but he had said in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett on Wednesday that he will not bring the issue up at the debate. It came up anyway. | |
| Cruz, in the past, had seemed reluctant to attack Trump — perhaps hoping that he would inherit Trump’s anti-establishment coalition if Trump himself faded. Now, the Texas Republican seems to have given up on that — or perhaps he is trying to hasten Trump’s fade a bit faster. | Cruz, in the past, had seemed reluctant to attack Trump — perhaps hoping that he would inherit Trump’s anti-establishment coalition if Trump himself faded. Now, the Texas Republican seems to have given up on that — or perhaps he is trying to hasten Trump’s fade a bit faster. |
| “The Donald seems to be a little bit rattled,” he said on WRKO in Boston. | “The Donald seems to be a little bit rattled,” he said on WRKO in Boston. |
| In recent days, for example, Cruz took direct aim at Trump on several fronts: tying the billionaire to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, questioning his ability to win a general election and casting doubt on his ability to serve as commander in chief. | |
| Cruz also took aim at Trump’s competence. “Does a potential commander in chief know what the nuclear triad is, much less is he or she prepared and able to strengthen it and keep this country safe?” Cruz asked on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” | Cruz also took aim at Trump’s competence. “Does a potential commander in chief know what the nuclear triad is, much less is he or she prepared and able to strengthen it and keep this country safe?” Cruz asked on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” |
| In a Republican debate last month, Trump was asked about the nuclear triad — the submarines, bombers and land-based missiles that could deliver the nation’s nuclear weapons — and had trouble with the explanation. | In a Republican debate last month, Trump was asked about the nuclear triad — the submarines, bombers and land-based missiles that could deliver the nation’s nuclear weapons — and had trouble with the explanation. |
| For Cruz, the risk is that he will provoke Trump’s gift for insults: The billionaire has managed to isolate his rivals’ weaknesses and call them out in a way that sticks. | For Cruz, the risk is that he will provoke Trump’s gift for insults: The billionaire has managed to isolate his rivals’ weaknesses and call them out in a way that sticks. |
| During a campaign rally in Pensacola, Fla., on Wednesday night, Trump bragged that rivals who have attacked him in the past have seen their poll numbers tank, sometimes to the point of being pushed out of the race. | During a campaign rally in Pensacola, Fla., on Wednesday night, Trump bragged that rivals who have attacked him in the past have seen their poll numbers tank, sometimes to the point of being pushed out of the race. |
| “Now, we have another debate tomorrow. They’ll all be attacking me — like, you know, they attack. Whatever. Right? Whatever. What-ever,” Trump said, pursing his lips and shaking his head, as some in the crowd started chanting: “We want Trump! We want Trump!” | “Now, we have another debate tomorrow. They’ll all be attacking me — like, you know, they attack. Whatever. Right? Whatever. What-ever,” Trump said, pursing his lips and shaking his head, as some in the crowd started chanting: “We want Trump! We want Trump!” |
| “They attack,” Trump said, “but they don’t understand that unlike this country, I attack back.” | “They attack,” Trump said, “but they don’t understand that unlike this country, I attack back.” |
| Thursday’s main-event debate will be the smallest of this crowded campaign so far: just seven candidates onstage, down from the high of 11 during a debate in September. | Thursday’s main-event debate will be the smallest of this crowded campaign so far: just seven candidates onstage, down from the high of 11 during a debate in September. |
| Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), the libertarian-leaning candidate who battled with Rubio and Christie over their hawkish foreign policies, is sitting this one out. Paul’s polling numbers were so low he was relegated to the undercard debate. He then refused to show up at all, saying he was not running an undercard kind of campaign. He also has asked Fox to reconsider and put him on the main stage. | Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), the libertarian-leaning candidate who battled with Rubio and Christie over their hawkish foreign policies, is sitting this one out. Paul’s polling numbers were so low he was relegated to the undercard debate. He then refused to show up at all, saying he was not running an undercard kind of campaign. He also has asked Fox to reconsider and put him on the main stage. |
| Of the others on the main stage, the candidate under the most attack might be Rubio, who has tried to run in both the outsider and insider “lanes” of this campaign and angered the candidates in both. | Of the others on the main stage, the candidate under the most attack might be Rubio, who has tried to run in both the outsider and insider “lanes” of this campaign and angered the candidates in both. |
| Christie, in particular, has portrayed Rubio as a truant schoolboy because of Rubio’s frequent absences during Senate votes. | Christie, in particular, has portrayed Rubio as a truant schoolboy because of Rubio’s frequent absences during Senate votes. |
| Rubio, who tends to counterpunch with policy criticisms, has said Christie’s record on guns, education and Planned Parenthood doesn’t align with modern conservatives. | Rubio, who tends to counterpunch with policy criticisms, has said Christie’s record on guns, education and Planned Parenthood doesn’t align with modern conservatives. |
| [Christie hits back: Rubio can’t ‘slime his way to the White House’] | [Christie hits back: Rubio can’t ‘slime his way to the White House’] |
| Kasich has shown surprisingly good results in New Hampshire lately, raising his hopes that he will be the “establishment” candidate who survives to take on Trump and Cruz. | Kasich has shown surprisingly good results in New Hampshire lately, raising his hopes that he will be the “establishment” candidate who survives to take on Trump and Cruz. |
| Now, his job will be to improve upon past debate performances, in which Kasich often seemed peevish or too aggressive. After a November debate, when the Ohio governor repeatedly jumped in to answer or interject thoughts about other candidates’ questions, a focus group convened by Frank Luntz gave him one of the lowest scores the Republican strategist had ever seen. | Now, his job will be to improve upon past debate performances, in which Kasich often seemed peevish or too aggressive. After a November debate, when the Ohio governor repeatedly jumped in to answer or interject thoughts about other candidates’ questions, a focus group convened by Frank Luntz gave him one of the lowest scores the Republican strategist had ever seen. |
| “Look, I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow,” Kasich said Wednesday. “I will tell you that we’re second in New Hampshire and doing very well.” | “Look, I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow,” Kasich said Wednesday. “I will tell you that we’re second in New Hampshire and doing very well.” |
| After taking (and dodging) a few more questions about what might come up, Kasich grinned and commented on the very process of politics. | After taking (and dodging) a few more questions about what might come up, Kasich grinned and commented on the very process of politics. |
| “Most people, they get kind of loose and have fun once they lose, and everybody asks: Why didn’t they have fun before they lost?” he said. “I’m having fun right now.” | “Most people, they get kind of loose and have fun once they lose, and everybody asks: Why didn’t they have fun before they lost?” he said. “I’m having fun right now.” |
| [Who’s got the best ground game in New Hampshire? We may never know.] | [Who’s got the best ground game in New Hampshire? We may never know.] |
| Then there is Bush: once this race’s front-runner, now one of its longer shots. | Then there is Bush: once this race’s front-runner, now one of its longer shots. |
| Once again, he is hoping for a debate performance that will reset the race. That has not gone well in the past: In a previous debate where Bush badly wanted a breakout, he picked a fight over Rubio’s voting and attendance record in the Senate and provoked a damaging verbal takedown. | Once again, he is hoping for a debate performance that will reset the race. That has not gone well in the past: In a previous debate where Bush badly wanted a breakout, he picked a fight over Rubio’s voting and attendance record in the Senate and provoked a damaging verbal takedown. |
| This time, Bush seems determined not to overthink it. | This time, Bush seems determined not to overthink it. |
| He may be overthinking it anyway. | He may be overthinking it anyway. |
| “We don’t have really much of a strategy. It’s just stop thinking of it as a debate. Don’t call it a debate — that gets me thinking the wrong way,” Bush said in Iowa this week. “It’s a performance, it’s a chance for me to express my views about things that I think are important for our country. There may be some comparin’ and contrastin’ — I’ve noticed that since January started that the fur is starting to fly, that people are starting to go after each other a bit.” | “We don’t have really much of a strategy. It’s just stop thinking of it as a debate. Don’t call it a debate — that gets me thinking the wrong way,” Bush said in Iowa this week. “It’s a performance, it’s a chance for me to express my views about things that I think are important for our country. There may be some comparin’ and contrastin’ — I’ve noticed that since January started that the fur is starting to fly, that people are starting to go after each other a bit.” |
| [Bush and his super PAC are on the attack – but aiming at different targets] | [Bush and his super PAC are on the attack – but aiming at different targets] |
| Bush arrived in Charleston on Wednesday with his wife and three grown children in tow, all of whom plan to be in attendance Thursday night. He will keep to his predebate ritual of attending a Catholic Mass and having lunch with his family, aides said. | Bush arrived in Charleston on Wednesday with his wife and three grown children in tow, all of whom plan to be in attendance Thursday night. He will keep to his predebate ritual of attending a Catholic Mass and having lunch with his family, aides said. |
| Ahead of the debate, Bush once again seemed to telegraph his plans, telling Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker in an interview that if a question posed to him begins with something like “You’ve said Trump isn’t a serious candidate,” “I’m going to go after him,” Bush said. “The problem is there’s too much low-hanging fruit.” | Ahead of the debate, Bush once again seemed to telegraph his plans, telling Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker in an interview that if a question posed to him begins with something like “You’ve said Trump isn’t a serious candidate,” “I’m going to go after him,” Bush said. “The problem is there’s too much low-hanging fruit.” |
| The other candidate in the main debate will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, whose oddball campaign — which included days-long debates about whether, as a young man, he really stabbed a friend in the stomach or menaced his mother with a hammer — now seems to be fading. | The other candidate in the main debate will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, whose oddball campaign — which included days-long debates about whether, as a young man, he really stabbed a friend in the stomach or menaced his mother with a hammer — now seems to be fading. |
| Carson has indicated that he will try to seem more aggressive during the debate — with a little “pep in my step” — with hopes of reversing the impression that he is too weak to be president. “You’re going to see me not being quite so polite as to never say anything unless somebody asks me something,” Carson told CNN Tuesday. | Carson has indicated that he will try to seem more aggressive during the debate — with a little “pep in my step” — with hopes of reversing the impression that he is too weak to be president. “You’re going to see me not being quite so polite as to never say anything unless somebody asks me something,” Carson told CNN Tuesday. |
| [After a dramatic fade, can Ben Carson hang on in Iowa?] | [After a dramatic fade, can Ben Carson hang on in Iowa?] |
| Jose A. DelReal, Sean Sullivan and Ed O’Keefe contributed to this report. | Jose A. DelReal, Sean Sullivan and Ed O’Keefe contributed to this report. |