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| Republican debate: Trump calls for ‘a lot worse than waterboarding’ against terrorists | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — Several Republican candidates called for a return to anti-terrorism tactics that were used -- and criticized -- under the George W. Bush administration, a moment of hawkish agreement in Saturday’s GOP presidential primary debate. | |
| “I would bring back waterboarding, and I’d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding,” said billionaire Donald Trump, speaking of the “enhanced interrogation technique” that simulates drowning. | |
| President Obama banned waterboarding, which had been used by the CIA under the Bush administration. | |
| In the same exchange, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) also said he would be open to waterboarding in emergency situations, such as to stop an imminent terrorist attack. Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) also approved of it, saying that “anti-terrorism” situations should be handled differently than “law enforcement,” and could follow different rules. | |
| Rubio also embraced another Bush administration idea: opening the detention center used to house suspected foreign fighters at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Obama has said he wants to close the center. “We should be putting people into Guantanamo, not emptying it out,” Rubio said. | |
| The main voice against waterboarding was George W. Bush’s brother Jeb, the former Florida governor. Jeb Bush said that waterboarding had been banned. “I think where we stand is the appropriate place,” Jeb Bush said. | |
| [Republican debate live blog: Full coverage] | |
| Cruz also defended his plan to use “carpet bombing” on the Islamic State -- but seemed to offer an unconventional definition of what “carpet bombing” means. | |
| “When I say saturation, carpet bombing, that is not indiscriminate,” Cruz said. He described the kinds of strikes his carpet bombs would strike: Islamic State buildings, supply lines, and other relatively small targets. Typically, “carpet bombing” is a term for an intense bombardment of a large area, covering every piece of it like a carpet covers a floor. Strikes against individual buildings and convoys are not typically referred to in this way. | |
| Cruz said that his philosophy for the Islamic State was simple: “Kill the enemy, and then get the heck out. Don’t engage in nation-building.” | |
| After Cruz spoke, Trump discussed his own strategy for the Islamic State, which was to bomb the group’s oilfields -- which experts say is possible -- and then to “steal” the group’s oil, which they say is effectively impossible. | |
| Earlier, Trump was booed repeatedly by the crowd at the debate, after Trump tried to shush former Bush during an exchange about Trump’s attempted use of eminent domain to seize a woman’s house in Atlantic City. | |
| “To turn this into a limousine parking lot for his casinos, is not a public use,” said Bush, who has clashed repeatedly with the bombastic Trump in past debates. | “To turn this into a limousine parking lot for his casinos, is not a public use,” said Bush, who has clashed repeatedly with the bombastic Trump in past debates. |
| “He wants to be a tough guy,” Trump said, returning to the line of attack he’d used in the past, casting Bush as a “low-energy” pushover. | “He wants to be a tough guy,” Trump said, returning to the line of attack he’d used in the past, casting Bush as a “low-energy” pushover. |
| “How tough is it to take property from an elderly woman?” Bush said, as the two tried to talk over each other. | “How tough is it to take property from an elderly woman?” Bush said, as the two tried to talk over each other. |
| “Lemme talk. Quiet,” Trump said. | “Lemme talk. Quiet,” Trump said. |
| The crowd booed. | The crowd booed. |
| Trump responded by telling the television audience that the crowd in the arena, at St. Anselm’s College, was full of donors who were unhappy that Trump wouldn’t take their donations. | Trump responded by telling the television audience that the crowd in the arena, at St. Anselm’s College, was full of donors who were unhappy that Trump wouldn’t take their donations. |
| The crowd -- now personally insulted -- booed again. | The crowd -- now personally insulted -- booed again. |
| “We have all donors in the audience!” Trump said. “And the reason they're booing me…I don’t want their money!” | “We have all donors in the audience!” Trump said. “And the reason they're booing me…I don’t want their money!” |
| The boos went on. It was Trump’s roughest moment in a debate so far, on a night when lower tier candidates like Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- who both need a good showing in New Hampshire to rescue their candidacies -- aggressively took on the front-runners. | The boos went on. It was Trump’s roughest moment in a debate so far, on a night when lower tier candidates like Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- who both need a good showing in New Hampshire to rescue their candidacies -- aggressively took on the front-runners. |
| Christie attacked Rubio repeatedly in the debate, the last before the New Hampshire primary, accusing Rubio of dodging questions from moderators and running away from his own immigration legislation. | |
| Christie, who had earlier savaged Rubio over Rubio’s experience in Congress, pounced after Rubio said he would no longer support the bill he had worked to pass. | Christie, who had earlier savaged Rubio over Rubio’s experience in Congress, pounced after Rubio said he would no longer support the bill he had worked to pass. |
| “The question was, did he fight for his legislation? It’s abundantly clear that he didn’t. It’s abundantly clear that he didn’t fight for his legislation,” Christie said. “That’s not what leadership is. That’s what Congress is.” | “The question was, did he fight for his legislation? It’s abundantly clear that he didn’t. It’s abundantly clear that he didn’t fight for his legislation,” Christie said. “That’s not what leadership is. That’s what Congress is.” |
| Christie and Rubio are fighting for the support of establishment voters and donors -- in essence, vying to be the establishment’s champions against Trump and conservative firebrand Cruz. Going into the debate, Rubio was far ahead of Christie -- and running on a message of above-the-fray optimism. Christie seemed determined to bring the fray to him. | |
| [Watch: Christie and Rubio’s fiery fight at New Hampshire debate] | [Watch: Christie and Rubio’s fiery fight at New Hampshire debate] |
| Earlier in the same section of questions, Cruz was asked about his plans to reduce illegal immigration. | Earlier in the same section of questions, Cruz was asked about his plans to reduce illegal immigration. |
| “We’re gonna build a wall,” Cruz said. Next to him, Trump -- who famously called for a wall on the southern border -- smirked and gestured, leading the audience to laugh. Cruz continued: “I’ve got somebody in mind to build it,” meaning Trump. | “We’re gonna build a wall,” Cruz said. Next to him, Trump -- who famously called for a wall on the southern border -- smirked and gestured, leading the audience to laugh. Cruz continued: “I’ve got somebody in mind to build it,” meaning Trump. |
| Earlier, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson criticized Cruz for showing “Washington ethics,” after the Cruz campaign spread false reports that Carson was dropping out on the night of the Iowa caucuses. | Earlier, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson criticized Cruz for showing “Washington ethics,” after the Cruz campaign spread false reports that Carson was dropping out on the night of the Iowa caucuses. |
| “What does that tell you? Unfortunately, that did happen. It gives you a very good example of certain types of Washington ethics,” Carson said. “Washington ethics basically says, if it’s legal, you do what you need to do to win.” | “What does that tell you? Unfortunately, that did happen. It gives you a very good example of certain types of Washington ethics,” Carson said. “Washington ethics basically says, if it’s legal, you do what you need to do to win.” |
| Cruz responded by apologizing to Carson: “Ben, I’m sorry.” | Cruz responded by apologizing to Carson: “Ben, I’m sorry.” |
| That was followed by the first sharp exchange between Christie and Rubio, in which Christie raised questions about Rubio’s experience, as a first-term senator. “You have not been involved in a consequential decision, where you had to be held accountable. You just simply haven’t,” Christie began, comparing Rubio unfavorably to President Obama, who was a first-term senator when he was elected. | That was followed by the first sharp exchange between Christie and Rubio, in which Christie raised questions about Rubio’s experience, as a first-term senator. “You have not been involved in a consequential decision, where you had to be held accountable. You just simply haven’t,” Christie began, comparing Rubio unfavorably to President Obama, who was a first-term senator when he was elected. |
| Rubio responded by turning to a criticism of Obama, and away from his own experience in the Senate. | Rubio responded by turning to a criticism of Obama, and away from his own experience in the Senate. |
| Christie mocked him for turning to a memorized speech. “When you’re governor of the speech, the memorized 30-second speech where you tall about how great America is, doesn’t help one person,” Christie said. | Christie mocked him for turning to a memorized speech. “When you’re governor of the speech, the memorized 30-second speech where you tall about how great America is, doesn’t help one person,” Christie said. |
| Rubio responded by saying that Christie had been unwilling to return to New Jersey during a recent snowstorm. “They had to shame you into going back,” | Rubio responded by saying that Christie had been unwilling to return to New Jersey during a recent snowstorm. “They had to shame you into going back,” |
| After another back-and-forth, Rubio launched into a repeat of his speech from before, about Obama’s failings. | After another back-and-forth, Rubio launched into a repeat of his speech from before, about Obama’s failings. |
| “There it is,” Christie said. “The speech again.” | “There it is,” Christie said. “The speech again.” |
| The debate turned strange even before it began, with candidates and moderators somehow managing to botch the process of walking in. | The debate turned strange even before it began, with candidates and moderators somehow managing to botch the process of walking in. |
| The problems began with Carson, who was introduced by the moderators, but then did not walk in as other candidates had. Carson waited, even as other candidates passed him and a stagehand waved at him to go on. Then billionaire candidate Donald Trump emerged out of turn, and stood stone-faced near Carson. | The problems began with Carson, who was introduced by the moderators, but then did not walk in as other candidates had. Carson waited, even as other candidates passed him and a stagehand waved at him to go on. Then billionaire candidate Donald Trump emerged out of turn, and stood stone-faced near Carson. |
| That left Bush to walk around them, tapping Trump -- his debate archenemy-- lightly on the arm. | That left Bush to walk around them, tapping Trump -- his debate archenemy-- lightly on the arm. |
| The debate’s moderators were then flummoxed enough to forget the last candidate on the stage. “Forgot Kasich!” a voice was heard to say. Only then did moderator David Muir introduce the Ohio governor, John Kasich, who walked out last. | The debate’s moderators were then flummoxed enough to forget the last candidate on the stage. “Forgot Kasich!” a voice was heard to say. Only then did moderator David Muir introduce the Ohio governor, John Kasich, who walked out last. |
| Once the debate began, Cruz declined to repeat an allegation that Trump lacked the temperament to be president. “I think that is an assessment the voters are going to make,” Cruz said. | Once the debate began, Cruz declined to repeat an allegation that Trump lacked the temperament to be president. “I think that is an assessment the voters are going to make,” Cruz said. |
| Saturday’s debate, which began about 8:15 p.m. Eastern time on ABC, follows Trump’s surprise loss on Monday in the Iowa caucuses. Trump, who skipped the last debate before the Iowa caucuses because of a feud with Fox News, is still ahead in New Hampshire polls. | Saturday’s debate, which began about 8:15 p.m. Eastern time on ABC, follows Trump’s surprise loss on Monday in the Iowa caucuses. Trump, who skipped the last debate before the Iowa caucuses because of a feud with Fox News, is still ahead in New Hampshire polls. |
| “So many things to say, so much at stake,” Trump tweeted Friday. He didn’t make it to New Hampshire to campaign on Friday, as planned, because of a snowstorm. “It will be an incredible evening!” | “So many things to say, so much at stake,” Trump tweeted Friday. He didn’t make it to New Hampshire to campaign on Friday, as planned, because of a snowstorm. “It will be an incredible evening!” |
| Trump is returning to a different race — and an emboldened group of challengers. Iowa proved, after all, that the race’s bombastic front-runner could be beaten. | Trump is returning to a different race — and an emboldened group of challengers. Iowa proved, after all, that the race’s bombastic front-runner could be beaten. |