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| Republicans preparing to debate in S.C. react swiftly to Scalia’s death | Republicans preparing to debate in S.C. react swiftly to Scalia’s death |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Republican presidential field that shrank this week to six candidates will debate Saturday night in South Carolina, just hours after the sudden news of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, which triggered swift reactions from the candidates. | A Republican presidential field that shrank this week to six candidates will debate Saturday night in South Carolina, just hours after the sudden news of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, which triggered swift reactions from the candidates. |
| Scalia was beloved by conservatives. His death and the subject of who will replace him figure to become major topics of conversation in the debate and in the broader campaign. | Scalia was beloved by conservatives. His death and the subject of who will replace him figure to become major topics of conversation in the debate and in the broader campaign. |
| Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) quickly issued a statement on Twitter calling for Scalia’s replacement to be held off until the next administration. | Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) quickly issued a statement on Twitter calling for Scalia’s replacement to be held off until the next administration. |
| “Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement,” Cruz tweeted. | “Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement,” Cruz tweeted. |
| Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who has praised Scalia on the campaign trail, said his death was a “deep loss” for the country and added that the “next president” must nominate someone who “will continue Justice Scalia’s unwavering belief in the founding principles that we hold dear.” | Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who has praised Scalia on the campaign trail, said his death was a “deep loss” for the country and added that the “next president” must nominate someone who “will continue Justice Scalia’s unwavering belief in the founding principles that we hold dear.” |
| Donald Trump tweeted: “The totally unexpected loss of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a massive setback for the Conservative movement and our COUNTRY!” | Donald Trump tweeted: “The totally unexpected loss of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a massive setback for the Conservative movement and our COUNTRY!” |
| Ohio Gov. John Kasich said in a statement that Scalia’s death “is a serious loss to our nation and the Court.” | Ohio Gov. John Kasich said in a statement that Scalia’s death “is a serious loss to our nation and the Court.” |
| And former Florida governor Jeb Bush, in a statement, called the justice “a great man whose principled service left our nation vastly better off.” | And former Florida governor Jeb Bush, in a statement, called the justice “a great man whose principled service left our nation vastly better off.” |
| [Scalia’s death plunges court, national politics into turmoil] | [Scalia’s death plunges court, national politics into turmoil] |
| Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders also responded. “While I differed with Justice Scalia’s views and jurisprudence, he was a brilliant, colorful and outspoken member of the Supreme Court,” the Vermont senator said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his colleagues on the court who mourn his passing.” | Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders also responded. “While I differed with Justice Scalia’s views and jurisprudence, he was a brilliant, colorful and outspoken member of the Supreme Court,” the Vermont senator said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his colleagues on the court who mourn his passing.” |
| In a strongly worded statement, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Republican Senate leaders and presidential candidates calling for Scalia’s seat to be vacant until the next president is sworn in “dishonor our Constitution.” Clinton said the Senate “has a constitutional responsibility here that it cannot abdicate for partisan political reasons.” | |
| Also looming over Saturday’s debate: Trump, the South Carolina front-runner who has come under a torrent of attacks from his rivals. | Also looming over Saturday’s debate: Trump, the South Carolina front-runner who has come under a torrent of attacks from his rivals. |
| After skipping the final debate in Iowa and playing a secondary role in New Hampshire’s last debate, Trump was positioned to be at the epicenter of Saturday’s night’s set-to in Greenville, S.C. He is fresh off a win in New Hampshire and is leaving the rest of the field in his dust, South Carolina polls show. And in the past 48 hours, his opponents have savaged him. | |
| Adding to the testy atmosphere surrounding the exchange, Trump issued a statement Saturday accusing the Republican National Committee of “illegally” putting out a fundraising notice using his name before withdrawing it “at my insistence.” An RNC aide said the notice Trump was citing was related to a straw poll where participants were asked to donate once they picked a candidate. | |
| “The straw poll allows supporters of all the candidates to help contribute to the presidential trust that ensures our nominee has the $23 million of RNC funds to take on Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders,” said RNC chief strategist and communications director Sean Spicer. | “The straw poll allows supporters of all the candidates to help contribute to the presidential trust that ensures our nominee has the $23 million of RNC funds to take on Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders,” said RNC chief strategist and communications director Sean Spicer. |
| Saturday’s debate will test whether Rubio, who was ridiculed for mechanically repeating himself in the previous meeting, can regain his footing after a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire. | Saturday’s debate will test whether Rubio, who was ridiculed for mechanically repeating himself in the previous meeting, can regain his footing after a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire. |
| Several one-on-one competitions could intensify in Greenville, because fewer candidates is likely to mean more talking time for each one. Among them: Trump vs. Cruz Rubio vs. Cruz, Rubio vs. Bush, and Bush vs. Kasich. | Several one-on-one competitions could intensify in Greenville, because fewer candidates is likely to mean more talking time for each one. Among them: Trump vs. Cruz Rubio vs. Cruz, Rubio vs. Bush, and Bush vs. Kasich. |
| The two-hour clash, which CBS News is hosting, will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time. It will be the last debate before the Feb. 20 South Carolina primary. | The two-hour clash, which CBS News is hosting, will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time. It will be the last debate before the Feb. 20 South Carolina primary. |
| Trump will once again stand at the middle of the stage. He holds a commanding lead in South Carolina, home to nearly 5 million people, including an eclectic mix of Republicans. There are many Christian conservatives, defense hawks and centrists in the state. | Trump will once again stand at the middle of the stage. He holds a commanding lead in South Carolina, home to nearly 5 million people, including an eclectic mix of Republicans. There are many Christian conservatives, defense hawks and centrists in the state. |
| Trump released an ad this week focusing on his signature issue: immigration. The father of an African American teenager killed by an illegal immigrant explains why he supports Trump in the ad. | Trump released an ad this week focusing on his signature issue: immigration. The father of an African American teenager killed by an illegal immigrant explains why he supports Trump in the ad. |
| “Trump is the only one saying: You’re going to be dealt with. We’re going to enforce that,” Jamiel Shaw says in the ad. “We’re going to enforce that. That’s a beautiful thing.” | “Trump is the only one saying: You’re going to be dealt with. We’re going to enforce that,” Jamiel Shaw says in the ad. “We’re going to enforce that. That’s a beautiful thing.” |
| Trump has voiced hard-line positions on immigration, including banning all Muslims from entering the country over concerns about terrorism and creating a “deportation force” to remove undocumented immigrants. | Trump has voiced hard-line positions on immigration, including banning all Muslims from entering the country over concerns about terrorism and creating a “deportation force” to remove undocumented immigrants. |
| But in genteel South Carolina, Trump’s challengers have taken aim at his brashness as much as they’ve targeted his policy ideas. | But in genteel South Carolina, Trump’s challengers have taken aim at his brashness as much as they’ve targeted his policy ideas. |
| On the campaign trail this week, Rubio has criticized Trump for using crude language that he said he had to shield from his young sons. Right to Rise USA, a super PAC promoting Bush released an ad Friday calling Bush “the better man” and highlighting Trump’s personal attacks. | On the campaign trail this week, Rubio has criticized Trump for using crude language that he said he had to shield from his young sons. Right to Rise USA, a super PAC promoting Bush released an ad Friday calling Bush “the better man” and highlighting Trump’s personal attacks. |
| Rubio is trying to reignite a campaign that fell apart in the final days before the New Hampshire vote. He is showing a personal side he hopes will wipe away accusations that he is too robotic. He also has adopted a more aggressive posture, hitting not just Trump but Bush, whom he argues does not have any foreign policy experience. | Rubio is trying to reignite a campaign that fell apart in the final days before the New Hampshire vote. He is showing a personal side he hopes will wipe away accusations that he is too robotic. He also has adopted a more aggressive posture, hitting not just Trump but Bush, whom he argues does not have any foreign policy experience. |
| Bush, who finished just ahead of Rubio in New Hampshire, is trying to edge ahead of the senator in the battle for the mainstream Republican mantle. A strong showing in South Carolina, where Bush’s father and brother won primaries, could deal a devastating blow to Rubio. | Bush, who finished just ahead of Rubio in New Hampshire, is trying to edge ahead of the senator in the battle for the mainstream Republican mantle. A strong showing in South Carolina, where Bush’s father and brother won primaries, could deal a devastating blow to Rubio. |
| On Monday, former president George W. Bush plans to campaign with his brother at a rally in North Charleston, S.C., after mostly staying out of politics since he left the White House in 2009. | On Monday, former president George W. Bush plans to campaign with his brother at a rally in North Charleston, S.C., after mostly staying out of politics since he left the White House in 2009. |
| Rubio is not the only opponent Bush needs to worry about. Kasich, who finished a strong second in New Hampshire, has secured new financial support in recent days. He threatens to pull away some centrist Republicans also drawn to Bush. | Rubio is not the only opponent Bush needs to worry about. Kasich, who finished a strong second in New Hampshire, has secured new financial support in recent days. He threatens to pull away some centrist Republicans also drawn to Bush. |
| Another potential fight to watch Saturday night is between Trump and Cruz. Cruz’s campaign released a video this week that says Trump “pretends to be a Republican.” On Friday, Trump tweeted: “If @TedCruz doesn’t clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen.” | Another potential fight to watch Saturday night is between Trump and Cruz. Cruz’s campaign released a video this week that says Trump “pretends to be a Republican.” On Friday, Trump tweeted: “If @TedCruz doesn’t clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen.” |
| Also on the stage will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has faded sharply after exploding onto the national political landscape last year. Carson is polling at the bottom of the field in South Carolina. | Also on the stage will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has faded sharply after exploding onto the national political landscape last year. Carson is polling at the bottom of the field in South Carolina. |
| At the start of the race, the field was so crowded that organizers opted to hold two debates: a so-called undercard showdown for lower-performing candidates and a mainbar forum for the leading contenders. It continued that practice for months. | At the start of the race, the field was so crowded that organizers opted to hold two debates: a so-called undercard showdown for lower-performing candidates and a mainbar forum for the leading contenders. It continued that practice for months. |
| The field narrowed considerably after the first two nominating contests. This week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore ended their campaigns. | The field narrowed considerably after the first two nominating contests. This week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore ended their campaigns. |
| After the South Carolina primary, the race will quickly move west to Nevada, which will hold its Republican caucuses three days later. | After the South Carolina primary, the race will quickly move west to Nevada, which will hold its Republican caucuses three days later. |
| Jenna Johnson in Tampa, Philip Rucker in Greenville, Ed O’Keefe in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Jose A. DelReal in Washington contributed to this report. | Jenna Johnson in Tampa, Philip Rucker in Greenville, Ed O’Keefe in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Jose A. DelReal in Washington contributed to this report. |