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Republican debate live: Scalia death puts focus on supreme court plans Republican debate live: Trump and Bush spar as a booing crowd steals show
(35 minutes later)
2.13am GMT 2.49am GMT
02:13 02:49
Jeb! Bush gets his first question of the night. Asked about Bernie Sanders’ litmus test for judges - does Jeb have one? Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is speaking at a rally in Denver, Colorado:
“Not on specific issues,” Jeb answers. “Not at all.” HRC starts her speech in Denver with: "What a performance! Of course, I'm talking about Beyonce but the Broncos did great too"
“The simple fact is, the next president needs to appoint someone with a proven conservative record. 2.48am GMT
2.12am GMT 02:48
02:12 .@MarcoRubio: George W. Bush Kept Us Safe https://t.co/VPZTYuFwvt
Rubio praises Scalia for dissent on Obergefell, SCOTUS ruling for same-sex marriage 2.47am GMT
2.11am GMT 02:47
02:11 It’s good at this point to remember just how politically incredible this situation is:
Marco Rubio says that Scalia will go down as “one of the great justices of this republic.” Adds that he doesn’t believe Obama - whom he calls a “lame duck president” - should get to choose the balance of the supreme court by nominating a successor. The GOP frontrunner is pledging to defend Social Security, minutes after calling Iraq a "big, fat mistake."
2.10am GMT 2.46am GMT
02:10 02:46
Ben Carson - who is still in the race - up next, with a constitutional question. “The supreme court is a very important part of our governmental system,” he says. Hits out at the “truly nasty remarks” he’s seen about Scalia on social media. Trump: I'm gonna fix Social Security.Moderator: OK, but, like, how are you gonna do that?Trump: Let me tell you: It'll be tremendous.
2.08am GMT Ted Cruz up next. Says the economy isn’t going to be solved with “magic pixie dust,” which I guess loses him the magic pixie vote.
02:08 2.45am GMT
John Kasich up to bat next. He wishes the president would consider not nominating somebody - and if he does, wants him to go for somebody with cross-party approval. “I don’t think he will, though.” 02:45
2.08am GMT James Pethokoukis
02:08 Don’t kid yourselves: there remains a deep pool of goodwill toward George W Bush within the Republican Party. He made an extraordinary emotional connection after 9-11.
That was a remarkably honest and good answer by Trump on Scalia opening. The harsh Trump critique will, I am sure, strike many Republicans as unnecessarily venomous and something they would more likely expect to hear from Bernie Sanders or film-maker Michael Moore. That is why many see Trump as having a ceiling within these primaries.
2.07am GMT 2.44am GMT
02:07 02:44
First question, about Scalia - of course - goes to Trump. “If you were president, with 11 months to go...” Jeb Lund
“If I were president, I would try and nominate a justice, and I’m absolutely sure that president Obama will be able to do it,” Trump says. He adds that he hopes the senate will be able to stop him. “It’s called delay, delay, delay.” Three times (so far) tonight the audience has lustfully booed the facts:
2.05am GMT These three statements were made by Donald Trump, and he might as well have doused the stage in kerosene and set it ablaze.
02:05 “Exciting” in politics is an extremely low bar to clear; the slightest side-eye is usually enough to send politicos and political journalists aflutter and especially a-Twitter.
Here are the rules: candidates get one minute for answers; 30 seconds more for followup. If attacked by another candidate, you get 30 seconds to respond. This was far more than that. This was a man burning down a party from the inside.
2.03am GMT
02:03
The candidates walk on to the stage. Donald Trump causes something of a small traffic jam by walking out slowly. Ben Carson, energetically, reacts to his introduction with a near-imperceptible smile. Cruz and Rubio wave, as do Jeb Bush and John Kasich.
Immediately, John Dickerson begins a tribute to justice Scalia with a moment of silence.
2.00am GMT
02:00
The CBS news GOP primary debate is starting...
...now
1.55am GMT
01:55
Five minutes until the debate starts.
Google has this nifty widget through which you can follow the searches for each candidate in real-time as the debate unfolds:
1.51am GMT
01:51
Crucial: Obama says he plans to fulfil his constitutional obligation to nominate a successor to justice Scalia.
“But at this moment, we most of all want to think about his family,” he says. He does not hint at who his nominee might be - though many have speculated that the frontrunner in the president’s mind might be judge Sri Srinivasan, whom the New Yorker has called the “Supreme Court Nominee-In-Waiting.”
1.48am GMT
01:48
President Obama is speaking about Scalia
“Justice ... Scalia was a larger-than-life presence on the bench,” the president says. “He ... profoundly shaped the legal landscape.”
Justice Scalia dedicated his life to the cornerstone of our democracy: the rule of law.
In a statement which sorely risks overrunning the beginning of the GOP debate, Obama recounts Scalia’s life story, including his love for opera and his friendship with fellow justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
1.42am GMT
01:42
As we wait for President Obama to speak on Scalia’s death, a few responses from the Democratic side:
Bill Clinton comments on death of Antonin Scalia (via pool). pic.twitter.com/Jahgxyqm8G
Hillary Clinton statement on the passing of Antonin Scalia pic.twitter.com/4pd0uWbYCC
Bernie Sanders, in a statement, said:
While I differed with Justice Scalia’s views and jurisprudence, he was a brilliant, colorful and outspoken member of the Supreme Court.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his colleagues on the court who mourn his passing,”
UpdatedUpdated
at 1.42am GMT at 2.45am GMT
1.33am GMT 2.44am GMT
01:33 02:44
The news today has of course been dominated by the death of often-divisive Reagan-nominated Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia in Texas earlier, and it is more than likely that tonight’s debate will be too. And, we’re back: the next topic is “money”. Fittingly, the first question goes to - yup, you guessed it.
Several of the candidates have already released statements about Scalia’s death. Ted Cruz was first out of the gate: “Mr Trump: you have made a lot of promises, and you’re the only candidate who has said he will not touch entitlement.” They say that would cost “12-15 trillion dollars,” and ask if he’s proposing more than he can deliver.
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. Trump says “I’m going to save social security. I’m going to bring jobs back from China. I’m going to bring jobs back from Mexico. I’m going to make our economy strong again.”
Which the Texas senator followed up with a statement on Facebook: 2.42am GMT
As liberals and conservatives alike would agree, through his powerful and persuasive opinions, Justice Scalia fundamentally changed how courts interpret the Constitution and statutes, returning the focus to the original meaning of the text after decades of judicial activism. And he authored some of the most important decisions ever, including District of Columbia v. Heller, which recognized our fundamental right under the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms. He was an unrelenting defender of religious liberty, free speech, federalism, the constitutional separation of powers, and private property rights. All liberty-loving Americans should be in mourning. 02:42
Donald Trump also addressed the justice’s death: Ad break Twitter roundup:
The totally unexpected loss of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a massive setback for the Conservative movement and our COUNTRY! Trump is right. The World Trade Center came down when Bush was in office. That's a strange definition of "kept us safe."
The mogul followed this tweet with a more sober statement on his website: Who had "GOP candidates desperately trying to stop frontrunner who blames George W. Bush for 9/11" in their betting pool last year
I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the Scalia family after the passing of Justice Scalia. Justice Scalia was a remarkable person and a brilliant Supreme Court Justice, one of the best of all time. His career was defined by his reverence for the Constitution and his legacy of protecting Americans’ most cherished freedoms. He was a Justice who did not believe in legislating from the bench and he is a person whom I held in the highest regard and will always greatly respect his intelligence and conviction to uphold the Constitution of our country. Rubio rushing to Jeb's defense. Didn't see that one coming.
Marco Rubio also released a statement on Facebook, calling Scalia “one of the most consequential Americans in our history and a brilliant legal mind who served with only one objective: to interpret and defend the Constitution as written.” This debate feels....very weird. Like a WWE match mashed up with a blog comments section.
And Ben Carson posted a statement to his website: 2.38am GMT
In an age where it is popular to subscribe to a “living Constitution” and during a time when political and judicial leaders prefer legal decisions that are politically convenient, Justice Scalia always dutifully carried out his responsibilities to interpret the law, not to make new ones. Time and again, he ruled based on where the black letter of the law led him, not according to the politics of the moment. 02:38
Note that several of the candidates are using language that makes it clear they believe it is the job of the next president - ie, them - to nominate Scalia’s replacement. But the horse-trading is likely to be more complicated than that; Obama has indicated that he plans to nominate a replacement. Trump, again, hits out at the idea that George W. Bush ‘kept us safe’: “the World Trade Center came down under George Bush’s reign” says that he “lost hundreds of friends.”
The question then becomes a tactical one for Senate leadership; do they hold up Obama’s appointment, betting on a Republican win in November? Or do they choose the devil they know over the possibility of a new Democratic president? Jeb rescinds the invitation to the rally in Charleston with his brother, live on stage.
1.26am GMT We take you now to live footage of the #GOPDebate: https://t.co/NUWzk0MCph
01:26 2.36am GMT
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s coverage of the last republican presidential primary debate before the crucial South Carolina primary. 02:36
It is already a momentous day in American politics – and in American history. Antonin Scalia, the supreme court justice, has died. He was 79. In Washington, the battle over the nomination for his replacement has already begun. Jeb: “my mother was the strongest person I know”
Related: Supreme court justice Antonin Scalia dies: political and legal worlds react Trump: “maybe she should be running”
On the ground in Greenville, South Carolina – where that battle, or elements of it, will be fought between the Republican candidates on stage – is the Guardian’s crack political reporter Ben Jacobs. He has support from Washington correspondent David Smith as we bring you the best in live coverage. Did you catch Trump saying Barbara Bush should be the one running for president? #GOPDebate
Things to watch out for, other than tributes to Scalia and fiery rhetoric about why Barack Obama should not get to replace him with a liberal: the twin rivalries of Cruz v Trump and Bush v Rubio. 2.35am GMT
The former pair are scrapping for first place in this deeply conservative state. 02:35
Donald Trump is well ahead in the polls, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average, with 35.7%; but Ted Cruz will be hoping to pull off another surprise win like he achieved in Iowa, most likely by appealing to South Carolina’s evangelical Christian right. “This is just crazy. Jeez, oh man,” says Kasich.
Jeb! Bush and Marco Rubio are fighting not to win, but each desperately needs not to lose – Real Clear Politics places the two of them neck-and-neck in the state, with 13%. A fourth – or even fifth-place finish for either of the two would deeply shake their hopes of going into both of their home state of Florida with any kind of momentum – and, worse, would be a deep humiliation. 2.34am GMT
Chris Christie’s attack on Rubio in the last debate weakened him politically; he will be aiming to shake the ‘Robo-Rubio’ moniker. At least the New Jersey governor is out of the race now. Bush even more desperately needs a big win in tonight’s debate to move the needle for his floundering campaign. 02:34
Related: Marco Rubio turns into 'Marcobot' in disastrous debate gaffe | Jonathan Freedland “I think its my turn, isn’t it,” says Jeb.
John Kasich, in his zen manner, has less to lose tonight – but much more to gain after his surprise second-place finish in New Hampshire. “I’m sick and tired of Barack Obama blaming my brother,” Jeb says. “I could care less about the insults Donald Trump gives to me ... but I’m sick and tired of him going after my family.” He goes back to his old line about his brother “keeping us safe.”
It’s likely to be a night of fireworks. Stay tuned. “The world trade center came down when your brother was president,” Trump shoots back.
Do your thug thing, @JebBush . You got this, fam.
2.32am GMT
02:32
“As a businessman, I get along with anybody,” Trump says. The audience is shouting; febrile. “Obviously the war in Iraq was a big fat mistake,” he continues. “It took Jeb Bush five days before his people told him what to say, and he ultimately said it was a mistake.”
2.32am GMT
02:32
James Pethokoukis
With Rand Paul out the race, Trump is now really the loudest voice for a different kind of Republican foreign policy and a less interventionist one – well, less interventionist after bombing the hell out of Isis. He is the only one on the stage against the Iraq War, calling it a “big fat mistake”.
But then he went further, saying that the Bush administration lied the country into war. The former president is supposedly quite popular into South Carolina; we’ll see how Trump’s full-throated criticism – including noting that the World Trade Center was attacked on George W Bush’s watch, which earned him boos in the room – plays.
UpdatedUpdated
at 1.30am GMT at 2.37am GMT
2.31am GMT
02:31
2.30am GMT
02:30
Trump gets booed. And here we go with Trump attacking the audience again. Probably boosts his SC #s to 40 percent.
2.30am GMT
02:30
Quick cut to Lindsey Graham in the audience because of course, of course.
2.29am GMT
02:29
“And now to Ted Cruz, who is also running for president,” says Dickerson.
Cruz says that “when it comes to ISIS, you’ve got to have a focussed objective.” He’s avoiding getting into the mudslinging that just broke out between Bush and Trump
2.28am GMT
02:28
More boos from the audience, as Trump slams Lindsey Graham. Bush responds: “the basic fact is, Vladimir Putin is not going to be an ally of the United States.”
“We’re supporting troops that we don’t even know who they are,” Trump shouts. The audience boos again. “This is from a guy who gets his foreign policy from the shows,” Jeb hits back. The audience cheers.
2.27am GMT
02:27
James Pethokoukis
From Guardian US contributor and American Enterprise Institute columnist James Pethokoukis:
So no surprise, the lead-off question was about the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Each candidate’s response sort of reflected the essence of their candidacies. Trump was combative – “Delay, delay, delay” – but, you have to give him points for actually naming a couple of potential conservative judicial picks.
Kasich was sunny, suggesting this was an opportunity for Obama to nominate a unifying choice. Rubio gave a concise, smooth answer (not in any way robotic!). Jeb tried to be the adult in the room.
As for Cruz, it was an issue right in his wheelhouse, and not just because of his legal background. It allowed him to remind Republican voters that he is a “fighter” since, as president, he would have to fight to get his nominee through the US Senate.
2.26am GMT
02:26
Trump goes after Jeb!
“Jeb is so wrong ... that’s Jeb’s special interests and lobbyists talking,” he says, of Jeb’s plan to remove the sequester just now. The audience isn’t loving this internecine attack - more boos.
2.24am GMT
02:24
Jeb Lund
From Guardian US columnist Jeb Lund:
It took two replies for the axis of bizarro world to keep whirring askew of all physics, as Donald Trump delivered a reasonable answer on nominating a justice to the US supreme court to replace Antonin Scalia, and John Kasich said something dumb.
In short, Trump recognized that it’s the right of the president to nominate justices, irrespective of the year, because he would like the privilege of doing so if he were the president in a lame-duck year. It’s, he said, the obligation of the Republican senate to obstruct Barack Obama as he exercises his obligations under the constitution. That’s ... actually true, and fairly reasonable
John Kasich, on the other hand, felt that Barack Obama shouldn’t nominate anyone, because the American people should be consulted, via an election and the one in 2012 didn’t count.
Also, something something about civility.
Meanwhile, Ben Carson feltthat we should, uh, “look into that” about how, ahhh, the average lifespan of human beings has changed since the era of the founders, so, ahhh, these appointments last much longer, but, uh, also that we should do something about civility, because we aren’t as civil as we used to be.
Jeb Bush’s answer was completely sensible and predictable for his base, but I’m sure what everybody noticed was that he cited Article 2 of the US constitution – establishing his conservative bona fides – and spoke forcefully, as if he woke up a few weeks ago and looked at the clock and realized he had to appear credible as a candidate.
2.24am GMT
02:24
Back to Kasich, with a question about Russia. “You’ve said you want to punch them in the nose - what does that mean?”
“We need to make it clear what we expect,” the Ohio governor answers. “We will arm the Ukraine. ... Any attack on [a NATO country] is an attack on us.”
The fact of the matter is, the world is desperate for leadership.
2.22am GMT
02:22
Ben Carson is asked if his lack of political experience is a liability. He returns to the answer to his first question, then thanks the moderators for including him in the debate. “Two questions already, this is great,” he says.