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If Trump is nominee GOP will be 'slaughtered', says Graham – campaign live | If Trump is nominee GOP will be 'slaughtered', says Graham – campaign live |
(35 minutes later) | |
5.21pm GMT | |
17:21 | |
Cruz to Trump: so sue me | |
Cruz at peak Cruz: | |
Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits, this takes the cake. And so Donald I would encourage you, if you want to file a lawsuit challenging this ad, claiming it is defamation, file a lawsuit. | |
“It is a remarkable contention that an ad that plays video of Donald Trump speaking on national television is somehow defamation.” | |
WATCH: @TedCruz challenges Donald Trump to follow through on alleged threat to file suit over anti-Trump ad. https://t.co/gCXS9FsiME | |
5.17pm GMT | |
17:17 | |
Cruz is going after Trump in this news conference, listing “pro-abortion Democrats” that Trump has contributed to: | |
Fascinating: @TedCruz staging a courtroom-style argument against @realDonaldTrump right now in front of reporters, cameras… w whiteboards! | |
Mystery posters revealed: @tedcruz lists off "pro-abortion Democrats" @realDonaldTrump has given to pic.twitter.com/r57iRAnrjJ | |
Cruz says: "Donald Trump is a direct cause of Obamacare passing." Cites long history of contributions to Democrats. | |
Ok but donations mostly to safe Dem seats like Rangel and Maloney https://t.co/D86w0WLcmO | |
Updated | |
at 5.18pm GMT | |
5.13pm GMT | |
17:13 | |
Cruz reads cease-and-desist letter from Trump's lawyer | |
At a news conference in Seneca, New Hampshire, Texas senator Ted Cruz is reading a cease-and-desist letter his campaign received from Donald Trump’s lawyer. | |
Cruz says the letter singles out an ad Cruz is running tarring Trump as pro-choice and unfit to pick the next Supreme Court justice. “We cannot trust Donald Trump with these serious decisions,” the ad says. | |
On Monday, Trump threatened to sue Cruz over the senator’s eligibility for president, saying that unless his rival stops telling “lies” he will take the issue of his birth in Canada to court. | |
.@tedcruz reads cease and desist letter from @realDonaldTrump lawyer pic.twitter.com/atJ8CmHpTG | |
Cruz says Trump campaign sent a cease-and-desist in response to the ad | |
Here’s the Cruz ad: | |
5.06pm GMT | |
17:06 | |
Will the South Carolina governor pick a horse in the South Carolina race? | |
The last big known unknown before SC: will @nikkihaley endorse? pic.twitter.com/YRih9Vsu0g | |
5.01pm GMT | |
17:01 | |
Speaking of polls – hey look there’s another one, conducted in South Carolina by Monmouth University’s polling institute, which agrees with the picture everyone else has taken in the state of a big lead for Trump, just three days out. | |
Among voters likely to participate in South Carolina’s Republican primary on Saturday, the pollster reports, it’s: | |
Trump 35 – Cruz 19 – Rubio 17 – Kasich 9 – Bush 8 – Carson 7 | |
LATEST POLL - SOUTH CAROLINA GOP: Trump winning everything and everyone (well, almost) - https://t.co/0R7DP8JFTy | |
That 16-point lead for Trump is close to his 17.5-point lead in the state in Real Clear Politics’ polling averages. Monmouth sees broad support for Trump across pretty much all demographic groups: | |
Trump is the clear favorite of voters who have not been to college (53%), but also garners the support of about 3-in-10 voters with a college education. He leads among both men (36%) and women (34%); among voters under 50 years old (34%) and those age 50 or older (35%); among voters in veterans’ households (38%) as well as non-veterans (32%); and among evangelical Christians (33%) and non-evangelicals (37%) alike. Cruz (31%) barely nips Trump (27%) among very conservative voters, but Trump enjoys the most support of any candidate among somewhat conservative (40%) and moderate (41%) voters. | |
Updated | |
at 5.27pm GMT | |
4.52pm GMT | 4.52pm GMT |
16:52 | 16:52 |
Clinton leads 10 of 12 early March primaries – poll | Clinton leads 10 of 12 early March primaries – poll |
Is Bernie Sanders a national candidate? | Is Bernie Sanders a national candidate? |
The question is met with indignation by Sanders supporters, who point to repeated instances so far this election cycle of Sanders upending the conventional wisdom that he’s a niche candidate: by building a huge national network of donors, by drawing crowds of thousands from New Hampshire to Nevada to Michigan, by nearly beating Hillary Clinton in Iowa after trailing there in polls by double digits, by tying Clinton in two polls of Nevada voters, and by his whopping 22-point win in New Hampshire, which Clinton won in 2008. | The question is met with indignation by Sanders supporters, who point to repeated instances so far this election cycle of Sanders upending the conventional wisdom that he’s a niche candidate: by building a huge national network of donors, by drawing crowds of thousands from New Hampshire to Nevada to Michigan, by nearly beating Hillary Clinton in Iowa after trailing there in polls by double digits, by tying Clinton in two polls of Nevada voters, and by his whopping 22-point win in New Hampshire, which Clinton won in 2008. |
And yet: a new Public Policy Polling survey poses the question of Sanders’ national viability with new urgency. | And yet: a new Public Policy Polling survey poses the question of Sanders’ national viability with new urgency. |
The poll finds Hillary Clinton leading the way in 10 of 12 states that will vote between 1 March and 8 March. Clinton holds double-digit leads in nine of those states, according to the poll. Sanders leads only in Massachusetts and in Vermont, his home state. He appears close to Clinton in Oklahoma, which is among 14 states to vote on 1 March. | The poll finds Hillary Clinton leading the way in 10 of 12 states that will vote between 1 March and 8 March. Clinton holds double-digit leads in nine of those states, according to the poll. Sanders leads only in Massachusetts and in Vermont, his home state. He appears close to Clinton in Oklahoma, which is among 14 states to vote on 1 March. |
Sanders has long suffered a perceived gap with Clinton among non-white voters and voters without a college degree – groups that figure heavily in the demographics of states that will vote in early March. Clinton has vociferously challenged Sanders’ attempt in particular to close the gap with African American voters. | Sanders has long suffered a perceived gap with Clinton among non-white voters and voters without a college degree – groups that figure heavily in the demographics of states that will vote in early March. Clinton has vociferously challenged Sanders’ attempt in particular to close the gap with African American voters. |
“You can’t just show up at election time and say the right things and think that’s enough,” Clinton said in a speech to civil rights leaders in Harlem on Tuesday. “We can’t start building relationships a few weeks before a vote.” The argument appears to be holding with South Carolina voters, who polling averages say favor Clinton by more than 20 points. | “You can’t just show up at election time and say the right things and think that’s enough,” Clinton said in a speech to civil rights leaders in Harlem on Tuesday. “We can’t start building relationships a few weeks before a vote.” The argument appears to be holding with South Carolina voters, who polling averages say favor Clinton by more than 20 points. |
Pollsters aren’t always right (!) and the numbers can change quickly. But the emerging national picture does not appear, as the latest numbers come in, to hold obvious good news for the insurgent candidate. To which his supporters might say, see you at the voting booth. | Pollsters aren’t always right (!) and the numbers can change quickly. But the emerging national picture does not appear, as the latest numbers come in, to hold obvious good news for the insurgent candidate. To which his supporters might say, see you at the voting booth. |
4.11pm GMT | 4.11pm GMT |
16:11 | 16:11 |
Ted Cruz: not a morning person | Ted Cruz: not a morning person |
Candidates, they’re just like us! At least Texas senator Ted Cruz is, apparently. Because Cruz needs a tanker truck of coffee in the morning to succeed at basic functions such as blinking and speech, the Washington Post’s Katie Zezima entertainingly reports: | Candidates, they’re just like us! At least Texas senator Ted Cruz is, apparently. Because Cruz needs a tanker truck of coffee in the morning to succeed at basic functions such as blinking and speech, the Washington Post’s Katie Zezima entertainingly reports: |
There are the emails with the 1 a.m. time stamp, dinners that start when some people go to bed and meetings that stretch late into the night. Don’t expect to see him bright and early on the campaign trail — in a field of GOP presidential candidates where 8 a.m. events happen with some regularity, Cruz starts late in the morning, often clutching a cup of coffee. | There are the emails with the 1 a.m. time stamp, dinners that start when some people go to bed and meetings that stretch late into the night. Don’t expect to see him bright and early on the campaign trail — in a field of GOP presidential candidates where 8 a.m. events happen with some regularity, Cruz starts late in the morning, often clutching a cup of coffee. |
Cruz is a “night owl,” his wife Heidi says, telling voters her husband shares nocturnal tendencies with his mother. | Cruz is a “night owl,” his wife Heidi says, telling voters her husband shares nocturnal tendencies with his mother. |
“When he comes home from the campaign trail, they’re often in the living room talking late, late into the night” over tea, she said last month. | “When he comes home from the campaign trail, they’re often in the living room talking late, late into the night” over tea, she said last month. |
Enjoy the full piece here. | Enjoy the full piece here. |
(h/t: @bencjacobs) | (h/t: @bencjacobs) |
Updated | Updated |
at 4.29pm GMT | at 4.29pm GMT |
4.02pm GMT | 4.02pm GMT |
16:02 | 16:02 |
A long Bernie Sanders video spot featuring Erica Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who died after being placed in a chokehold by police, is circulating widely in advance of the Democratic South Carolina primary in 10 days. A majority of South Carolina Democratic primary-goers are African American. Erica Garner has been appearing with Sanders on the campaign trail in the state. | A long Bernie Sanders video spot featuring Erica Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who died after being placed in a chokehold by police, is circulating widely in advance of the Democratic South Carolina primary in 10 days. A majority of South Carolina Democratic primary-goers are African American. Erica Garner has been appearing with Sanders on the campaign trail in the state. |
“I’m behind anyone who’s going to listen and speak up for us. And I think we need to believe in a leader like Bernie Sanders,” Erica Garner says in the video. “He’s not scared to go up against the criminal justice system. He’s not scared.” | “I’m behind anyone who’s going to listen and speak up for us. And I think we need to believe in a leader like Bernie Sanders,” Erica Garner says in the video. “He’s not scared to go up against the criminal justice system. He’s not scared.” |
Garner tells her father’s story and about how the family has dealt with his death: | Garner tells her father’s story and about how the family has dealt with his death: |
I was able to see my dad die on national TV. They don’t know what they took from us. He wasn’t just someone that no one cared for him, or no one loved him. He was loved dearly... | I was able to see my dad die on national TV. They don’t know what they took from us. He wasn’t just someone that no one cared for him, or no one loved him. He was loved dearly... |
I’m just trying to get the truth out there to tell his side of the story. He was being the loving, caring man that he was, and he was murdered. | I’m just trying to get the truth out there to tell his side of the story. He was being the loving, caring man that he was, and he was murdered. |
The spot gets an approving nod from Republican strategist Rick Wilson: | The spot gets an approving nod from Republican strategist Rick Wilson: |
Set aside partisan considerations, but the Bernie Sanders Eric Garner ad is a damn work of art. It's brilliant, grim, and perfect. | Set aside partisan considerations, but the Bernie Sanders Eric Garner ad is a damn work of art. It's brilliant, grim, and perfect. |
You don't have to agree with its politics. It's an ad that combines craft, art, message, and is an emotional gut punch to his weak demo. | You don't have to agree with its politics. It's an ad that combines craft, art, message, and is an emotional gut punch to his weak demo. |
3.04pm GMT | 3.04pm GMT |
15:04 | 15:04 |
Donald Trump was on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night. Well, Trump called into the show, at least. Colbert is from Charleston, South Carolina, where Republicans plan to vote – apparently a lot of them for Trump – on Saturday. | Donald Trump was on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night. Well, Trump called into the show, at least. Colbert is from Charleston, South Carolina, where Republicans plan to vote – apparently a lot of them for Trump – on Saturday. |
Trump calls in. Colbert asks him what he’s wearing. Trump says he’s wearing “a very beautiful blue suit with a very poor tie but the tie will get better as the day goes on.” Weird. Then Trump says he hopes South Carolina will vote for him. “We’re going to make America great again.” Colbert challenges Trump on his “potty mouth.” Trump: “I’ve decided to stop” talking dirty. “These are very minor words, and in many cases I actually bleep them out myself,” he says. Go bleep yourself? Colbert says he should keep a swear jar and every time he cusses he should put a billion dollars in there. Then Trump says the senate “has a right... not to vote on [a new Supreme Court nominee]. Look, if I was the president I’d be pushing.” Trump tries a southern accent: “Please vote for me, y’all.” Exeunt. | Trump calls in. Colbert asks him what he’s wearing. Trump says he’s wearing “a very beautiful blue suit with a very poor tie but the tie will get better as the day goes on.” Weird. Then Trump says he hopes South Carolina will vote for him. “We’re going to make America great again.” Colbert challenges Trump on his “potty mouth.” Trump: “I’ve decided to stop” talking dirty. “These are very minor words, and in many cases I actually bleep them out myself,” he says. Go bleep yourself? Colbert says he should keep a swear jar and every time he cusses he should put a billion dollars in there. Then Trump says the senate “has a right... not to vote on [a new Supreme Court nominee]. Look, if I was the president I’d be pushing.” Trump tries a southern accent: “Please vote for me, y’all.” Exeunt. |
Updated | Updated |
at 3.04pm GMT | at 3.04pm GMT |
2.34pm GMT | 2.34pm GMT |
14:34 | 14:34 |
Cruz bears talons in hawkish South Carolina | Cruz bears talons in hawkish South Carolina |
Ben Jacobs | Ben Jacobs |
After being battered on national security in Iowa by Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz is taking no chances in the ultra hawkish state of South Carolina, writes Guardian political correspondent Ben Jacobs: | After being battered on national security in Iowa by Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz is taking no chances in the ultra hawkish state of South Carolina, writes Guardian political correspondent Ben Jacobs: |
Proclaiming that he wants a military with “more tooth and less tail”, Cruz went on a statewide tour on Tuesday to tout his national security credentials. Starting with a speech on board the USS Yorktown, a decommissioned aircraft carrier from the second world war, the senator from Texas laid out an approach that relied on beefing up the US armed forces with occasional doses of red meat for social conservative voters. | Proclaiming that he wants a military with “more tooth and less tail”, Cruz went on a statewide tour on Tuesday to tout his national security credentials. Starting with a speech on board the USS Yorktown, a decommissioned aircraft carrier from the second world war, the senator from Texas laid out an approach that relied on beefing up the US armed forces with occasional doses of red meat for social conservative voters. |
In a campaign stop in Columbia, Cruz pledged to increase the US army’s enlistment by 75,000 troops as well as add more ships to the navy and more planes to the air force. However, he made clear that these additional soldiers would be mostly men, casting scorn upon those Republican rivals who want to “draft our daughters into combat”. | In a campaign stop in Columbia, Cruz pledged to increase the US army’s enlistment by 75,000 troops as well as add more ships to the navy and more planes to the air force. However, he made clear that these additional soldiers would be mostly men, casting scorn upon those Republican rivals who want to “draft our daughters into combat”. |
Read the full piece: | Read the full piece: |
Related: Ted Cruz touts his national security experience in hawkish South Carolina | Related: Ted Cruz touts his national security experience in hawkish South Carolina |
2.30pm GMT | 2.30pm GMT |
14:30 | 14:30 |
Donald Trump for some reason is highlighting Barack Obama’s opinion that he, Trump, “will not be president” (Trump misquotes Obama as saying “never”): | Donald Trump for some reason is highlighting Barack Obama’s opinion that he, Trump, “will not be president” (Trump misquotes Obama as saying “never”): |
Interesting how President Obama so haltingly said I "would never be president" - This from perhaps the worst president in U.S. history! | Interesting how President Obama so haltingly said I "would never be president" - This from perhaps the worst president in U.S. history! |
Update: South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, who is stumping this week in the state for Jeb Bush, has an opinion to share about a potential Trump nomination as the 2016 Republican presidential candidate: | Update: South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, who is stumping this week in the state for Jeb Bush, has an opinion to share about a potential Trump nomination as the 2016 Republican presidential candidate: |
If Donald Trump is the GOP nominee for President, we will get slaughtered in November 2016. And frankly, we will deserve it. | If Donald Trump is the GOP nominee for President, we will get slaughtered in November 2016. And frankly, we will deserve it. |
Graham means that with Trump at the top of the ticket, Republicans could lose their eight-seat senate majority and down-ballot races galore. | Graham means that with Trump at the top of the ticket, Republicans could lose their eight-seat senate majority and down-ballot races galore. |
Update update: Twitter fight #politics: | Update update: Twitter fight #politics: |
.@lindseygraham, who had zero in his presidential run before dropping out in disgrace- saying the most horrible things about me on @FoxNews. | .@lindseygraham, who had zero in his presidential run before dropping out in disgrace- saying the most horrible things about me on @FoxNews. |
I will beat Hillary easily, but Lindsey Graham says I won't, and yet he got zero against me- no cred! Why does FOX put him on? | I will beat Hillary easily, but Lindsey Graham says I won't, and yet he got zero against me- no cred! Why does FOX put him on? |
Updated | Updated |
at 2.45pm GMT | at 2.45pm GMT |
2.28pm GMT | 2.28pm GMT |
14:28 | 14:28 |
This isn’t American politics but we trust you to handle the cognitive dissonance in the name of maximum information flow to the readership: | This isn’t American politics but we trust you to handle the cognitive dissonance in the name of maximum information flow to the readership: |
[UPDATE: There has been some confusion registered to the presence of the Duchess of Cambridge in our American politics live blog. We apologize for the confusion. To further clarify: the below does not pertain, as far as we know, to the 2016 race for the White House™. Rather it is something we saw on the Internet that we thought you, our readers, might like to see too. Did we misjudge you? Does this picture ruin, for you, what otherwise is a pleasing narrative politics blog thread? Let us know in the comments! – T.M.] | [UPDATE: There has been some confusion registered to the presence of the Duchess of Cambridge in our American politics live blog. We apologize for the confusion. To further clarify: the below does not pertain, as far as we know, to the 2016 race for the White House™. Rather it is something we saw on the Internet that we thought you, our readers, might like to see too. Did we misjudge you? Does this picture ruin, for you, what otherwise is a pleasing narrative politics blog thread? Let us know in the comments! – T.M.] |
Say, "Delete your account, lol." (Getty) pic.twitter.com/uBb041ZUZK | Say, "Delete your account, lol." (Getty) pic.twitter.com/uBb041ZUZK |
Here’s what’s actually happening in this photo, per AP: ‘Kate, Duchess of Cambridge talks with the Executive Editor of the Huff Post UK, James Martin, centre, and Editor in Chief Huff Post UK, Steven Hull, right, after launching a story on “Early Intervention in Mental Health Care” on the Huffington Post landing page in the “News Room” at Kensington Palace, London, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016.’ | Here’s what’s actually happening in this photo, per AP: ‘Kate, Duchess of Cambridge talks with the Executive Editor of the Huff Post UK, James Martin, centre, and Editor in Chief Huff Post UK, Steven Hull, right, after launching a story on “Early Intervention in Mental Health Care” on the Huffington Post landing page in the “News Room” at Kensington Palace, London, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016.’ |
Updated | Updated |
at 3.50pm GMT | at 3.50pm GMT |
1.20pm GMT | 1.20pm GMT |
13:20 | 13:20 |
Hello, and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House. Three days from now, Democrats caucus in Nevada and Republicans hold a primary in South Carolina. Here’s what’s happening: | Hello, and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House. Three days from now, Democrats caucus in Nevada and Republicans hold a primary in South Carolina. Here’s what’s happening: |
Nevada neck-and-neck? | Nevada neck-and-neck? |
In a CNN/ORC poll of likely caucus attendees published Wednesday, 48% said they supported Hillary Clinton and 47% backed Sanders. Be advised that the Nevada caucuses have proven tricky for pollsters in the past. This is the second recent poll to show a Nevada tie, FWIW. | In a CNN/ORC poll of likely caucus attendees published Wednesday, 48% said they supported Hillary Clinton and 47% backed Sanders. Be advised that the Nevada caucuses have proven tricky for pollsters in the past. This is the second recent poll to show a Nevada tie, FWIW. |
Big TV buy news from NV:Hillary outspending Bernie $1.5M to $1M today thru caucusTrump made $400K buy this week.https://t.co/gzAxm22poV | Big TV buy news from NV:Hillary outspending Bernie $1.5M to $1M today thru caucusTrump made $400K buy this week.https://t.co/gzAxm22poV |
The same poll showed Trump way ahead in Nevada among likely caucus-goers, with 45% to Marco Rubio’s 19%, and Clinton with a large lead in South Carolina, where Democrats vote on Saturday 27 February. | The same poll showed Trump way ahead in Nevada among likely caucus-goers, with 45% to Marco Rubio’s 19%, and Clinton with a large lead in South Carolina, where Democrats vote on Saturday 27 February. |
The president got some things off his mind in a news conference yesterday, including the need for the Senate to consider his next supreme court pick ... | The president got some things off his mind in a news conference yesterday, including the need for the Senate to consider his next supreme court pick ... |
The constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen. When there is a vacancy on the supreme court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone. The Senate is to consider that nomination, and either they disapprove of that nominee, or that nominee is elevated to the supreme court ... There is more than enough time for the Senate to consider in a thoughtful way the record of a nominee that I present and to make a decision. | The constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen. When there is a vacancy on the supreme court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone. The Senate is to consider that nomination, and either they disapprove of that nominee, or that nominee is elevated to the supreme court ... There is more than enough time for the Senate to consider in a thoughtful way the record of a nominee that I present and to make a decision. |
... and his perception that Donald J Trump will not be the 45th US president: | ... and his perception that Donald J Trump will not be the 45th US president: |
I continue to believe Mr Trump will not be president, and the reason is that I have a lot of faith in the American people, and and I think they recognize that being president is a serious job. | I continue to believe Mr Trump will not be president, and the reason is that I have a lot of faith in the American people, and and I think they recognize that being president is a serious job. |
Point, counterpoint: | Point, counterpoint: |
This explains why we (wrongly) keep assuming voters will magically come to their senses & reject Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/NJXbxfhVEZ | This explains why we (wrongly) keep assuming voters will magically come to their senses & reject Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/NJXbxfhVEZ |
Then again, normal usually happens. | Then again, normal usually happens. |
Our team in the field today includes Ben Jacobs with Donald Trump and Sabrina Siddiqui with Marco Rubio. Later Sabrina will attend a town hall featuring three Republican candidates: Carson, Rubio and Ted Cruz. As counter-programming to the town hall, Trump is holding an event of his own, some kind of love-in tonight with MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. | Our team in the field today includes Ben Jacobs with Donald Trump and Sabrina Siddiqui with Marco Rubio. Later Sabrina will attend a town hall featuring three Republican candidates: Carson, Rubio and Ted Cruz. As counter-programming to the town hall, Trump is holding an event of his own, some kind of love-in tonight with MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. |
Hey, look, it’s American politics in a nutshell. Jeb Bush’s America ... | Hey, look, it’s American politics in a nutshell. Jeb Bush’s America ... |
America. pic.twitter.com/TeduJkwQF3 | America. pic.twitter.com/TeduJkwQF3 |
... versus Bernie Sanders’ America: | ... versus Bernie Sanders’ America: |
Honorable mention: | Honorable mention: |
i dont know why we're doing this butAmerica pic.twitter.com/KMR4MnW5lS | i dont know why we're doing this butAmerica pic.twitter.com/KMR4MnW5lS |
Updated | Updated |
at 2.25pm GMT | at 2.25pm GMT |