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GOP debate: Trump says trade deals, immigration laws that he utilizes hurt U.S. workers, but he will change them. GOP debate: Trump defends ‘Islam hates us’ statement
(35 minutes later)
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said he would be the best at un-doing the damage done to American workers by foreign trade deals and his argument was that, as a businessman, Trump has exploited those very laws skilfully. Republican front-runner Donald Trump gave an unusually wide-ranging denunciation of Islam and Muslims in Thursday’s GOP debate, saying that “a lot of ‘em” hate America.
“I will tell you, there’s something going on that maybe you don’t know about, maybe a lot of other people don’t know about, but there’s tremendous hatred,” Trump said, after he was asked about a comment he made earlier this week that “Islam hates us.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) criticized Trump in his most forceful attack of the night, saying that Trump’s comments would hurt America’s interests by alienating Muslims overseas. Trump stood by it, and expanded with his own criticism of Islam’s treatment of women.
“You can be politically correct if you want. I don’t want to be so politically correct. I like to solve problems,” Trump said. “Islam. Large portions want to use very, very harsh means. Let me go a step further. Women are treated horribly. You know that, you do know that.”
That brought an attack from Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), who had mocked Trump several times in this debate with caveman-like over-simplifications of policy arguments.
Islamic terrorism was a huge threat, Cruz said, and he blamed President Obama for under-playing and under-estimating the threat. “That is maddening,” Cruz said. “But the answer is not simply to yell, ‘China bad! Muslims bad!’”
Then Cruz turned to an argument that, in essence, Trump’s harsh rhetoric belied his actual policy positions on the Middle East, which Cruz believed were not hard-line enough. For instance, Cruz believed that Trump was not sufficiently pro-Israel, and would give away too much by seeking to be neutral broker in future talks between Israel and Palestinians.
Prior to the exchange, the most spectacular arguments were between Trump and — himself. In two different instances, Trump outlined a policy that he said was bad – and then explained how he himself embraced it.
On the question of immigration, for instance, Trump said that the system of “H-1b” visas, meant for highly skilled foreigners, was a bad thing for U.S. workers. But he still uses it at his businesses.
“It’s something that I frankly use. And I shouldn’t be allowed to use. And we shouldn’t have it,” Trump said of the high-skilled visa program. “It’s sitting there waiting for you. But it’s very bad . . . for our workers. And it’s very unfair for our workers.”
And then, on the subject of Social Security, Trump seemed to criticize Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for saying they didn’t want to change Social Security, and even wanted to expand it.
Trump then said that he, too, did not want to change Social Security.
“I will do everything in my power not to touch Social Security, to leave it the way it is,” Trump said, after Rubio had said he wanted to gradually change Social Security so that future generations of retirees would retire later. “It’s my absolutely intention to leave Social Security the way it is.”
It was an almost post-apocalyptic debate, in which Trump rivals who had been blasting Trump a week earlier seemed to see little point in fighting anymore. As the debate went on, Trump even seemed to turn the heat up gradually against Cruz, saying that he had been for “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants. It was one of the worst insults of this campaign so far. Cruz just laughed, and the debate moved on. At another moment, a moderator noted that Cruz had mocked Clinton for saying something that Trump had just said right in front of him – that Social Security could be salvaged by cutting only ‘Waste, fraud and abuse” – and not any benefits that people actually need.
Did he just compare Trump to Hillary Clinton? A moderator asked.
Cruz, even then, didn’t bite. “I will let Donald speak for himself,” Cruz said.
Social Security is a major issue in Florida, where the debate is being held. The location, the University of Miami, is in recognition that the biggest prize at stake on Tuesday is the Sunshine State, where 99 delegates will be awarded to the winner, regardless of the voting percentages.
On Thursday, a new Washington Post -Univision News poll showed Trump leading Rubio by a margin of 38 percent to 31 percent among likely Republican voters in Florida. That actually is good news for Rubio: Previous polls have shown him losing to Trump by double digits. But still, he would come away empty handed if he loses his home state.
Trump so far has won GOP contests in 15 states. He has accumulated about 458 Republican delegates, which is 99 more than Cruz, his closest rival. Trump needs 1,237 delegates to win the nomination.
During the debate, Trump said he would be the best at un-doing the damage done to American workers by foreign trade deals – and his argument was that, as a businessman, he has exploited those very laws skilfully.
“Nobody knows the system better than me,” Trump said, when debate moderator Anderson Cooper asked about Trump’s hiring of foreign workers for his businesses. Trump has also been criticized for having his name-branded clothing and other products made overseas, despite his campaign-trail rhetoric bemoaning the loss of American manufacturing jobs. “I will take advantage of it — they’re the laws. But I’m the one who knows how to change it,” Trump said.“Nobody knows the system better than me,” Trump said, when debate moderator Anderson Cooper asked about Trump’s hiring of foreign workers for his businesses. Trump has also been criticized for having his name-branded clothing and other products made overseas, despite his campaign-trail rhetoric bemoaning the loss of American manufacturing jobs. “I will take advantage of it — they’re the laws. But I’m the one who knows how to change it,” Trump said.
He also admitted to utilizing immigration laws, specifically H-1B visas.
“It’s something that I frankly use. And I shouldn’t be allowed to use. And we shouldn’t have it,” Trump said of the high-skilled visa program. “It’s sitting there waiting for you. But it’s very bad . . . for our workers. And it’s very unfair for our workers.
The subject of foreign trade has become a powerful issue in both the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries, with Trump and Democratic-primary candidate Bernie Sanders appealing to white working-class voters by blaming long-serving politicians for the trade deals that shipped jobs away.The subject of foreign trade has become a powerful issue in both the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries, with Trump and Democratic-primary candidate Bernie Sanders appealing to white working-class voters by blaming long-serving politicians for the trade deals that shipped jobs away.
In Thursday’s GOP debate, the two GOP candidates who are in the Senate sounded strongly skeptical of deals that allow freer trade, which have long been favored by Republicans in Washington. Both blamed the Obama administration, for essentially failing to hammer out trade deals that worked well, and failing to properly enforce what had been agreed-to before.In Thursday’s GOP debate, the two GOP candidates who are in the Senate sounded strongly skeptical of deals that allow freer trade, which have long been favored by Republicans in Washington. Both blamed the Obama administration, for essentially failing to hammer out trade deals that worked well, and failing to properly enforce what had been agreed-to before.
“There are great trade deals, and there are bad ones,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.). “There are great trade deals, and there are bad ones,” Rubio said.
“We’re getting killed in international trade right now,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas). “We’re getting killed in international trade right now,” Cruz said.
The debate, being shown on CNN, is at the University of Miami in Coral Gables. The location is in recognition that the biggest prize at stake on Tuesday is the Sunshine State, where 99 delegates will be awarded to the winner, regardless of the voting percentages.
On Thursday, a new Washington Post -Univision News poll showed Trump leading Rubio by a margin of 38 percent to 31 percent among likely Republican voters in Florida. That actually is good news for Rubio: Previous polls have shown him losing to Trump by double digits. But still, he would come away empty handed if he loses his home state.
Trump so far has won GOP contests in 15 states. He has accumulated about 458 Republican delegates, which is 99 more than Cruz, his closest rival. Trump needs 1,237 delegates to win the nomination.
Trump opened the debate by saying that his party’s establishment should embrace him – not fight him – because Trump is bringing new voters to the primary polls.Trump opened the debate by saying that his party’s establishment should embrace him – not fight him – because Trump is bringing new voters to the primary polls.
“They’re voting out of enthusiasm. They’re voting out of love. Some of these people, frankly, have never voted before,” Trump said, calling his success in the GOP primary one of the biggest political stories around the globe. He said that the GOP establishment should accept him, because he could defeat a Democrat in the fall: “We’re going to beat them soundly.”“They’re voting out of enthusiasm. They’re voting out of love. Some of these people, frankly, have never voted before,” Trump said, calling his success in the GOP primary one of the biggest political stories around the globe. He said that the GOP establishment should accept him, because he could defeat a Democrat in the fall: “We’re going to beat them soundly.”
Earlier in the day, reports indicated that Trump will soon be endorsed by a candidate who was involved in earlier main-stage debates — retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.Earlier in the day, reports indicated that Trump will soon be endorsed by a candidate who was involved in earlier main-stage debates — retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
[Carson, Trump meet on Thursday ahead of expected endorsement]
But for Trump, most of Thursday was dominated by news of two ugly encounters at his campaign events — including one where Trump’s own campaign manager forcefully grabbed a reporter.
In that incident, which was witnessed by Washington Post reporter Ben Terris, campaign manager Corey Lewandowski grabbed Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields as she sought to ask Trump a question after a Tuesday night news conference. Lewandowski yanked Fields out of the way, using enough force that bruises formed on her arm.
The Trump campaign later issued a statement that said that report was “entirely false,” according to media reports. Lewandowski himself posted a message on Twitter that called Fields an “attention seeker.”
[Post reporter witnesses Trump campaign manager grab Breitbart staffer]
In the other incident, a 78 year-old North Carolina man was charged with assault and disorderly conduct for allegedly punching a protester in the crowd at a Trump event in Fayetteville, N.C. The incident itself was captured on video: Protester Rakeem Jones was being led out of the Trump rally by officers at the time he was struck.
Trump has been criticized in the past for flirting with violent rhetoric: at one rally in Nevada, he said of a protester “I’d like to punch him in the face.” But his campaign plays a message before rallies that encourages supporters not to touch protesters and to wait for officers to remove them.
[Trump supporter charged after sucker-punching protester]
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, cited that punch in an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow: “Count me among those who are truly distraught and even appalled by a lot of what I see going on, what I hear being said,” Clinton said in the interview, which will be televised Thursday night. “You know, you don’t make America great by, you know, dumping on everything that made America great, like freedom of speech and assembly and, you know, the right of people to protest.”
For Trump, Thursday night’s debate in Miami will be the first time he will face his rivals — and debate moderators — in the aftermath of those incidents. But it also comes after a series of wins in the GOP primaries and caucuses. His challengers all desperately need to blunt Trump’s momentum before Tuesday’s key winner-take-all primaries in Florida and Ohio.
[The three non-Trump Republicans make their math-based pitches to voters]
In the last few weeks, the GOP nomination has turned surreal as Trump’s challengers turned desperate. Rubio, in particular, had sought to copy Trump’s insult-comic style, mocking the front-runner’s tan and insulting the size of his fingers. Trump responded in the last debate with an even more surreal moment: to reassure anyone who would draw implications from the size of his hands, he volunteered onstage that there was “not a problem” with the size of his genitals.In the last few weeks, the GOP nomination has turned surreal as Trump’s challengers turned desperate. Rubio, in particular, had sought to copy Trump’s insult-comic style, mocking the front-runner’s tan and insulting the size of his fingers. Trump responded in the last debate with an even more surreal moment: to reassure anyone who would draw implications from the size of his hands, he volunteered onstage that there was “not a problem” with the size of his genitals.
If that moment hurt Trump, it didn’t hurt him much: since then, Trump has won five of the seven states that have voted since then.If that moment hurt Trump, it didn’t hurt him much: since then, Trump has won five of the seven states that have voted since then.
Instead, the GOP electorate has turned to devour the candidate who insulted Trump’s fingers.
In all four states that voted Tuesday, Rubio finished so far behind that he was awarded zero delegates for the night.
Losing Florida would be a devastating blow not just to Rubio’s presidential campaign but his political career. Rubio is leaving the Senate, and he would have to face the next phase of his life with Trump’s epithet “Little Marco” metaphorically hung around his neck.Losing Florida would be a devastating blow not just to Rubio’s presidential campaign but his political career. Rubio is leaving the Senate, and he would have to face the next phase of his life with Trump’s epithet “Little Marco” metaphorically hung around his neck.
[Inside Rubio’s collapse: A fateful decision that undermined his campaign] The fourth candidate onstage Thursday is Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has tried to stay out of the fighting among Trump, Rubio and Cruz. For now, Kasich’s above-it-all strategy seems to have worked better than Rubio’s: Polls show Kasich in a close race with Trump in his home state of Ohio.
On Wednesday, as his supporters fretted, Rubio conceded that his efforts to out-Trump Trump had backfired — and diminished Rubio instead.
“In terms of things that have to do with personal stuff, yeah, at the end of the day it’s not something I’m entirely proud of,” Rubio said in a town hall event on MSNBC. “My kids were embarrassed by it, and if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t.”
On Thursday night, Rubio will have to decide whether to continue on the attack against Trump — but in more genteel terms — or whether to abstain, try to rebuild his gravitas and make a personal plea to his home-state voters.
But other candidates smell weakness, so Rubio will undoubtedly face new attacks.
In addition to Trump, who should relish a chance to mock Rubio’s slumping poll numbers, Cruz should also be on the offensive. Cruz believes he can beat Trump in a two-man race, so both the candidate and a pro-Cruz super PAC have been hammering Rubio in Florida, hoping that a loss there will get Rubio out of the race entirely.
The fourth candidate onstage will be Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has tried to stay out of the fighting among Trump, Rubio and Cruz. For now, Kasich’s above-it-all strategy seems to have worked better than Rubio’s: Polls show Kasich in a close race with Trump in his home state of Ohio.
On Tuesday, Ohio will be almost as big a prize as Florida, with 66 delegates for the winner and zero for everybody else. In Ohio, Kasich has the state’s GOP apparatus strongly behind him, and a fairly high approval rating. If he can beat Trump anywhere, this is it.On Tuesday, Ohio will be almost as big a prize as Florida, with 66 delegates for the winner and zero for everybody else. In Ohio, Kasich has the state’s GOP apparatus strongly behind him, and a fairly high approval rating. If he can beat Trump anywhere, this is it.
Because of that, Kasich may have a hard time staying out of a fight with the front-runner Thursday night. Already, Trump has been calling him “an absentee governor” for spending so much time on the campaign trail, according to news reports.
Trump may also face new questions about his recent tax returns — which he has refused to release — and the true size of his wealth.
A recent report in Crain’s New York Business showed that Trump had received a tax break from New York state that is available only to couples with an annual income of $500,000 or less. Trump’s campaign manager told Crain’s that this was an error by the state.
Trump will also likely face questions about the physical violence used against protesters at his rallies, which Trump has seemed to encourage from the stage. The latest violence came to light Thursday, when videos seemed to show a protester — already being led out of a rally by men in uniform — being punched in the face by a Trump supporter as he passed.
[Trump protester sucker-punched at North Carolina rally, videos show]
“The shock of it all is starting to set in,” Rakeem Jones, the man who was hit, told The Washington Post in a telephone interview. “This dude really hit me, and they let him get away with it. I was basically in police custody and got hit.”
Trump could also face questions about the alleged behavior of his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, after Trump’s post-primary news conference Tuesday. A Washington Post reporter witnessed Lewandowski roughly grab the arm of a reporter for Breitbart — a conservative news outlet generally friendly to the front-runner — as the Breitbart reporter tried to ask another question while Trump made his exit.
Breitbart chief executive Larry Solov later issued a statement, saying, “It’s obviously unacceptable that someone crossed a line and made physical contact with our reporter.” But the statement did not say with certainty that Lewandowski was the person who had done the grabbing.