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Republicans line up for first 2016 primary debate – live updates Republicans line up for first 2016 primary debate – live updates
(35 minutes later)
5.17pm ET22:17
Asked about Donald Trump, Rick Perry dives into a long diatribe about how the billionaire uses “his celebrity rather than his conservatism”.
Perry turns his answer into one about immigration – the issue that in part rocketed Trump to the top of the polls.
“Nobody has done more,” Perry says “to deal with securing that border.” He says he’s sent “Texas ranger recon teams” and the national guard, but does not mention whether Chuck Norris took part in patrols.
He adds that he looked Obama in the eye and said, “Mr. president, if you won’t secure the border, Texas will.”
“We need a president that doesn’t just talk a game but a president that gets results!”
The Fox moderator gives him something of a blank look. “All right,” she says.
Carly Fiorina meanwhile says about Trump’s lead: “good for him”
“I think he’s tapped into an anger that people feel,” she says “The political class has failed you and that’s just a fact.”
5.12pm ET22:12
Asked about “new blood” in politics by the moderators, New York governor George Pataki offers an astoundingly milquetoast speech about bringing people together. In retrospect, it’s not clear whether he said an actual sentence at all.
Then former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore introduces himself, forgettably.
5.10pm ET22:10
5.10pm ET22:10
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham fields a question about climate change with a slow, rather awkward response – he’s visibly nervous, despite innumerable performances on cable shows and several happy ripostes to Donald Trump in recent weeks.
As for the question, Graham says that Hillary Clinton will “destroy the economy” with her ideas about climate change. “In her world, cap and trade will dominate,” he says. “When it comes to fossil fuels, we will find more here and use less.”
5.07pm ET22:07
A question to Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal notes that he’s floundering in the polls.
Jindal doesn’t deny it, and rattles off an answer thanking the Fox News host for being kind enough to let him on camera.
“I think the American people are looking for real leadership, and that’s what I’ve done for Louisiana, and that’s what I’ll do for America,” he says.
5.06pm ET22:06
The next question is for Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard.
“I think to be commander-in-chief in the 21st century requires someone who understands how the economy works,” she says, mixing up the president’s military authorities with the office’s few powers over the economy.
Nonetheless, Fiorina continues, she “understands bureaucracies” and “technology”, and she insists that’s enough.
Updated at 5.07pm ET
5.03pm ET22:03
First question goes to Rick Perry, asking him why voters should trust him when, four years ago, he couldn’t remember the name of a government agency he wanted to abolish.
After those four years of looking back and being prepared, the preparation to be the most powerful individual in the world requires an extraordinary amount of work. Not just having been the governor of the 12th largest economy in the world.
He talks up his jobs record, and runs far away saying what he might actually do as president.
Updated at 5.04pm ET
5.02pm ET22:02
Jeb Lund
The candidates are making statements just by how they arrive, and it’s very exciting. Trump, naturally, has his own plane, the TRUMP plane. Carly Fiorina has the one she shipped tens of thousands of jobs overseas with. Rand Paul is arriving in a train made of Rearden steel. Rick Santorum is pulling up to the front in a buckboard driven by Foster Freiss. And Ted Cruz is descending in a beautiful, fanciful blimp made of sewn-together Constitutions and inflated by him delivering just one speech into it. It was about America. That’s what it’s about tonight, folks, it’s about America.
Seriously, though, the Trump jet is perfect.
Updated at 5.03pm ET
5.01pm ET22:01
Consolation debate begins!
Live in the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, the seven candidates who failed to make it into the main debate are at their podiums and smiling painfully into the glare of camera lights as the Fox moderators introduce them.
Each will have a minute to answer a question and 30-second rebuttal opportunities.
4.51pm ET21:51
A spokesperson for Kentucky senator Rand Paul has found a bit of distinctive flair lying around a Cleveland hotel. My colleague Paul Lewis suspects that someone might get fired for the slip up…
Someone left their closing statement for tonight's @FoxNews debate in the hotel printer.Can you guess who?@LaCivitaC pic.twitter.com/p6rWhnFGAU
The man of the hour himself meanwhile has just landed and disembarked off his charter jet in typically voluble fashion.
4.40pm ET21:404.40pm ET21:40
Welcome to our live coverage of the first debates in the race to become the 2016 Republican nominee for president. Donald Trump will stand center stage at the main event in Cleveland next to Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and seven other Republicans eager to look good in front of American voters – or at least eager to avoid humiliating mistakes, awkward moments and the wrath of a certain billionaire.Welcome to our live coverage of the first debates in the race to become the 2016 Republican nominee for president. Donald Trump will stand center stage at the main event in Cleveland next to Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and seven other Republicans eager to look good in front of American voters – or at least eager to avoid humiliating mistakes, awkward moments and the wrath of a certain billionaire.
The debate, scheduled by Fox News for 9pm ET, will follow an early debate for the candidates who failed to break into the top 10 of national polls – the kids’ table contenders of the primary election so far.The debate, scheduled by Fox News for 9pm ET, will follow an early debate for the candidates who failed to break into the top 10 of national polls – the kids’ table contenders of the primary election so far.
The main debate will feature Trump, former Florida governor Bush, Wisconsin governor Walker, senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Ohio governor John Kasich and New Jersey governor Chris Christie.The main debate will feature Trump, former Florida governor Bush, Wisconsin governor Walker, senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Ohio governor John Kasich and New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
The early debate includes South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, former governor Rick Perry, former CEO Carly Fiorina, former governor George Pataki, former senator Rick Santorum and former governor Jim Gilmore.The early debate includes South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, former governor Rick Perry, former CEO Carly Fiorina, former governor George Pataki, former senator Rick Santorum and former governor Jim Gilmore.
Follow along for updates on every the quips, blunders and bombast, analysis on the bouts from Guardian reporters and columnists, and reporting from Cleveland by my colleague Paul Lewis (@paullewis).Follow along for updates on every the quips, blunders and bombast, analysis on the bouts from Guardian reporters and columnists, and reporting from Cleveland by my colleague Paul Lewis (@paullewis).