Sparks fly as Republican candidates debate IS

Donald Trump took center stage at the fourth Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas and stood by his proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was ready to lock horns with Trump, who has wasted few opportunities to antagonize Bush on many occasions during prior debates.

“This will not be like an evening in paradise for me”, Trump admitted. He delivered his usual attack line on the ex-governor: that he is too nice.

“I think we’re going to win Iowa, I think we’re going to win New Hampshire big”, he said. “But we need toughness”.

“You’re not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency, and I do have the strength”, Bush responded. The senators tussled over National Security Agency surveillance and the USA Freedom Act, which made it more hard for the government to access people’s phone records.

“Here’s the world we live in”.

“There is nothing we are allowed to do under this bill that we were not allowed to do before”, Rubio said.

Cruz called for using “overwhelming air power” to destroy the Islamic State, while Rubio said airstrikes would have to be supplemented by ground troops, including American special operations forces.

Then, shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., earlier this month renewed worries about terrorist sympathizers inside the country. The attack was apparently inspired by Islamic State. Hours before the debate was to begin, officials in Los Angeles closed all schools after an emailed threat that was later deemed a hoax.

The long-running feud between the Cruz and Rubio has intensified as both men have risen in the polls and are seeking to seize the second-place spot after Trump.

The moderators also received the usual complaints from candidates who said they didn’t get enough speaking time: “Sorry, you haven’t gotten to me”, Fiorina said at one point. He said it is the responsibility of Congress to deal with immigration reform, and not one individual, acting as a “king” to act policy.

Mr Cruz, while eager to draw a distinction between himself and Mr Trump, may be careful not to antagonise him, according to experts.

“He was fighting to grant amnesty and not to secure the border”.

Cruz, who represents Texas, insisted that if he were president, “ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism will face no more determined foe that I will be”. He declared, “I have never supported legalization and I do not intend to support legalization”. He also slammed his colleague for supporting a controversial H-1B visa program, which supports immigration of highly skilled foreign workers.

Mr Rubio could take a swing at Mr Cruz.

Donald also said, “We are now at war”.

Rubio rejected this notion, saying while the United States must sometimes work with “less than ideal governments”, Assad was simply an “anti-American dictator”.

The Republican presidential candidates debating on the undercard stage have different views of Islam and the extent to which the religion itself poses a risk.

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore – who, incidentally, will appear first on Massachusetts’ Republican presidential primary ballot on March 1 after a drawing Tuesday.

But Santorum blasted a culture of political correctness that he faults for blunting debate over the role of Muslims in society. “All jihadists are Muslim”. Lindsey Graham of SC, former New York Gov. George Pataki, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen.

What he has to gain: Jeb Bush’s support has been in the low single digits now nationally, and the clock is ticking.

Cruz surged to 14%, with 10% for Rubio and 9% for retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.