How to watch the South Carolina GOP debate

Rubio who has shined in past debates chimed in and took control.

After weeks of increasingly hostile jabs that have been thrown on the campaign trail and in TV ads, the candidates had a chance to deliver their hits in person – and they did, big time!

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump points to the crowd while speaking at a rally Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Trump has gone after Cruz over the past week, raising questions about his eligibility to serve as president because of his birth in Canada – an issue Trump said he will raise at the debate, which is sponsored by Fox Business Network.

He also told Trump that he might also consider Trump as his veep candidate.

Trump, Cruz and Christie will be joined by Florida Gov. Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Donald Trump does now hold a double-digit lead over Republican opponent Sen.

Cruz noted that Trump in September said Cruz’s Canadian birth did not disqualify him for the White House since his mother was an American citizen.

“You have a big lawsuit over your head while you’re running”. The race in Iowa has settled into a tight, two-way contest between Trump and Cruz.

The next Republican primary presidential debate is scheduled for February 6, 2016, in New Hampshire and will be hosted by ABC News. “Because now he’s doing a little bit better”.

Cruz renewed his criticism of “New York values”, a coded questioning of Trump’s conservatism that elicited an unexpectedly emotional response from the real estate mogul about his hometown’s response to the September 11, 2001, attacks. He said New Yorkers came together to support each other after thousands were killed and cleaned up the site of the destroyed 110-story World Trade Center’s twin towers, enduring “the smell of death” for months.

He continued: “The people in NY fought and fought and fought, and we saw more death, and even the smell of death. We can’t do it”. And of course, Cruz has seen scrutiny this week after the New York Times revealed that he financed his first Senate campaign with the help of a significant loan from his wife’s employer – not exactly the actions of someone opposed to New York or money. In a likely preview of his debate tactics, Bush sharply criticized Trump on Wednesday for holding positions on taxes, guns and health care that he said were out of step with conservatives.

Bush urged Trump to change his views on the issue. “Someone who can not handle intelligence information can not be commander in chief”, he said. “How do I know it?” he said. He did not appear to have changed that tactic: “We can’t let all these people come into our country and break our borders”.

JEB BUSH: “Mr. Trump, your comment about banning Muslims from entering the country created a firestorm”.