Donald Trump takes swipe at Rosie O’Donnell

Thursday’s debate ratings more than doubled Fox News’s best ratings in the past, for election night 2012, the Nielsen company said.

The open contempt for Trump was on full display at the earlier debate.

Here are the other highlights.

Trump’s refusal enraged Kentucky Sen. She read him a litany of disgusting terms he’s used to describe women. It was a “Trump-trap” and the billionaire fell inarticulately into it. Bret Baier asked if everyone on stage would pledge to support the Republican candidate, and refuse to run as an independent, no matter who won the Republican nomination.

In some ways, the main debate served as a grand equalizer, considerably more equal than what has been going on for the past several weeks, when Trump shoved everyone except Jeb Bush out of the spotlight. And most of his rivals don’t have a clue how to deal with him. The evening was also an opportunity for Bush to move past a shaky few days that included controversial comments about women’s health care along with an uncomfortable performance at a New Hampshire candidate forum. “We led the nation seven out of those eight years”. Lublin said. “I was struck by how right-wing the group was …” Neurosurgeon Ben Carson also took up this theme, saying the U.S. Navy is the smallest its been since 1917. Asked at the outset about specific mistakes he’s made on foreign policy, he punted with a non-answer.

Referring to Kelly’s questions during the debate, Trump said, “There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever”. They all fell somewhere in between super-soft Christie and super-tough Trump. “I don’t recognize those words”, he said.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a champion college debater, was largely forgotten.

What has allowed Trump to defy the usual political laws of gravity is the uniqueness of his anti-politician posture. They’re not stupid, he said in dismissing an earlier comment, but they are unwilling to upset the status quo.

One reason for this anticipation was businessman Donald Trump, who has focused media attention on the primaries to the extent that no other candidate can, because no one else has such a provocative media personality. But those records don’t show a contribution to Paul. Paul’s likely reinforced his appeal to the libertarian wing, and helped move his quiet campaign out of the doldrums.

Through the remainder of the debate, the candidates made little news, choosing instead to use their time to repeat already well-known positions.

The Donald Trump phenomenon has much of the country scratching their heads. And when he refused to rule out an independent presidential bid.

Walker, meanwhile, talked often of his record in Wisconsin. He seemed content to stay out of the fray, and all but disappeared for long periods. Some Republicans say it would be the 2016 presidential nominee’s job to forge a consensus.

-Rand Paul on Donald Trump refusing to promise support for eventual GOP nominee. “And the fact is majority are older than me”. “And, ultimately, that’s what I’m going to try to do”.

-Jeb Bush on skepticism of a family dynasty.

While the audience laughed, Kelly did not.

Mr Trump drew a mixture of boos and applause when he turned on Ms Kelly. I’ve been challenged by so many people and I don’t really have time for total political correctness – and to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either. The polls “only tell you about the sentiment of the couple of thousand people who decide to vote on that website at that time”, said Chris Jackson of Ipsos, which does polling in partnership with Reuters.

“I think the big problem this country has being politically correct”. Let’s go through the roster and see what we’re in for this season.

THE FACTS: Actually, the U.S. Air Force was created in 1947.

He sparked a firestorm and offended many Hispanic voters when he said Mexico was not “sending its best” and said the immigrants were bringing drugs and crime to the US. We lose to everybody. “I would say he’s incompetent, but I won’t do that because it’s not nice”. Trump has dismissed, in particular, the Bloomberg estimate, saying it doesn’t know what he has.

“I’ve given you plenty of money”, Trump fired back. “But I wouldn’t do that”.