Candidates contend at GOP debate

Trump, for his part, helped make Bush’s case by stumbling on a question about how he would manage the nuclear trident (America’s land/sea/air nuclear strike capability).

The CNN debate saw freshman senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio sharply criticizing each other’s truthfulness, and positions on issues ranging from immigration to the collection of meta-data.

A new law, called the USA Freedom Act, passed in June with broad, bipartisan support.

“I really don’t want Jeb’s endorsement, because he is a low-energy person and he does not represent strength, power and stamina, which are qualities our country desperately needs”, Trump said in a statement to The Washington Post.

“We need toughness”, Trump said. Cruz and Rubio are solidifying their top-tier status and Trump continues to exude bellicosity and extreme confidence. He called it “a massive amnesty plan”.

“Limbaugh just classified Rubio as anti-establishment with Cruz and Trump”, former senior congressional aide and speechwriter Ellen Carmichael tweeted.

“To suggest our record’s the same is like suggesting the fireman and the arsonist have the same record because they are both at the scene of the fire”, Cruz responded. Polls published this week by Loras College and The Des Moines Register showed Cruz passing Donald Trump for the lead in Iowa with Rubio in third or fourth place.

Trump, Cruz, and Rubio also were the dominant candidates whom other candidates wanted to talk about – although former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush joins them in this group.

Trump threatens to skip debate: Donald Trump again threatened to skip a Republican candidates’ debate, telling an audience in Arizona “I think next time I won’t do it”, according to the Hill. And he’d be a chaos president.

(Trump) “He has failed in this campaign, it’s been a total disaster, nobody cares”.

“Donald, you’re not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency”, Bush said at one point.

“Well, let’s see”, he said. “What are you going to do it with?” I have great respect for the people I’ve met through this process.

Republicans are scheduled to gather in Cleveland July 18-21 to nominate their candidate to face the Democratic Party’s choice in the November 8 race for the White House. Rand Paul attacked Christie for his aggressive rhetoric, saying that, “I think if you’re in favor of World War III, you have your candidate”.

Christie ignored the bridge remark and defended the need for a no-fly zone.