GOP candidates get on with business sans Trump

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Republican Donald Trump is continuing his unconventional campaign by traveling to New Hampshire as his rivals scramble to make closing arguments in the days before the Iowa caucuses.

Between his usual talking points about issues like the country’s trade imbalance and media camera angles, Trump read out the names of wealthy friends who’d offered major contributions to veterans’ cause. Later he announced the event had just cracked raising $6 million.

Trump said he personally donated $1 million.

Stephen Colbert had one of his very own, declaring that “if Fox News has no Trump, then I am all-Trump!”

“We’re not going to force it down their throat”, he said in the interview, later remarking to journalists: “You have to learn English”.

Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said that Trump’s “offensive and out-of-touch message was on full display” in Des Moines, where each candidate “tried to out-Trump each other on anti-immigrant bluster”. AFP Search Engine Optimization The prettiest website in the world is like a tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear it. If your website hasn’t been search engine optimized, no one is going to see it or hear it – and it’s not going to work for you.

“We got a lot more time, which was good”, Conant told reporters after the debate. He also said this wasn’t about Megyn Kelly, although he criticized her again to Keilar.

“I kind of miss Donald Trump; he was a teddy bear to me”, said former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a frequent target of Trump.

Colbert’s segment hones in on a key criticism of Trump’s campaign: that the businessman’s political platform appears to be shaped by whatever sentiment fits the bill at a given time. While recent polls show him pulling ahead, he remains locked in a close race with Texas Sen. Cruz, arguing that he should have a right to respond to candidates who mentioned him in their answers, argued at length with Chris Wallace. And his decision was seen by some voters and local party leaders as a slight to those still making up their minds.

“Now, you want to trump Trump on immigration”, Rubio said.

“Ted, throughout this campaign, you’ve been willing to say or do anything in order to get votes”, Rubio charged.

Before Trump took the stage, some of his well-known supporters spoke. It broke into a chant of “USA, USA”, when representatives from 22vets.com, which combats veteran suicides, presented Trump with an honor ring. Huckabee praised Trump for bringing them together, saying the three may be competing against each other, “but tonight we are colleagues in unison” for the cause.

Santorum stood to the side, quipping that he didn’t want to be photographed behind a Trump sign.

The event was disrupted several times by protesters who were quickly outshouted by the audience, shouting “Trump, Trump”.

If Trump wins the Iowa caucuses, the move will be lauded as proof that he has built a movement capable of circumventing establishment media.

The Republican front-runner opened with a profession of love for veterans and touted some of the contributors to the veterans’ groups, but soon found himself reciting bits of his campaign speech, complaining about Obama’s Iran deal and how he’s covered by the press. Among those contacted were the Green Beret Foundation, which provides care to veterans, and Fisher House, which provides free or low cost housing to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers.

It was unclear exactly which groups would receive money raised from the event and new website Trump launched for collecting donations: donaldtrumpforvets.com. Cruz used some canned humor, describing himself as a maniac, saying everyone else on the stage was stupid and ugly and that Ben Carson was a bad surgeon-and “now that we’ve gotten the Donald Trump portion out of the way”. The page says: “100 percent of your donations will go directly to Veterans needs”.

As for the debate, Trump predicted it would have far fewer viewers without him on the stage. Reporters covering his event were ushered to a filing room with five long rows of tables, where they watched via closed circuit television.