Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz Clash, Showing GOP Divide on Security

Understandably, that did not sit well with Donald Trump. An ABC News/Washington Post poll last month, for example, found 59 percent of Republicans support mass deportations of illegal immigrants, but only 42 percent of all voters hold that view.

Here’s how the night’s biggest battles shaped up – and the winners and losers. Rubio also, for whatever it’s worth, does actually demonstrate knowledge about foreign policy and national security (or at least substantive talking points). Mr Trump seemed sceptical.

“If we expect to do this on our own, we will fail”, said Bush, the former Florida governor who came out swinging to try to revitalize his ailing campaign.

And that, essentially, was that. Mr. Trump claimed credit for attracting national attention on an issue that he said was being overlooked – Islamic radicalism.

Winner: Mr Trump, of course.

But Mr Trump is still the polling leader. “They saw a pipe bomb sitting all over the floor”.

“Muslims” also appears as a most-searched issue for many candidates, showing how Mr Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. is shaping the debate.

“In order to get ratings”, he ventured, “I just think it’s very unprofessional”. Beginning after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, the NSA secretly collected the daily calling records – but not contents of conversations – for most Americans, including people never suspected of any crime.

Trump further scoffed at Bush for spending millions on campaign ads despite being so low in the polls.

“Repeat after me: We must combat anti-Muslim bigotry and all forms of discrimination in our country and in our world”.

Trump, 69, dismissed Bush’s criticism.

“This is not a serious proposal”, said Mr Bush. Only 21% looked upon Bush more favorably. As it is, however, he was the victor – but with a victory that will likely prove hollow.

The senator did not see the exchange live, and was instead watching “The Voice”.

Rubio has slammed Cruz for wanting to cut military spending. And what has been said over and over again, what the intelligence community told Congress, was that the USA Freedom Act expanded their ability to target terrorists.

“We would shoot down the planes of Russian pilots if, in fact, they were stupid enough to think that this president was the same feckless weakling that the president we have in the Oval Office is right now”, Christie said.

“He’s going to have a hard time because he’s not told the truth about his position in the past on legalization”, Rubio (Fla.) told reporters after a town hall here. “That is not what you said at the time”. Rubio stands in third with 17 percent.

Rubio and Texas Sen. They had the last word, and it was to Mr Rubio’s detriment.

The other candidates in Tuesday’s debate were ex-Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Ohio Governor John Kasich, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

“I don’t know about an alliance”, Lewandowski said.

“Bush’s mentions had been faltering in previous debates”, Terry said.

This poll of 2,694 Florida active Republican primary voters was conducted from Monday, December 14 to Tuesday, December 15. That prompted speculation of a possible intelligence probe into whether Cruz’s comments revealed sensitive or classified information about the National Security Agency’s phone surveillance program.