National poll: Trump leads; Cruz rises as Carson falls

The rest of the field captured support in the single digits, led by Bush at 6 percent.

DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, well, I’ll tell you what, my judgment is great. You’re never going to get things done that way….

The real estate mogul said his judgment is also superior to Cruz’s.

New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and OH are the states most often mentioned when establishment types note their angst about the prospect of a ticket led by Trump or Cruz.

Winning Iowa would give Cruz momentum going into New Hampshire – where he now sits at third – and into SC, a state, like Iowa, whose Republican primary electorate is quite socially conservative.

“We’re doing really well with the evangelicals”, Trump told the crowd.

But in a four-way head-to-head match-up between Trump, Cruz, Carson and Marco Rubio, the first is considered to be the best at managing the economy and doing the most to solve the illegal immigration problem. “I’m leading him by a lot”.

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump atop the Republican field is a dream come true for Democrats.

But behind closed doors, Cruz has attempted to contrast himself with Trump.

But last week he questioned Trump’s judgment at a private fundraiser, according to the New York Times, after the billionaire businessman advocated temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States. “So we’ll see who else can maneuver on that issue”.

Trump remains ahead of his Texas rival in national polling – up by 27% to 22%, according to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll this weekend – but is seeing growing questions about his own judgment, particularly on national security and foreign policy.

“She’s got no strength, she’s got no stamina, everything she does is like theatrical”, Trump said of Clinton, before mocking her recent statement about him that “I think he’s risky”.

Trump has had tense relations with Latinos because of his comments about illegal immigration, and Ed O’Keefe of The Washington Post reports his campaign will not be among those getting a chance to make their case for an endorsement from this group of Hispanic conservatives.

For Cruz, this poll represents a huge jump of 21 points from a survey that was taken in October by two media outlets. But there may be reason to think Cruz might have more staying power-perhaps even the inside track to become the nominee-if he wins on February 1. “Who has a record in that regard?'”

Rubio kept up his clash with Cruz Sunday. But he said his time “will come to an end pretty soon”.

“I like him. He’s been so nice to me. I mean I could be saying anything and he’d say, I agree I agree”.