Trump, Cruz go at each other in year’s first GOP debate

The candidates in the prime time showdown largely took a pass on taking a shot at Hillary Clinton for Bill Clinton’s past indiscretions, but in the undercard debate, Carly Fiorina went hard after the Clintons’ marriage.

The moment set the tone for the first debate of the year and exemplified the intensified mood as the candidates entered the final days before the first 2016 nominating contests. Paul made a decision to boycott the early debate, earning some attention for his #RandRally hashtag on Twitter during the debate, while Fiorina delivered a characteristically strong performance against former Arkansas Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen.

Cruz noted that Clinton has said she agrees with the dissenters to the high court ruling that the Second Amendment includes the individual right to bear arms, thus overturning local and state bans on certain firearms.

“I’m not a political insider”.

“I just want to say, you know, last week we released our tax plan and multiple reputable journals, including the Wall Street Journal, said ours is the best”.

Cruz further claimed that “the concept of NY values is not that complicated”, citing an interview Trump did with NBC’s Tim Russert in 1999. He merely quoted Donald Trump. Beyond Cruz and Trump, Florida Sen. “There was nothing there to this birther issue”, Cruz said.

“I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa”, Cruz said.

Ted Cruz’s eligibility to serve as president, telling his rival that his birth in Canada leaves “a big question mark on your head”.

“And I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made”, Trump said.

Rubio fired back by accusing Cruz of switching positions on issues, preferring for the most part to stick to his trademark rapid fire, policy-focused answers. He insists he’s eligible for the presidency because he’s a “natural-born” citizen with an American mother.

Later on, Trump added Cruz should be ashamed for criticizing New Yorker values.

Mr Cruz has been on the defensive over a New York Times revelation that he took a large loan from Goldman Sachs – where his wife works as a managing director – during his 2012 campaign for election to the US Senate.

Marco Rubio during the FOX Business Debate. Pressure is mounting for someone from the rest of the field to emerge as the clear alternative to Trump and Cruz.

Cruz questioned whether Trump was a true Republican, pointing to his NY upbringing.

Ben Carson – Carson has seen his surging campaign falter in recent weeks.

The billionaire also said he would not “care less” about his company, The Trump Organization, if he became president, allowing executives and his children to run it. The retired neurosurgeon said President Barack Obama “doesn’t realize we now live in the 21st century”.

Santorum, whose core base includes blue-collar conservatives, slammed the President on job creation. “Just saying”, he said. He seemed to understand the requirements of American citizenship better than many of his Republican colleagues who previously questioned Obama’s citizenship.