GOP 1/14/16 Debate Recap
The first Republican presidential debates of 2016 are also the last GOP debates before the February 1 Iowa Caucus. The debates took place in Charleston, South Carolina and were hosted by Fox Business Network and moderated by FBN correspondents Sandra Smith and Trish Regan.
How is the state of the economy?
Carly Fiorina: “Unlike another woman in this race, I actually love spending time with my husband.”
She accused Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump of crony capitalism.
Mike Huckabee: We’re not doing well.
Rick Santorum: “All he has to do is listen to the Democrat debate and find out how bad the economy is.”
Obama is killing jobs.
What is America’s role in the world?
Fiorina: Americans must lead.
How will we navigate the balance between Iran and Saudi Arabia?
Santorum: We tear up the Iran deal on day one because “Iran has already torn it up.”
Santorum pointed out the Citadel cadets in the audience. “I will not let America be trampled on anymore by these radical Jihadists.”
What is your solution to Afghanistan?
Huckabee compared Afghanistan to the land of the Flintstones. Rebuild our armed forces. We only need to be in Afghanistan if there is a concerted effort to destroy radical Islam. No nation building.
Are you worried about Islamist refugees coming to America?
Fiorina: We can’t vette them. “We do not need to be lectured.”
Do we need a coalition to fight ISIS? Would that coalition include Russia and Iran?
Fiorina: Saudi Arabia is our ally, Iran and Russia are our adversaries. no outsourcing leadership.
Should Social Media companies be required by law to be more active in the War on Terror?
Santorum: The government needs to do a better job, not rely on the private sector.
Why is the president’s proposal for more gun restrictions troublesome?
Fiorina: Obama executive orders violate the Constitution. Enforce the laws we have. Bureaucracies do not know how to innovate. “Mrs. Clinton, actually, you cannot wipe a server with a towel.”
Can anything be done at the federal level to prevent guns from getting in the hands of criminals?
Huckabee pounced on Fast and Furious. There is no gun show loophole. Obama pushes ideas that have never worked.
Should we get rid of Visa waiver requirement?
Huckabee: European Union is a failure. O44 more interested in coddling Islamists than protecting Americans. It could slow down commerce but will not shut down commerce. Do it anyway. O44 has lost his credibility.
Do you have a plan from infrastructure attack?
Santorum immediately focused on an EMP attack. We have to make sure Iran does not get a nuclear bomb.
Do you dispute Obama’s track record on jobs?
Santorum: Obama makes numbers up. Santorum went way overtime but passionately explained why we should have illegal immigrants and refugees go back to their countries.
How can we reduce the debt without taking on entitlements?
Huckabee: Social Security is our money. Raising the retirement age will cripple physically blue collar workers.
For the main debate, FBN brought the big guns, Neil Cavuto and Maria Bartiromo.
The candidates were asked about Obama’s contention that the economy was doing well.
Ted Cruz responded by starting with the debacle of American soldiers held in humiliating poses by Iran. Cruz referred to the failed Obama-Clinton economy.
Kasich was asked what he would do during a financial crisis. Freeze federal regulations for a year, tax cuts, balanced budgets.
Where and when should a president use military action when the world is on fire?
Chris Christie called Tuesday “Storytime with Barack Obama.”
Keep our word with our allies and our adversaries. Use military to protect American lives and American interests. He attacked “tin pot dictators” in Iran.
Jeb Bush called Obamaworld an “alternative universe.” Jeb mentioned Benghazi and the Russian reset. He also said she would be going between “The White House and the Court House.”
Rubio: “Hillary Clinton is disqualified from being Commander in Chief of the United States.” He mentioned her lying to the Benghazi families.
Carson was asked how he would handle ISIS. Carson described the problem thoroughly, and would untie the military’s hands.
Trump was asked about the peaceful Syrian refugees. Trump calmly mentioned Indonesia, San Bernardino and Paris. We are 19 trillion in debt. We cannot handle more people.
Cruz thanked the New York Times for its hit piece on him and hit back hard against charges of financial impropriety.
Cavuto asked Cruz about Trump questioning his citizenship. Cruz thanked Cavuto for asking such meaningful questions. “Since September, the Constitution hasn’t changed. The polls have.” Cruz pointed out that under Trump’s standard, Trump would be ineligible because his mother was born in Scotland.
Trump insisted he did not care about the Cruz birther issue. The crowd booed loudly. Trump admitted that the polls are why he is bringing up the issue now.
Cruz said he would not take legal advice from Donald Trump or Al Gore’s lawyers.
Rubio said that while he hated to “interrupt this episode of Court TV,” it was time to focus on fixing the damage of the Obama administration.
How would Trump unite the party?
Trump is not just angry, but very angry. The country is a disaster right now. He offered kind words for Governor Nikki Haley despite her recent criticism of him.
Rubio was asked about his criticism of Christie’s liberal record in New Jersey. Rubio brought up Christie’s support of Common Core, gun control and Planned Parenthood. nobody on the stage is a socialist or under FBI investigation, but Christie has supported positions that go against conservatism.
Christie vigorously defended his record and distinguished between governors and senators.
Jeb played peacemaker.
Carson drew laughs when he insisted he was mentioned because the question referenced “everybody.” Carson stayed on the peace train.
Kasich was asked how a self-avowed Socialist like Bernie Sanders could win the Democrat nomination. Kasich laughed and said Sanders will not be President. He offered empathy and how we can retrain older people for good jobs. He kept rambling.
Carson was asked if Bill Clinton was fair game and if Hillary Clinton was an enabler. Carson asked if we had standards and values anymore. We have race, gender and religion wars. Right and wrong exists. Do not let secular progressives destroy values.
Bartiromo turned the conversation to gun control and asked what the harm was for increasing background checks.
Jeb started by praising Haley for her leadership during the Charleston shooting. Jeb said the FBI made a mistake in that case. Focus on violence, criminals and mental health, not law abiding gun owners.
Trump said he would not limit gun sales. He is a Second Amendment guy. He agreed with Jeb about mental health.
Cavuto challenged Rubio about soaring gun sales. Rubio quickly went after Obama. “I am convinced that if he could get rid of every gun in America, he would.” “Criminals do not buy their guns from a gun show.” Obama would get rid of the 2nd Amendment if he could.
Cavuto challenged Christie on his past support for gun control. Christie said he was not like Obama since Obama acted like a dictator and a “petulant child.” Christie said he made it easier to get guns in New Jersey. “Mr. President, we’re not against you. We’re against your policies.” “We are going to kick your rear end out of the White House come this Fall.”
Cruz said you prosecute criminals and target bad boys. He then went hard after Eric Holder for Fast and Furious. Cruz noted that Hillary Clinton supports the dissenters in the DC Heller case that affirmed the Second Amendment as an individual right. “Unless you are clinically insane,” Republicans in a primary support the Second Amendment. He has the endorsement from Gun Owners of America. Cruz went after Schemer, Feinstein and the entire gun crowd. He took them on alone and won.
Bartiromo asked Cruz what he meant when he said Trump embodies New York values. Cruz said the South Carolina audience knew. Cruz cited Trump’s interview with Tim Russert where Trump said he was socially liberal. Few conservatives come out of America.
Trump cited William F. Buckley. He then invoked 9/11.
Cavuto shifted the debate to foreign policy and the ten American soldiers humiliated by Iran. What would Jeb do differently?
Jeb would “restore the strength of the military.” Jeb wants to “eliminate the sequester” and “reimpose sanctions” on Iran. He would move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Kasich was asked about Saudi Arabia. He started talking about his time on the Energy Committee. He vowed that he would have to stop funding the radical clerics in the madrassas.
Lindsey Graham wants to send ground troops into Syria to take out ISIS. Should we?
Carson would listen to his generals. We take their oil. No using human shields for them. We should use special ops.
Should we remove Assad?
Christie recounted how O44 drew the red line and got 250,000 people killed. O44 has done “worse than nothing.” Hillary called Assad a “reformer.” We need a no-fly zone. The Syrians should stay in Syria. No peace in Syria with Assad in charge.
Trump was asked about his comments saying we should ban Muslim immigration. Should he rethink his position.
He said “no” and stop the political correctness. “we can’t be the stupid country anymore.”
Jeb says Trump’s position makes it impossible to take out ISIS. The Kurds are our allies. They are Muslims. Tighten up the entry Visa program. Jeb understands why people are angry, but Trump is wrong on the issue.
Trump replied, “I want security for this country.”
Should we pause Muslim immigration?
Kasich thinks we should pause on admitting Syrian refugees.
Christie said that we should take no Syrian refugees of any kind because they cannot be vetted by the FBI. You can’t just ban all Muslims.
Rubio noted that the problem exists because O44 fails to understand ISIS. anyone we cannot veto will not be admitted.
Cruz understands the anger and frustration. He called O44 an apologist for Islamic terrorists. Any American who joins ISIS forests their citizenship. We restrict all immigration from areas controlled by ISIS.
Carson would get experts together including Israelis who know how to screen people.
Jeb pointed out that we will not ban Muslims from Indonesia and India. “We need the lawyers off the back of the war fighters.”
Trump was asked about his support of a 45% tariff on Chinese goods. Trump disputed the report.” “It’s the New York Times. They’re always wrong.” Cavuto kept pressing on whether Trump would support that tariff. Trump seemed cornered. Cavuto wanted an answer and Trump kept evading. Trump finally said he was open to a tariff.
Kasich interjected himself but did not offer anything, as he frequently does. He would not back a tariff, and started speaking like an economics professor. He wants free trade but fair trade. We need to stand up, but would not offer a tariff.
Rubio said the solution is to fix the economy. Tax reform. Regulatory reform. Repeal and replace Obamacare.
Trump says Rubio’s approach “takes too long.” China would not retaliate if we slapped on a tariff. He offered nothing to back this up. Trump called Jeb “weak.”
Cruz offered a middle ground between Trump and Jeb. cruz rightly pointed out that China would slap on a reciprocal tariff. Cruz offered a flat tax. Exports are tax free. Imports pay the business flat tax.
How do we fix our infrastructure?
Christie: Reduce the corporate tax structure. Stop double-taxation. One-time repatriation of foreign assets at 8 3/4%, not 35%. That will free up capital.
Carson was asked about corporations leaving America for lower taxes. He wants a flat tax with no exemptions.
Trump said we have to do something about corporate inversions.
Rubio said he would not offer a VAT like Cruz.
Cruz insisted his proposal was a business flat tax, not a VAT. His plan eliminates the payroll tax, death tax, Obamacare tax. Cruz would abolish the IRS. Rubio leaves the IRS in place. Art Laffer praises Cruz’s plan.
Rubio pointed out that creating a VAT means the IRS still exists to collect the VAT.
Christie said “I would like to interrupt this debate on the floor of the senate.” He said “Marco, you had your chance to answer, you believe it.” Christie insisted that Hillary and Bernie would raise Social security taxes.
Carson noted that the WSJ likes his tax plan.
Bartiromo asked if Trump would put his assets in a blind trust if he becomes president. He said that if he becomes president he would not care about his company. His kids would run the company.
Christie was asked how he would handle violent crime in the cities. He would ban sanctuary cities. He would enforce the marijuana laws. His Attorney General would enforce the law fairly and justly.
Should we retrain police?
Kasich created a task force. We need the integration of community and police. It was a platitude.
Bartiromo challenged Rubio on his pro-immigration stance. Rubio said that now we must focus on security. His position has changed because the issue itself has changed in the last two or three years. ISIS changed the discussion.
Cruz pointed out that radical Islam existed long before two or three years ago. “Border security is national security.” Cruz linked Rubio to Schumer.
Rubio said that Cruz has flip-flopped on the immigration issue. He has also flip-flopped on ethanol because of the Iowa Caucus. Cruz likes Snowden. Rubio will put him on trial. Cruz votes to cut defense. Rubio would not.
Cruz said that at least half of the things Rubio said are false.
The two Cuban men dueled to a draw in this round.
Cavuto shifted the discussion to social media in the War on Terror.
Jeb wants more improvement in government. You have to keep asking the private sector for help. He did not say he would compel the private companies by an order. The law would have to change.
Closing statements:
Kasich waxed poetic. He cares about people. He never finishes his remarks on time.
Jeb will keep us safe. Results count. Credibility counts.
Christie noted that O44 does not care. We need a fighter. Christie is a fighter.
Carson has seen so many people hurting. Truth, honesty, integrity. Heal, inspire, revive America.
Rubio noted our rights come from God. That brought free enterprise. O44 wants to change rather than fix America. Electing Hillary will make the next 4 years worse than the last 8.
Cruz spoke about the movie 13 Hours. He lacerated O44 for refusing to say radical Islam and who gives money to Iran. He attacked Hillary for apologizing after saying all lives matter.
Trump stood yesterday with 75 construction workers. These tough guys were crying as they watched Iran humiliate our American soldiers. no more bad Iran deals.
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