FOX NEWS GOP Debate 3/3/16
Chris Wallace asked Trump about Romney. Trump called Romney a failed candidate. Trump was asked about David Duke, and Trump disavowed him.
Bret Baier asked Rubio about his attacks on Trump. Rubio said Trump has been belittling people for over a year. Rubio noted that the media gave Trump’s insults free media coverage.
Trump bragged about the size of his genitals.
Megan Kelly asked Cruz about his losing in the South.
Cruz immediately pivoted to the issues, saying Americans are not interested in a bunch of bickering schoolchildren. They want solutions.
Trump insisted that he is beating Rubio and Cruz badly.
Rubio counted that 2/3 of voters in these primaries do not want Trump. Trump is not a conservative.
Rubio said to Trump, “Hillary Clinton will wipe you out.”
Trump said, “I have not started on Hillary yet.”
Baier asked Kasich whether he should drop out. Kasich said he was tired about process. He does not get into the scrums. He is the adult in the race. Romney does not set his strategy. He will not need on the job training.
Baier noted that Kasich’s path was a contested convention. Kasich said “I will win Ohio” and promised to do well in Michigan and other areas in the North. He will bring people together.
Wallace asked Rubio how many jobs he created. Rubio challenged that Trump’s clothing line is made overseas. Rubio said that to create jobs, you make it easier for job creators to do so.
Trump called Rubio a little guy. When asked if he would bring his clothing line jobs back to America, Trump was non-committal. Trump called TPP a disaster and said Rubio favored it.
Rubio pointed out that Trump did not commit to bring the jobs home. He noted that Trump resorts to insults because he cannot discuss policy. Rubio noted Trump’s failures and Trump countered with his successes.
Wallace challenged Trump on what he would cut.
Trump cited Common Core, Department of Education, EPA. Larry Kudlow likes him.
Wallace showed that those cuts would be 86 billion but the deficit is 544 billion.
Trump said that we don’t have proper bidding procedures.
Wallace kept at it, noting Trump’s plan to save 300 billion from medicare drugs but the program is only 78 billion. Trump insisted 300 billion was accurate.
Wallace asked Cruz how taxes will be collected if IRS is abolished. Cruz cited the Treasury. Cruz said he understood that people were angry and that Trump tapped into that anger, but that Trump was part of the 4 decades of Washington corruption. Trump has used government power for private game.
Trump said he supported politicians. As a businessman he owed that to his company.
Wallace asked Kasich about his support for raising the minimum wage. Kasich replied that he supported the increases in Ohio but did not support it at the federal level. Kasich said he was the only one who balanced budgets. He worked with Bill Clinton and fought George W. Bush on budgets.
Megan Kelly shifted to immigration and asked about Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions endorsing Trump. Cruz noted Trump’s support for liberal politicians and liberal policies. Trump has written checks to Hillary Clinton 10 times, 4 of those to her 2008 presidential campaign.
Trump said those checks were for business. He also supported Reagan and George W. Bush.
Kelly asked Trump about a private interview detailing Trump’s flexibility on immigration. Trump attacked Buzzfeed and said off the record comments should stay off the record. Trump said you have to have flexibility, unlike Cruz who cannot get things done. We need give and take in government.
Kelly asked Rubio’s favoring a path to citizenship for illegals. Rubio challenged Trump to release the NY Times transcript on that off the record conversation. Rubio then reiterated his immigration position.
Trump cited his support from Sheriff Joe Arpaio and said he would not release the off the record tape.
When Kelly asked Trump about his shifting position on Visas for highly skilled workers, Trump admitted that he changed and softened his position. We need top talent.
Cruz said he would propose a 180 day moratorium on immigration. We need to audit the process. Cruz noted that Trump does not hire Americans. Trump’s hard line on immigration is just rhetoric. Trump can exonerate himself by releasing the tape.
Trump cited his difficulty in hiring short term jobs during the snowbird season in Florida. Most Americans don’t want those jobs.
Rubio pounced. Florida is Rubio’s turf. He noted that Trump hires foreigners because it saves money.
Trump says he only does that with short term workers.
Cruz again called on Trump to release the tapes.
Baier shifted the conversation to terrorism.
Rubio was asked if we should have more ground troops in Libya as he wants to do in Iraq and Syria. Rubio cited that you have to take away the operating space. They have to be driven out. It will require Special ops in combination with airstrikes.
Kasich cited his 18 years on the defense committee. He attacked Hillary Clinton for toppling Khadafi. He said special forces would not work. We need significant ground troops.
Baier asked Trump about 100 people condemning him for his support for torture. What would he do if military refused a presidential order?
Trump said they would not refuse. He would even go stronger, tougher than waterboarding. Trump said that targeting the families of terrorists was acceptable.
Cruz noted that yelling and cursing at people does not make you a tough guy. He vowed to rebuild the military.
Baier pointed out that Cruz had positive words about Edward Snowden in 2013, and only recently called him a traitor. Cruz said that as more facts came out, his position evolved. You don’t reach a verdict without having the facts.
Baier asked Trump who the best people are for national security: Richard Haas, Colonel Jacobs, General Kane.
Kasich reminded us that he knew Ronald Reagan.
Kelly asked Trump about his reversal on several issues, from Afghanistan to migrants from Syria and North Africa, to whether President George W. Bush lied about WMD.
Trump said that on Afghanistan, he meant Iraq. He was always against going to Iraq. On migrants, he reversed himself when the number cited drastically increased.
Kelly asked if Trump had a core. Trump said he had a strong core but that you have to have a strong degree of flexibility. You have to be flexible because you learn.
Kasich said people want politicians to tell people the truth, not what they want to hear.
Rubio said there is a difference between flexibility and telling people what they want to hear to manipulate them. Rubio cited Trump University. Trump cited a 98% approval rating and A from BBB, which Rubio said was false. Trump said he would win in court.
Rubio insisted the BBB gave Trump University a D—. Trump said it was upgraded to an A. Megyn Kelly said the D— was correct. Trump was sued, and his countersuit was thrown out.
Rubio said he spoke with one of Trump’s victims. They said it was a scam.
Trump said let’s wait a few years and he will be proven right.
Rubio said Trump is trying to do to the American voter what he did to the people who invested in Trump University.
Trump said the real con artist is Marco Rubio, and that the people of Florida can’t stand him and would not elect him dog catcher.
Trump cited a failed Mexico land deal involving Trump’s name on a building.
Cruz stepped in and played the adult. If Trump is nominated, he will face a fraud trial and be forced to answer why he supported Hillary.
Trump cited polls.
Cruz mentioned that the CNN polls Trump cites has Trump loses to Hillary by 8 while Cruz beats Hillary.
Kasich completely shifted the conversation to a woman he met whose 15 year old son took his own life. People are hurting. People are hungry for someone who can fix and solve problems. They want to believe they have the power to fix things where they live. Bring America back at the leadership level and in the neighborhoods.
Baier asked the candidates how to fix Flint, Michigan.
Rubio called it a systemic breakdown at every level of government but the politicizing of it was wrong. He praised Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. Nobody wanted kids poisoned.
Kelly asked Kasich about urban blight in Detroit. Should Detroit be bailed out. Kasich spoke passionately about how to fix schools, citing the Cleveland School District. We need vouchers and charter schools. It has to be dealt with in neighborhoods. Politics must be put aside.
Wallace asked Cruz how to bring manufacturing back to Detroit. Cruz hit a home run out of the ballpark by pointing out that 60 years of left-wing policies destroyed Detroit. He called out the media for not reporting the destruction caused by left-wing policies. Cruz said you lift regulations, repeal Obamacare, pull back regulators like EPA, and get rid of excess taxes and replace it with a 16% business flat tax.
The conversation then turned to social issues.
Baier asked if gay marriage dissenters have rights. Kasich said we must practice humility and love thy neighbor. Respect, more tolerance, stop going to court, have common sense. Do not pressure people to do thing that violate their religious beliefs.
Baier asked Cruz if a gay couple could adopt children. Cruz cited the 10th Amendment and said he would leave gay marriage and gay adoption to the states. Cruz said we can compromise on corporate tax rates but he will never compromise away religious liberty. He defended the 10 Commandments and the mojave Desert Veteran’s Memorial before the SCOTUS and won.
Trump said he agreed with Cruz and would have left the marriage issue to the states.
Baier brought up Scalia and asked if the 2nd Amendment could have limits.
Rubio said he would impose as few limits as possible. It is not a suggestion. It is an issue of freedom. No life, liberty or pursuit of happiness if you’re unsafe. Criminals do not obey laws. Gun laws are not effective.
Baier brought up Trump’s past support for an assault weapons ban. Trump said he was a strong 2nd Amendment supporter. He said he no longer supports the assault weapons ban but did not say why he changed his position.
Cruz attacked the assault weapons ban. He said Trump has promised to compromise on judges with Harry Reid and Chuck Schemer, which will eviscerate religious liberty and the Second Amendment. Cruz will appoint principled conservatives to the court.
Trump called Cruz the primary supporter of Chief Justice John Roberts.
Cruz said Donald has a tenuous relationship with the truth.
Trump kept trying to interrupt and Cruz told him to breathe.
Rubio: When they’re done doing yoga on the stage, can I get a question?
Cruz: We’re not doing yoga.
Rubio: Well Trump is very flexible.
The debate shifted to foreign policy.
Wallace asked Rubio why he thinks Trump is unfit to be CIC. Rubio said that the idea that Trump will just tell his generals to do something is not true. In an unstable world, we don’t need someone without the intellectual curiosity for the world.
Trump said Rubio is not a leader, and the generals will do as he tells them.
Rubio pointed out that Trump answers policy questions with insults. North Korea, China and Russia are serious issues. Rubio said Trump praised Putin. Trump said that was wrong.
Rubio turned to Trump: “You have yet to answer a single serious question about any of this.”
Trump said we should get along with Russia.
Cruz was asked what to do about North Korea. He offered specifics such as space based missile defense.
Kasich was asked if Trump was naive on Russia. Kasich said, “I’m not biting.” Kasich warned Putin that any attack on NATO is an attack on the US. he also brought up China, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. He showed calm and steadiness in his answer.
Wallace asked the candidates if they would support the nominee no matter what.
Rubio said yes. Hillary and Bernie were not the answer.
Cruz said yes because he gave his word.
Kasich said yes but insisted he would be the nominee, even though Trump sometimes makes it a little bit hard.
Trump joked “even if it’s not me?” He even gave Cruz and Rubio credit but said they didn’t deserve it. He finally said yes he would support the nominee.
CLOSING STATEMENTS:
Kasich: Reiterated his record and said he would apply that to Washington.
Rubio: We have the power to have another American century.
Cruz: He told military personnel and their loved ones and police officers and first responders that a President Cruz will have their back.
Trump: He will bring jobs back, strengthen the military and our borders.
eric