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Underdog Republicans bash Trump, clash over immigration, Kim Davis and more
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Four Republican presidential candidates faced off during the early GOP debate hosted by CNN. The candidates spoke out about their views on immigration, fellow candidate Donald Trump and embattled Kentucky clerk Kim Davis. VPC
Republican presidential candidates, from left: former New York governor George Pataki, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.(Photo: Mark J. Terrill, AP)
Republican presidential candidates struggling to keep a pulse in national polls tore into front-runner Donald Trump before clashing over immigration policy, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis and an increase in the federal minimum wage.
During a forum before a prime-time debate for the leading candidates in national polls hosted by CNN, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Trump, the real estate billionaire atop the field, is a "narcissist.’’ Former New York governor George Pataki called him "unfit’’ to be president.
"The best way for us to give this election back would be to nominate a Donald Trump,’’ said Jindal, who's taken the lead in attacking Trump over Twitter in the past week. "He doesn’t care about policy,’’ said Jindal. "He’s not serious.’’
Pataki said Trump’s casinos in Atlantic City went bankrupt, costing 5,000 Americans their jobs. "He will do for America what he did for Atlantic City,’’ said Pataki. "That is not someone we will nominate.’’
The forum gave the four candidates polling at the bottom of the field — which also included South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum — a chance to debate on national television. Santorum refused to criticize Trump.
Graham drew cheers and laughter for several humorous lines, such as when he turned a debate over immigration into a commentary on dwindling Social Security taxes. "Strom Thurmond had four kids after age 67. If you're not willing to do that, we need to come up with a new immigration system," Graham cracked.
CNN initially only allowed the top ten candidates, based on recent poll averages, to participate in the main debate, but the network later added a provision that allowed Carly Fiorina to also be invited after she surged in surveys taken after the first debate in August. Former Texas governor Rick Perry was slated to join before suspending his campaign on Friday.
The underdog debate also featured hot button topics such as immigration; sending more U.S. troops into conflicts in Iraq and Syria and a testy exchange between Pataki, Santorum and Jindal over whether Davis, the Kentucky clerk, was right to deny marriage licenses to gay couples after claiming it violated her religious liberty. Davis was jailed for six days on contempt of court charges.
"I would have fired her,’’ said Pataki, drawing a distinction with Jindal and Santorum. "We have to uphold the rule of law.’’
Santorum said Davis had a right to ignore "an unjust law.’’ Santorum also argued that a recent Supreme Court ruling declaring same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states is against "natural law.’’
Graham’s criticism of Davis and defense of the law was more measured. "I don’t agree with it, but that is the law of the land,’’ said Graham.
The debate is the second time the four Republicans didn't qualify for the main debate stage, increasing the pressure on them to grab headlines in order to stay relevant in the crowded field. Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore didn't even qualify for the second-tier event.
The candidates also clashed over whether Congress should agree to increase the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour.
Santorum bashed Graham for opposing an increase. Graham had said it would discourage business owners like his parents, who are now deceased but who had owned a bar, from hiring employees.
Santorum said he proposes a 50-cent increase over three years for the majority of Americans who don’t own their own businesses.
"Republicans are losing elections because we’re not talking about them,’’ said Santorum. "How are we going to win if 90% of Americans don’t think we care about them?’’
Follow @HeidiPrzybyla on Twitter
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1Kh4j0F
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Underdog Republicans bash Trump, clash over immigration, Kim Davis and more
UP NEXT
03
Four Republican presidential candidates faced off during the early GOP debate hosted by CNN. The candidates spoke out about their views on immigration, fellow candidate Donald Trump and embattled Kentucky clerk Kim Davis. VPC
Republican presidential candidates, from left: former New York governor George Pataki, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.(Photo: Mark J. Terrill, AP)
Republican presidential candidates struggling to keep a pulse in national polls tore into front-runner Donald Trump before clashing over immigration policy, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis and an increase in the federal minimum wage.
During a forum before a prime-time debate for the leading candidates in national polls hosted by CNN, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Trump, the real estate billionaire atop the field, is a "narcissist.’’ Former New York governor George Pataki called him "unfit’’ to be president.
"The best way for us to give this election back would be to nominate a Donald Trump,’’ said Jindal, who's taken the lead in attacking Trump over Twitter in the past week. "He doesn’t care about policy,’’ said Jindal. "He’s not serious.’’
Pataki said Trump’s casinos in Atlantic City went bankrupt, costing 5,000 Americans their jobs. "He will do for America what he did for Atlantic City,’’ said Pataki. "That is not someone we will nominate.’’
The forum gave the four candidates polling at the bottom of the field — which also included South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum — a chance to debate on national television. Santorum refused to criticize Trump.
Graham drew cheers and laughter for several humorous lines, such as when he turned a debate over immigration into a commentary on dwindling Social Security taxes. "Strom Thurmond had four kids after age 67. If you're not willing to do that, we need to come up with a new immigration system," Graham cracked.
CNN initially only allowed the top ten candidates, based on recent poll averages, to participate in the main debate, but the network later added a provision that allowed Carly Fiorina to also be invited after she surged in surveys taken after the first debate in August. Former Texas governor Rick Perry was slated to join before suspending his campaign on Friday.
The underdog debate also featured hot button topics such as immigration; sending more U.S. troops into conflicts in Iraq and Syria and a testy exchange between Pataki, Santorum and Jindal over whether Davis, the Kentucky clerk, was right to deny marriage licenses to gay couples after claiming it violated her religious liberty. Davis was jailed for six days on contempt of court charges.
"I would have fired her,’’ said Pataki, drawing a distinction with Jindal and Santorum. "We have to uphold the rule of law.’’
Santorum said Davis had a right to ignore "an unjust law.’’ Santorum also argued that a recent Supreme Court ruling declaring same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states is against "natural law.’’
Graham’s criticism of Davis and defense of the law was more measured. "I don’t agree with it, but that is the law of the land,’’ said Graham.
The debate is the second time the four Republicans didn't qualify for the main debate stage, increasing the pressure on them to grab headlines in order to stay relevant in the crowded field. Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore didn't even qualify for the second-tier event.
The candidates also clashed over whether Congress should agree to increase the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour.
Santorum bashed Graham for opposing an increase. Graham had said it would discourage business owners like his parents, who are now deceased but who had owned a bar, from hiring employees.
Santorum said he proposes a 50-cent increase over three years for the majority of Americans who don’t own their own businesses.
"Republicans are losing elections because we’re not talking about them,’’ said Santorum. "How are we going to win if 90% of Americans don’t think we care about them?’’
Follow @HeidiPrzybyla on Twitter
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1Kh4j0F
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