Last night, the Republican candidates for president gathered in Houston for the last debate before Super Tuesday. After losses in the last few primaries, the field has thinned to five: Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump.
Since Trump’s smashing victory in the Nevada caucus on Tuesday, observers have wondered: Can Trump be stopped? Will the anti-Trump voters coalesce around one candidate? Will Rubio and Cruz continue to get steamrolled by Trump, or will they finally go on the offense?
On that last question, the answer was clear from the outset. Rubio and Cruz had one thing to deliver to the Donald:
On immigration, Rubio quickly took Trump to task over his history of hiring illegal immigrants for construction projects.
Here we go. Marco takes the opportunity and gently starts to probe Trump’s consistency over the years on immigration issue.
— Duane Patterson (@Radioblogger) February 26, 2016
Trump fights back—says that Rubio has never hired anyone. Trump is lying madly about his hiring of illegal workers.
— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) February 26, 2016
Rubio is right — google “Trump Polish workers” and here’s what you get pic.twitter.com/RBmKHQUL6G
— Jonathan Cohn (@CitizenCohn) February 26, 2016
Cruz got in on the action.
“Anyone who really cared about illegal immigration wouldn’t be hiring illegal immigrants.” @tedcruz #GOPDebate
— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) February 26, 2016
The moderators asked Trump for specifics about his Mexican wall plan.
Wolf: How will you get Mexico to pay for the wall?
Trump: I will *huge applause*I hate this. #GOPDebate
— Dominic Lynch (@domineeringDom) February 26, 2016
Rubio refused to let up.
"If he builds the wall the way he build Trump Tower, he'll be using illegal workers." Rubio hits Trump again #gopdebate
— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) February 26, 2016
Trump: "You don't know anything about business"
Rubio: "I don't know anything about bankrupting four companies"
Zing!
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) February 26, 2016
Rubio dropping truth bombs against Trump #TeamMarco #gopdebate pic.twitter.com/xKtRP506xq
— Charlie Hoffmann (@choffmann10) February 26, 2016
Even on the subject of his financial success, Rubio gave Trump the business.
Rubio to Trump: “If it wasn’t for your father, you’d be selling watches in Manhattan.” #GOPDebate
— Eli Lake (@EliLake) February 26, 2016
Trump is now trying to clarify how many millions of dollars he borrowed from his dad. If you're doing that, you're losing.
— Kyle Wingfield AJC (@kwingfieldajc) February 26, 2016
Trump, yeah, I lied 38 years ago. Rubio: "I guess there's a statute of limitations on lies."
— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) February 26, 2016
By the end of the debate, the only thing left on the podium next to Rubio will be a blonde toupee.
— Matthew (@Matthops82) February 26, 2016
Rubio as the GOP debate goes on. pic.twitter.com/wo4ehy6VAm
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) February 26, 2016
Rubio: "I didn't hear no bell!"
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 26, 2016
As the debate intensified, the CNN moderators took the occasion to bring in the less popular candidates.
"This debate was getting too heated and exciting, so here's a question for Ben Carson."
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) February 26, 2016
Blitzer: "Let me give Trump a breather now that he's hit Cruz back, and get John Kasich in here." #GOPDebate
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 26, 2016
"And now over to Dr. Carson…" pic.twitter.com/pbTnhgXF7i
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 26, 2016
"The fruit salad of their life, is what I will look at." ~ Ben Carson is so baked. #GOPDebate
— jon gabriel (@exjon) February 26, 2016
But before long, the three main contenders were back at it. Cruz attacked Trump on judges.
Cruz hits Trump on justices: "He's said he'll go to Washington and cut a deal."
— David Freddoso (@freddoso) February 26, 2016
Trump discredited himself on abortion.
Trump goes out of his way to defend Planned Parenthood.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) February 26, 2016
"Millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood" -the Republican presidential frontrunner
— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) February 26, 2016
And Rubio made short work of Trump’s ideas on replacing Obamacare.
So Trump's WHOLE plan — as he just admitted — is to open up interstate competition. I'm all for that, but that's pathetic.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) February 26, 2016
We have states. That's why healthcare bad – trump
— Amy (@AmyOtto8) February 26, 2016
Damn. Marco got into Trump's OODA loop. #GOPDebate
— jon gabriel (@exjon) February 26, 2016
Rubio on Trump say "lines" over and over in talking about his Obamacare plan: "Look, now he's repeating himself again." Crowd roars.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) February 26, 2016
TRUMP: i don't repeat myself. i don't repeat myself.
— chuuch (@ch000ch) February 26, 2016
Hahaha. Sen. Rubio seems to be having fun with this now. #washex2016
— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) February 26, 2016
Trump responding to Rubio: pic.twitter.com/VBex02vPsC
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) February 26, 2016
The attacks seemed to be working.
Secretly Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz be like: pic.twitter.com/jQ4IgHoc2k
— Philip Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) February 26, 2016
The subject turned to Trump’s long-promised, but still-unreleased tax returns.
Trump says Romney was a dope to delay releasing his taxes. He’s acting SUPER weird about releasing his own. This is weird.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) February 26, 2016
Trump just said you don’t learn anything from a tax return. That’s just straight up wrong.
— Maeve Reston (@MaeveReston) February 26, 2016
His excuse for not releasing them: he’s constantly being audited, so he can’t release them. Twitter wasn’t buying it.
There is no legal reason you cannot release a return that is under audit. #GOPDebate
— Michelle Ray (@GaltsGirl) February 26, 2016
So yeah, pretty sure Romney was on to something there… since Trump is lying straight up about "why" he "can't" release returns.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) February 26, 2016
Serious Question:
Why would being audited keep one from being free to release what they already submitted to the IRS?(Answer: Nothing.)
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 26, 2016
Via Twitter, even Mitt Romney got a jab in at the frontrunner.
No legit reason @realDonaldTrump can't release returns while being audited, but if scared, release earlier returns no longer under audit.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 26, 2016
Cruz continued the barrage, mentioning Trump’s upcoming civil fraud trial over the problems of his Trump University.
Trump: I'm being sued for fraud and audited.
— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) February 26, 2016
Cruz taking the leather to Trump on his university fraud, Hillary donations, head-to-head poll deficits vs. Hillary.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) February 26, 2016
After brief questions to Kasich and Carson…
Kasich, #GOPDebate. pic.twitter.com/HLANMZBmng
— Brian P. Hickey (@BrianPHickey) February 26, 2016
WOLF BLITZER: Dr. Carson
CARSON: Yes.
*bell goes off immediately they move on to next candidate*
— Justin Halpern (@justin_halpern) February 26, 2016
The debate turned to international affairs. Trump proclaimed himself a yuuuge fan of Israel, and promised to get the deal done on Mideast peace.
Lol at Trump talking about Israel/Palestine like the Moby Dick of deals
— Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet) February 26, 2016
Trump should build a golf course in Gaza
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) February 26, 2016
The other candidates doubted his ability, and his commitment.
"I've done a ton for Israel!" "What have you done?" "This guy chokes and you suck." That's his answer, just so we're clear.
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) February 26, 2016
While proclaiming himself righteous among the nations, Trump also declared that the Arab world would be a lot better off with Saddam Hussein and Moammar Qaddafi were still in power.
Wrap your head around that: George HW Bush watching from the audience as Trump suggests we'd be better off with Saddam in power in Baghdad.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) February 26, 2016
The CNN moderators had, by this point, lost control of the debate completely.
WOLF BLITZER THE JOE BUCK OF POLITICS.
— Wu-Tang Financial (@Wu_Tang_Finance) February 26, 2016
#GOPdebate, summarized in closed captions. pic.twitter.com/tfLVmRFelh
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) February 26, 2016
Well, it's one helluva debate, I guess. pic.twitter.com/qC41Nm2dfu
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) February 26, 2016
CNN returns from commercial:
The auditorium is on fire.
Feral cats claw the upholstered seats.
Wolf is in a steel cage, pleading for release
— Will Antonin (@Will_Antonin) February 26, 2016
After closing statements, the evening drew to a close. There will be reams of commentary written about the debate this week, but in this case, a picture really does speak a thousand words:
Tonight summed up. #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/FSybzO13U2
— Sean Agnew (@seanagnew) February 26, 2016
