Cruz, Rubio united in attacking Trump at 11th Republican debate

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[h=4]Cruz, Rubio united in attacking Trump at 11th Republican debate[/h]With plenty of angry crosstalk, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio tried to do everything they could to slow down Donald Trump’s momentum with a torrent of attacks on his vague answers on policy, his business record, his changing positions on issues, and abrasive campaign style.

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Verbal punches flew all over the stage in the 11th GOP debate, from candidates calling each other names and talking over each other to moderators fact checking statements. VPC


Republican presidential candidates participate in the Republican presidential debate.(Photo: Salwan Georges, Detroit Free Press)


DETROIT — They were at Donald Trump’s throat all night.
With plenty of angry crosstalk, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio tried to do everything they could to slow down Trump’s momentum with a torrent of attacks on his vague answers on policy, his business record, his changing positions on issues, and his abrasive campaign style.
It was a striking strategic departure: Cruz and Rubio didn’t attack each other, as they have in the past. For the first time in a debate, they created a united anti-Trump front.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>In response, Trump brushed them off, sneeringly calling them “little Marco” and “lying Ted.”
But the reason the 11th GOP presidential debate may go down in history is because it prominently featured a joke about a man’s anatomy.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“Look at those hands. Are they small hands? He referred to my hands — if they’re small, something else must be small,” said Trump, the Republican front-runner.
It was a defense of a insult that rival Rubio unpacked on the campaign trail in the last week, when he said: “You know what they say about men with small hands? You can’t trust them.”<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Trump on Thursday night tried to kill that rumor. “I guarantee you, there’s no problem,” he said to loud cheers from the audience at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
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As Trump’s strength in the presidential campaign grows — the wealthy TV star won seven of 11 states on Super Tuesday — he’s coming under heavier fire from Cruz, a Texas U.S. senator who won three states Tuesday, and Rubio, a Florida U.S. senator who won one.
One bitter exchange went like this:
“Donald has a tenuous relationship with the truth,” Cruz said.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Trump jumped in to argue.
“Breathe, breathe, breathe, you can do it,” Cruz said. “I know it’s hard.”
Rubio interjected: “When they’re done with the yoga, can I answer a question?”
“I hope we don’t see yoga on this stage,” Cruz said.
“Well, he’s very flexible, so you never know,” Rubio said with a laugh.
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Despite that, as the debate closed all of Trump’s rivals said they would support him if we wins the nomination.
The last person in the GOP final four, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, as usual tried to stay above it all. Kasich has shaken off the narrative early in the race about his anger problems by taking on the mantle of reasonable, huggable candidate.
Asked a question about Trump and foreign affairs, Kasich said: “I’m not biting.”
Trump has captured nearly half of all the delegates awarded so far. His rivals hope to beat him in delegate-rich Florida and Ohio on March 15, but Trump leads the polls in both states. Losses for Rubio and Kasich in their home states could leave their candidacies at serious risk of failure.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kasich said Thursday: “I will win Ohio.”
The debate lineup shrunk by one candidate on Wednesday when Ben Carson announced he would not participate. The retired neurosurgeon signaled he would soon formally withdraw from the race. Carson said he’ll talk about his future at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
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Rubio came ready to battle, matching Trump jab for jab, and pointing out each time Trump answered a policy question with an attack on a rival.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“He doesn’t have answers, and he’s asking you to make him the president of the United States,” Rubio said.
“I know what’s happening on the economy,” Trump fired back. “I’ve employed tens of thousands of people.
“Have you ever heard of Trump steaks? Trump Vodka<span style="color: Red;">*</span>... You’ve ruined these companies,” Rubio told him.
When the moderator nudged in with a policy question, Rubio said: “Let’s see if he answers it.”
“Don’t worry about it, little Marco,” Trump said.
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Trump to Rubio: 'Don't worry about it, Little Marco'




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Moderator Bret Baier called out Rubio for saying three weeks ago that he’s committed to decorum<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but has now mocked Trump for bad spelling, ridiculed him with vulgar jokes and called him names.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rubio said Trump has mocked disabled people and just about everybody else with personal attacks. “If there’s anyone who’s ever deserved to be attacked that way, it’s Donald Trump,” Rubio<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said.
Cruz went back to his pre-Iowa messaging, saying people don’t want to hear them fight, they want to know how they’ll will save the economy for mechanics, truck drivers and other people with calloused hands.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Cruz told Trump at one point: “Yelling and cursing at somebody doesn’t make you a tough guy.”
Trump was asked about his call for targeting the wives and children of terrorists, saying some members of the military say they’ll refuse to carry out illegal orders.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“They won’t refuse. They’re not going to refuse me, believe me,” Trump answered.
Trump was also asked about the blistering speech 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney gave in Utah earlier Thursday, when he said Trump’s bullying, greed, showing off, misogyny and absurd theatrics would lead the Republicans to disaster. Romney challenged Trump to answer with substance, not insults.
“Well, look, he was a failed candidate,” Trump responded. “He should have beaten President Obama very easy.” The audience reacted with a few boos, but it seemed telling that Trump hit Romney at a debate in Michigan, where the Romney name is the gold standard, without a more forceful negative reaction.
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