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[h=4]Trump claims credit for sparking GOP turnout[/h]Controversial front-runner Donald Trump said he’s attracting people who are "voting out of love," even as he finds himself defending new accusations of violence among his supporters and facing criticism for praising authoritarian leaders.
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Donald Trump tackled questions about Putin, Muslims and recent violence at his campaign rallies during CNN's Republican debate. VPC
Republican candidates take part in the March 10, 2016, debate at the University of Miami.(Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP)
CORAL GABLES, Fla. —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Controversial front-runner Donald Trump said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>he’s attracting people who are "voting out of love," even<span style="color: Red;">*</span>as he finds himself defending new accusations of violence among his supporters and facing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>criticism for<span style="color: Red;">*</span>praising authoritarian leaders.
“We're taking people from the Democrat Party. We're taking people as independents, and they're all coming out and the whole world is talking about it. It's very exciting,” he said at the start of a debate<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Miami that was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>largely a civil affair but for a couple of minor exceptions.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“The Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what's happening. ... Be smart and unify."
Trump<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>looking to Thursday's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>debate to anchor his lead in the GOP presidential race, while opponents Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich hoped to improve their position or simply survive.
USA TODAY
Top takeaways from the Miami Republican debate
USA TODAY
12th Republican debate: Highlights from Miami
Do-or-die pressure is building for the four remaining candidates. This was the 12th debate —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and it was originally slated to be the last. But as full-blown resistance to a Trump nomination has broken out in some quarters of the party, GOP officials added another debate, in Utah on March 21, when half of the delegates to national convention will have been awarded.
Trump has been the target of intense attacks during the last two debates, including by Rubio, who mocked the New York businessman for the size of his hands and, with innuendo, about other parts of his anatomy. But Rubio expressed regret this week for the nature of some of his remarks. Republican analysts believe the trash-talking<span style="color: Red;">*</span>insults hurt Rubio, a Florida U.S. senator, as much as Trump, and contributed to Rubio’s failure to win any state in the primaries earlier this week.
CNN moderator Jake Tapper called for a “serious” debate, and the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>candidates did lower the volume. Without the shouting, spectators could hear their thoughts on<span style="color: Red;">*</span>immigration, trade,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>jobs,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>education, Israel, counter-terrorism<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and Social Security, a big issue in Florida.
"So far I cannot believe how civil it's been up here," Trump said half an hour into the event.
USA TODAY
Rubio on Trump Social Security plan: 'The numbers don't add up'
Trump pledged to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>turn around the problem of decreasing worker wages, saying: "I think that's why there has been such an outpouring of love to what I'm saying."
But he<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was confronted during the debate for inciting violence at his rallies, by<span style="color: Red;">*</span>saying he wanted to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>punch a protester in the face and for telling the crowd to “knock the crap out of” another protester.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>On Wednesday, police in Fayetteville, N.C.,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>arrested a 78-year-old man for punching a protester in the face as he was being escorted out of a Trump rally.
“I certainly do not condone that at all," Trump said. But then he added:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“We have some protesters who are bad dudes,” he said. “They are swinging. They are really dangerous. They get in there and they start hitting people.”
USA TODAY
Trump says he hopes he hasn't encouraged violence at rallies
Cruz, when asked whether such scenes hurt the GOP for the general election, said: “For every one of us, we need to show respect for the people. We need to remember who it is we’re working for.”
Rubio was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>smoother and more subdued in the past, but he called out the fire-tongued Trump for his controversial rhetoric.
“The problem is presidents can’t just say anything<span style="color: Red;">*</span>they want. It has consequences here and around the world,” Rubio said.
Trump, who has been accused of praising authoritarianism, said he thinks Russia's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Vladimir Putin is "a strong leader"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and China has a strong government, but that doesn't mean he endorses what they do.
"Strong doesn’t mean good," he said.
USA TODAY
Trump on Putin: 'Strong' doesn't necessarily mean good
All the candidates supported the idea of sending in American troops to fight the Islamic State if military leaders recommended it, and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Trump citied<span style="color: Red;">*</span>numbers of up to 20,000 to 30,000. The Iraqi government, however, has said it opposes the presence of U.S. ground troops there.
Trump, who has said he would target terrorist families, said he would obey the law that prohibit targeting civilians, but those need to be "expanded" in the battle against threats.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rivals pointed out that going after family members would in fact violate international law, and they denounced Trump's suggestion.
The final four candidates talked over each other less Thursday night, but<span style="color: Red;">*</span>still had plenty to argue about.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Cruz,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a Texas U.S. senator unpopular with the Washington<span style="color: Red;">*</span>establishment,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said conservatives don't need a candidate funding liberal Democrats and the Washington establishment —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>namely<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Trump.
Trump said that, contrary to critics' claims, he is a Republican. The only place he differs is on trade, because the deals being negotiated "are absolutely killing our country."
Cruz<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Trump is right about the problems with trade, but wrong about the solutions —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>his proposed tariffs on foreign goods amount to a tax that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>will drive up U.S. prices and cut off American exports.
On immigration,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rubio says he supports laws allowing businesses to hire foreign workers with visas, but only if they can't find Americans to fill jobs<span style="color: Red;">*</span>first.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Cruz said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the United States<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is bringing in too many low-skilled workers, not to mention migrants who are here illegally.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kasich, the governor of Ohio, said he’d be “running for president of Croatia if we didn’t have immigration,” but still, the United States “can't have people just walking in. Look, we lock our doors at night in our homes. The country has to be able to lock its doors as well." Trump says he would pause visa programs that help companies hire foreign workers because they are undercutting American wages.
Asked about fixing Social Security,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rubio says he'd increase the retirement age<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to 70 for future generations.
Trump said:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“I want to leave Social Security as-is.” He’d save money by getting rid of waste and fraud.
Rubio fired back that Trump's numbers don't amount to enough savings, and "we can’t just continue to tiptoe around this." Cruz said the retirement program<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is "careening toward insolvency" and "the answer can’t just be wave a magic wand and say problem go away.”<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kasich said he can save Social Security without “monkeying with” the retirement age, but by "innovating" the program.
Donald Trump answers a question as Ted Cruz listens during the Republican debate at the University of Miami on March 10, 2016.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP)
Trump this week has strengthened his lead after winning contests<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii, while Cruz won Idaho.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kasich collected a few<span style="color: Red;">*</span>delegates, while Rubio<span style="color: Red;">*</span>failed to gain any ground whatsoever.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Cruz has been urging Republicans who don’t like Trump to gather behind him as the sole alternative to the controversial billionaire, while Rubio and Kasich face must-win primaries in their home states next week.
Just before the event began, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus<span style="color: Red;">*</span>addressed the crowd, saying he wanted to clear up something: The party will support the eventual nominee —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>whoever that is<span style="color: Red;">*</span>— 100%.
In other words: The establishment will fully back Trump if he wins the nomination.
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