As expected, there were some heated moments at the first major GOP debate. Ten candidates took the stage in Cleveland: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich.
Trump was not without his boxing gloves, mostly towards Rand Paul, and even the moderators. But what really matters at the end of the day are the polls and approval ratings.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said about Thursday night’s debate, “Tonight, the country saw a diverse and dynamic Republican Party. We are blessed to have so many candidates that bring with them a range of experiences and a wealth of ideas to strengthen our country. There should be no doubt that the Republican Party’s nomination process will be a true competition, and voters will be the ones who decide our nominee. It’s a stark contrast with the Democratic Party establishment, which will coronate their nominee with hardly any say from voters.”
Many focused on taking down the leading democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. Priebus added, “With more debates to come, we look forward to continuing to make this contrast. Voters will have many more opportunities to hear from our candidates and decide which one is best equipped to defeat Hillary Clinton and lead the country toward a bright future.”
Prior to the debate, Trump was leading at 21% according to Bloomberg Politics Poll. Jeb Bush was far behind in second place with 10%.
