Republican primary frontrunners Donald Trump and Ben Carson were accused of peddling “fantasy” economic policies at their party’s presidential debate on Wednesday, as less-known rivals managed to grab campaign limelight.
Upstart US Senator Marco Rubio caused a stir at the third Republican primary debate, fighting off a frontal attack from his one-time ally, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, then calling the presumptive Democratic nominee, former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton, a liar.
The 10 White House candidates on stage were quick with the personal barbs, sign of the rising tension between the country’s established politicians and political neophytes Trump and Carson, who top the polls less than 100 days before the first statewide nominating contests.
Photo: AFP
“Folks, we got to wake up,” Ohio Governor John Kasich said, raising an alarm at the outset. “We cannot elect somebody that doesn’t know how to do the job. You have to pick somebody who has experience.”
The language appeared clearly aimed at Trump, a real-estate magnate and TV reality star, and the retired neurosurgeon Carson, who were the targets of early brickbats as candidates ripped into their policy plans.
Kasich said the tax plans of both were “fantasy tax games” that would add trillions of dollars to the national debt.
Even the debate moderator joined in, asking Trump if he were running a “comic book version” of a campaign — notably by promising to keep out immigrants with a wall on the Mexican border.
Millions of Americans were estimated to be tuning in to the sparring at an arena at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
As traditional candidates struggle to make headway against strong populist currents in their party, Carson appears to be catching up to Trump, overtaking him in the state of Iowa and edging ahead of him in one national poll released on Tuesday.
With his star rising, Carson came under pressure to expand on his political platforms.
And the hyper-competitive Trump — facing a slippage in his poll ratings — seemed determined to reaffirm his position atop the Republican pyramid.
However, with all eyes on the frontrunning pair, other candidates vied for the camera.
Bush, the son and brother of two presidents, launched a bold attack on his former protege, Rubio, something he has been loath to do on the campaign trail.
“This is a six-year term, you should be showing up” for Senate votes, he told Rubio, who hails from the same state. “Is it a French work week? You get like three days where you have to show up? Just resign and let somebody else take the job.”
However, Bush otherwise failed to make a strong impression in the debate — which many saw as a vital opportunity for him to reignite his flagging campaign.
Rubio fought off the challenge, and later drew applause when he skewered Clinton for her testimony about the 2012 Benghazi attacks before Congress last week, a performance praised by supporters and observers.
“It was the week she got exposed as a liar,” Rubio said. “But she has her super PAC helping her out: the American mainstream media.”
The line resonated and helped build the case that Rubio might be the most serious establishment challenger beyond Bush to go up against Trump and Carson, neither of whom have held elective office.
“Rubio won tonight with wit, good humor, great one liners and substance,” tweeted Ari Fleischer, a White House press secretary during former US president George W. Bush’s administration.
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