Trump makes final decree on
run as independent, Republicans debate in Vegas as
America's attention turns to national security, By
Chelsea Schilling and Garth Kant
In the fifth and final GOP debate of
2015, Republican front-runner Donald Trump pledged he would remain loyal to the
party and not run as an independent.
With America less than 50 days away
from the first votes of the 2016 election season, the Republican candidates
converged on Las Vegas Tuesday for a high-stakes debate that could make or
break their chances of winning the White House.
CNN hosted the debate at the
Venetian hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer moderated the main
event. CNN’s Dana Bash and Salem Radio Network’s Hugh Hewitt served as
panelists. The following nine candidates appeared at the prime-time debate:
Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Dr. Ben Carson, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, New Jersey
Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
Trump ended speculation that he
might run as a third-party candidate when Hewitt asked, “Are you ready to
reassure Republicans tonight that you will run as a Republican and abide by the
decision of the Republicans?” “I really am. I’ll be honest, I really am,” was
Trump decisive response.
Hewitt joined the audience in
applauding. Then Trump explained, “I’ve gained great respect for the Republican
leadership. I’ve gained great respect for many, I’m even going to say all, in
different forms, for the people on the dais. In different forms. I have great
respect for the people I’ve met through this process. I’ve never done this
process before. I’ve never been a politician. I mean, for the last six months,
I’ve been a politician.
“But, I will tell you. I am totally
committed to the Republican Party. I feel very honored to be the front-runner.
And I think I’ll do very well if I’m chosen. If I’m so fortunate to be chosen,
I think I’ll do very well.
“I’ve gained great respect for the
Republican leadership,” Trump said. “If I’m so fortunate to be chosen, I think
I’ll do very well.”
Trump reasserted his promise after
the debate, insisting he’d run as a Republican “no matter what.” Watch
Trump’s pledge to not run as a third-party candidate:
Cruz and Trump are locked in a
two-man race in Iowa, with Cruz leading in those polls. Nationally, Cruz is
still lagging far behind Trump, who hit a new high of 41 percent in a
Monmouth University poll conducted Dec. 10-13.
Trump's surge came after the GOP
front-runner proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the
U.S. until Congress can get a
handle on the issue of terror.
What do
YOU think? Who won Tuesday's Republican prime-time debate? Sound off in the WND
poll. Trump's ban on non-American Muslims entering the U.S.
The very first question was about
Trump's call for the ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Blitzer somewhat
incongruously asked the front-runner, "Is the best way to make America
great again to isolate it from much of the rest of the world?" Watch
Trump's response:
Trump took issue with the implication and responded, "We are not talking about isolation. We're talking about security. We're not talking about religion. We're talking about security.
"Our country is out of control.
People are pouring across the southern border. I will build a wall. It will be
a great wall. People will not come in unless they come in legally. Drugs will
not pour through that wall.
"As far as other people, like,
in the migration, where they're going – tens of thousand of people having cell
phones with ISIS flags on them? I don't think so, Wolf. They're not coming to
this country. And if I'm president and if Obama has brought some to this
country, they are leaving. They're going. They're gone."
Then Bush ripped into the
front-runner and his plan: "Donald is great at the one-liners, but he's a
chaos candidate. He'd be a chaos president." Bush said Trump wouldn't keep
America safe.
That attack caused Trump to fire
back at Jeb, saying the former Florida governor has failed in his
campaign for president: "I don't want our country taken away from us, and
that's what's happening. … We want to make America great again. And Jeb, he
doesn't want to do that."
In the month since the Republican
contenders last squared off at a debate, America has seen a heightened focus on
national security following the Nov. 13 Paris terror attacks and the Dec. 2 San
Bernardino, California, massacre by terrorists in which 14 people were killed
and 22 injured.
Paul shreds Rubio on privacy vs. security in fighting terror
After an exchange between Cruz and
Rubio on balancing privacy versus security when it comes to domestic spying,
Rand Paul delivered a powerful blow to the Florida senator, eliciting some of
the biggest cheers of the night.
Asked why it was "hogwash"
to say the U.S. needs increased surveillance by law enforcement, Paul
responded: "You know, I think Marco gets it completely wrong. We aren't
any safer through the bulk collection of all Americans' records. In fact, I
think we are less safe. "We get so distracted by all of the information,
we're not spending enough time getting specific information on terrorists. The
other thing is, the one thing that might have stopped San Bernardino and might
have stopped 9/11, would've been stricter controls on those who came
here."
Watch
Paul's smack-down of Rubio:
Paul continued: "And Marco has opposed, at every point, increased border security for those who come to our country. On his 'Gang of Eight' bill, he would have liberalized immigration, but he steadfastly opposed any new border security requirements for refugees or students.
"Last week, I introduced
another bill saying we need more security; we need more scrutiny. Once again,
Marco opposed this. So Marco can't have it both ways. He thinks he wants to be
this, 'Oh I'm great and strong and national defense.'
"But he's the weakest of all
the candidates on immigration. He is the one for an open border that is leaving
us defenseless. If we want to defend the country, we have to defend against
who's coming in. And Marco has more of an allegiance to Chuck Schumer and
to the liberals than he does to conservative policy." Rubio simply smirked
as the crowd erupted in a roar of applause.
Kill ISIS'
family members? As WND reported earlier this month, Trump declared his plan for deterring Islamic terrorists:
Target their families. Asked if his suggestion to kill ISIS
family members violated international law prohibitions against killing
non-combatants, and whether that would make the U.S. any better than the
terrorists, Trump responded: "We have to be much tougher. We have to be
much stronger than we've been.
"We have people that know
what's going on. You take a look at just the attack in California the other
day. There were numerous people, including the mother, that knew what was going
on. They saw pipe bombs sitting all over the floor. They saw ammunition all
over the place. They knew exactly what was going on.'
"When you had the World Trade
Center go, people were put into planes that had friends, family, girlfriends,
and they were put into planes and they were sent back, for the most part, to
Saudi Arabia. They knew what was going on. They went home, and they wanted to
watch their boyfriends on television.
"I would be very, very firm
with families. And, frankly, that will make people think. Because they may not
care much about their lives, but they do care, believe it or not, about their
families' lives."
Bush then disagreed, calling Trump's
idea "just crazy" and "another example of the lack of
seriousness."
Watch the
heated exchange between Trump and Bush:
Trump countered, "Look, the problem is we need toughness. Honestly, I think Jeb is a very nice person. He's a very nice person. But we need tough people. We need toughness. We need intelligence, and we need tough."
"Jeb said when [illegal
immigrants] come across the southern border, they come as an act of
love." That comment apparently touched a nerve because what followed was a
heated exchange. After the two went back and forth a bit, Trump continued,
"We need a toughness. We need strength. We're not respected as a nation
anymore. We don't have that level of respect we need. And if we don't get it
back fast, we're just going to get weaker and weaker and just disintegrate. We
can't allow that to happen. We need strength. We don't have it."
Kill innocent civilians in war on
ISIS?
Hugh Hewitt noted Carson's great
accomplishments as a brain surgeon and his pleasant personality, but said,
"People wonder, could you order airstrikes that would kill innocent
children?" He continued, "Could you wage war as commander in chief?"
Carson's initial response was muted,
so Hewitt followed up by asking if he could be as "ruthless" as
former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and order airstrikes that could
kill thousands of innocent civilians. "'Ruthless' is not necessarily the
word I would use," replied the neurosurgeon.
"But tough, resolute,
understanding what the problems are, and understanding that the job of the
president of the United States is to protect the people of this country and to
do what is necessary in order to get it done."
'Closing the Internet' on ISIS
Trump heard some boos from the
audience, but he turned it around and rebuked the crowd. The moment came while
Trump was discussing how he would track terrorists over the Internet. "I'm
not talking about closing the Internet," the real-estate mogul said.
"I'm talking about parts of Syria, parts of Iraq, where ISIS is, spotting
it. Now you could close it. What I like even better is getting our smartest and
getting our best to infiltrate their Internet so that we know exactly where
they’re going to be. I like that better."
At that point, there was a
smattering of light cheers mixed with boos from the crowd. Trump noted the
booing and was incredulous. "Who would be – I just can’t imagine somebody
booing," he said. "These are people that want to kill us, folks, and
you’re objecting to us infiltrating their conversations? I don't think so. I
don't think so." Trump's response drew louder cheers that drowned out any
boos.
The whole exchange began when Paul
attempted to paint Trump as unserious because of Trump’s position on the
Internet. "If you’re going to shut down the Internet, realize America what
that entails: That entails getting rid of the First Amendment," Paul
pleaded. "It's no small feat. If you are going to kill the families of
terrorists, realize that there's something called the Geneva Convention we’re
going to have to pull out of." (In fact, many experts argue the Geneva
Conventions do not apply to terrorists.)
Paul continued: "It would defy
every norm that is America, so if you ask yourself, whoever you are, if you
support Donald Trump, think, do you believe in the Constitution? Are you going
to change the Constitution?" Trump responded, "So they can kill us,
but we can’t kill them? That’s what you’re saying?"
Cruz vs. Rubio on immigration policy
Bash asked Cruz his immigration plan
is similar to that of Rubio, whose plan has often been described as
"amnesty." Cruz said it's not similar at all
and that he opposed amnesty. He also promised to build a wall on
the border and quipped, "And I'll get Donald Trump to pay for it."
Rubio accused Cruz of supporting
"legalizing people who are in this country illegally." Cruz
responded, "It is not accurate," and, "Indeed, I led the fight
against his legalization and amnesty bill. "He was fighting to grant
amnesty and not to secure the border. I was fighting to secure the border. "And this also goes to
trust," added Cruz. "Listen, on campaign trails, candidates all the
time make promises. Marco said he learned the American people didn't trust the
federal government."
The two then testily spoke over each
other, contradicting each other on who said what. "Does Ted Cruz rule out
ever legalizing people who are in this country illegally?" asked Rubio. "I
have never supported legalization ..." began Cruz. "Do you rule it out?"
interjected Rubio, like a lawyer grilling a witness. "I have never
supported legalization," reiterated Cruz, adding, "And I do not
intend to support legalization." "What you do is you enforce the
law. I've laid out a very, very detailed immigration plan on my website."
'Happy hour': Islamic terror and a
love song for G.W.
CNN also hosted an undercard or
"happy hour" debate at 6 p.m. EST featuring the following GOP
candidates who failed to qualify for the main event due to low performance in
the polls: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick
Santorum, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and New York Gov. George Pataki.
In that event, the candidates were asked about their views of Trump's temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. "You may think this makes us safe, but it doesn't," Graham said. "This is a religious war between radical Islam and the rest of the world. … Help people in Islam who reject radical Islam to fight over there and destroy the ideology." Graham told the world's Muslims, "I am sorry. [Trump] doesn't represent us. … Declaring war on the religion only helps ISIL. ... What he said about banning Muslims has made us less safe."
Pataki said Trump's plan is
"un-American, unconstitutional and it's wrong. ... Donald Trump is the
know-nothing candidate of the 21st century and cannot be our
nominee."
Referring to Trump's call, CNN
moderator Blitzer asked Santorum, "You've made religious liberty a
hallmark of your career. Do you believe in religious liberty for Muslims as
well as Christians?"
"Of course I do,"
responded the former senator. "What Donald Trump was saying was nothing
against Muslims. His comment was against this administration, who doesn't have
a policy to properly vet people coming into this country. Let's just be honest
about what's being talked about here."
Watch
Santorum's comments:
As the crowd broke into applause, Santorum continued, "I know people will pile on because it makes sense to pile on, maybe from the polls. But he brings up a legitimate issue. The fact of the matter is, not all Muslims are jihadists, and no one, including Donald Trump, I suspect, would say that. But the reality is, all jihadists are Muslims. That's a reality."
After pausing a beat for more
applause, he added, "And we have to stop worry about offending some people
and start defending all Americans, because we're not right now."
Graham also appeared to have a bit
of a meltdown near the end of the debate.
He took a swipe at Russian
President Vladamir Putin quipping, "I'm not afraid of a guy riding around
on a horse without his shirt. The guy's got a pair of twos and we've got a full
house and he's walking all over Obama."
He then defended Obama's
predecessor, insisting, "The surge worked. It worked. George W. Bush made
mistakes but he did adjust. I blame Obama for ISIL, not Bush." Working
himself into a fever pitch, Graham exclaimed, "I am tired of beating on
Bush. I miss George W. Bush! I wish you were president right now! We wouldn't
be in this mess! I am tired of dictators walking all over us. I am tired of
siding with the Iranians and the Russians." Watch Graham:
America's attention turned to
terror, national security
In recent weeks, America's attention
has turned from a focus on the anemic economy to a deep concern for national
security in the wake of terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, California, and
Paris.
A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed 42 percent of Republicans support Trump's plan
to temporarily ban Muslim entry into the U.S., along with 11 percent of
Democrats and 30 percent of independents.
As WND reported, Syed Farook and his jihadist wife, Tashfeen Malik, slaughtered 14 people and injured 21 at a Dec. 2 Christmas party in San Bernardino. Shortly after the massacre, the two used Facebook to declare their allegiance to ISIS.
Farook had managed to fly to
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia under the radar of federal authorities in 2014.
Farook's father said the jihadi had extremist views, hated Israel and had
declared that "Islam will rule the world."
In 2012 and 2014, before Malik came
to the U.S. on a K-1 fiancee visa in July 2014, she sent Facebook messages to
her friends pledging her support for Islamic jihad.
On Monday came news that the
Department of Homeland Security has been monitoring Americans' social media
accounts, while banning agents from checking the accounts of visa applicants for signs of possible terrorist leanings.
In October, FBI Director James Comey
warned that the federal government doesn't have the ability to thoroughly vet
the 10,000 Syrian refugees President Obama has said he will bring into America.
"We can only query against that
which we have collected," Comey said. "And, so if someone has never
made a ripple in the pond in Syria in a way that would get their identity or
their interest reflected in our database, we can query our database until the
cows come home, but there will be nothing [to] show up because we have no
record of them."
Comey also revealed that ISIS
"has the capability to manufacture fraudulent passports."
House Homeland Security Chairman Mike
McCaul added, "ISIS has said in its own
words that they want to exploit the refugee process to infiltrate the West.
And, they did exactly that to attack Paris. I can reveal today that the United
States government has information to indicate that individuals tied to
terrorist groups in Syria have already attempted to gain access to our country
through the U.S. refugee program."
McCaul has been warning since January that he believes Obama's refugee program, which has been
sending roughly between 40,000 and 150,000 foreign refugees to American cities
per year over the past 35 years, could be exploited as a "back door for
jihadists" into the U.S.
Obama wants to increase the number
of refugees coming into the U.S. from 70,000 a year to 85,000 this year and
100,000 the following year. At least half of all the refugees come from
Muslim-dominated countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sudan,
Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries with jihadist
movements.
As WND reported, Somali-American Mohammed Hassan – who was either a refugee
or a son of a refugee living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is a known
terrorist recruiter for ISIS – had direct communication with San Bernardino
shooter Syed Farook.
On Monday,
federal authorities said Maryland man Mohamed Elshinawy is being charged
with providing support to ISIS and accepting money to carry out a terror attack
in the U.S. Elshinawy had pledged allegiance to ISIS in February.
By Tuesday, the Los Angeles Unified School District had
closed all of its schools after reporting
it received a "credible terror threat" involving "explosive
devices," "assault rifles" and "machine pistols."
New York City's school system said it received a nearly identical threat,
but New York Police Commissioner William Bratton dismissed it as a
"hoax." LAUSD said it planned to search all of its 900 schools.
No comments:
Post a Comment