Republican debates II: Candidates at odds over immigration

The two leading contenders for the Republican nomination in next year’s presidential election are at odds over immigration.

In the first of the televised debates for 10 polls-leading candidates, Jeb Bush balances the issue while Donald Trump lambasts US leadership.

Bush, Trump on immigration
Mr Bush frames the immigration issue in economic terms. Many families who enter the US feel they have “no other option,” he says.

“They want to provide for their family.” Then he pivots to border security. It’s incumbent on American leaders, he says, to enforce immigration laws by securing the border.

Mr Trump calls US leaders “stupid” three times when asked about immigration policy. He repeats his controversial claim that a wall needs to be built immediately along the Mexico border to prevent violent criminals from entering the US.

“Our leaders are stupid, our politicians are stupid and the Mexican government is much smarter,” he says.

He says the Mexican government has no interest in dealing with its violent criminals because “the stupid leaders of the United States will do it for them.”

He says he isn’t opposed to allowing legal immigration, though, and would support putting a “big beautiful door in that wall” so people can still immigrate legally.

Trump on foreign policy, women
The first foreign policy reference in the debate prompts Mr Trump to warn about economic threats.

He responds to a question from moderator Megyn Kelly about his past pejorative comments toward women by saying the country is too focused on being “politically correct.” 

“This country doesn’t have time” for political correctness. ”We lose to China, we lose to Mexico – both in trade and at the border.”

When Ms Kelly challenges him to defend comments calling women fat pigs, sluts and dogs, he says: “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” referring to the entertainer. Ms Kelly responds, “For the record, it was way beyond Rosie O’Donnell.”

Trump doesn’t rule out running as an independent
The first question in the debate: Is there any candidate on the stage who is unwilling to pledge to support the Republican nominee and who is unwilling to pledge not to run an independent campaign?

Mr Trump is the only candidate to raise to his hand. “I will not make the pledge at this time,” he says.

He wants to be the Republican nominee and says he will make the pledge if he is in fact the Republican nominee. If not, all bets are off.

It’s the economy, stupid
Florida Senator Marco Rubio focuses early on the economy. He hits at the fears that Americans have about how the economy is changing in new and unsettling ways. The largest retailer in America, he notes, is Amazon, which doesn’t have a single store.

Mr Rubio quickly paints a contrast with Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton in noting that he’s familiar with the financial challenges middle-class Americans face. He had student loans.

“I was raised paycheque to paycheque,” he says.

Paul on Islamic State
Rand Paul doesn’t back down when challenged about his position on how to combat Islamic State militants.

Many Republicans want a more muscular US foreign policy to combat the terrorist network but Mr Paul says the best approach is to cut off funding to “allies of ISIS.”

This is a thorny element of US foreign policy. The US gives aid to numerous Middle Eastern countries, many of which have competing factions.

Mr Paul’s comments received a warm but somewhat tepid applause from the audience at the debate, held in Cleveland, Ohio.

“One of the ways we stop them is by not funding them and not arming them,” he says.

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