Hours before the debate even began, Donald Trump—the man at center stage—was already attacking his host, tweeting that CNN was “milking” the debate coverage. Trump said it was “too long, too many people on stage!” Later, he built drama by arriving just moments before the undercard debate opened, earning live coverage on CNN as he stepped out of his car. (TVNewser)
The undercard debate got underway just after 6:15. Lindsey Graham thanked CNN for “having people here,” a reference to Fox News’ early debate which played out to an empty hall. The first question was, fittingly, about Trump. Asked by Jake Tapper about breaking Ronald Reagan‘s famous commandment not to attack other Republicans, Bobby Jindal said “Let’s stop treating Donald Trump as a Republican… he’s not a Republican, he’s not a Democrat… he believes in Donald Trump.” (TVNewser)
Carly Fiorina got a roaring ovation from the audience on Wednesday at the CNN Debate when she responded to Trump’s recent comments about her face. In a recent Rolling Stone article, Trump slammed the former CEO of Hewlett Packard’s looks, saying “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?” Tapper asked her about his remarks. “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said,” she said coolly. The audience, especially women, erupted in cheers. (Variety)
In the first debate, Rand Paul and Chris Christie’s only memorable moments came when the two butted heads on the NSA and government surveillance. The two found themselves on opposite sides of the conservative spectrum again Wednesday night, this time over drugs. (CNNPolitics)