Highlights from the GOP's first big presidential debate


The 10 leading Republican presidential candidates met in Cleveland Thursday night for the Fox News GOP debate, moderated by network personalities Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace, and Brett Baier.
The debate was attended by Donald Trump, former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.), Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.), Dr. Ben Carson, Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), Gov. John Kasich (Ohio), Gov. Scott Walker (Wis.), and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.). For two hours, the candidates were asked questions about specific issues, including how they would stop ISIS, how they would handle going up against Hillary Clinton if she becomes the nominee for the Democrats, and what they would do on day one of their presidency regarding the Iran nuclear deal. Here are some highlights:
On immigration: Trump said that Mexican government is sending "the bad ones over," because "they don't want to pay for them, they don't want to care for them, and why should they when the stupid leaders of the United States will do it for them." He reiterated earlier statements that he would build a wall along the Mexican border, but would add a “big beautiful door” to let in legal immigrants. Rubio agreed that there needs to be a fence built, and an e-verify system and entry-exit tracking system. Bush said that he "believes a great majority of people coming here illegally have no other option," but "we need to control our border" and "eliminate the sanctuary cities in this country."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On abortion: Trump said he has evolved on several issues over the years, and became against abortion after seeing friends raise a child they planned to abort: "That child today is a total superstar, a great, great, child."
On Hillary Clinton: Carson called Clinton "the epitome of the secular progressive movement," and said she "counts on the fact that people are uninformed."
On ISIS: Bush stated that "knowing what we know now with faulty intelligence," it was "a mistake" to go to Iraq, and he wouldn't have gone in. He added that he did not feel that those who died in Iraq gave their lives in vain, and pinned ISIS on President Obama. "Barack Obama became president and abandoned Iraq. Al Qaeda was done for, ISIS was created because of the void we left. Now there's a caliphate the size of Indiana. ... We need to take out ISIS with every tool at our disposal." Paul said that only ISIS is "responsible for their depravity," and claimed to be "the leading voice in America for not arming the allies of ISIS."
On the economy (and miracles): Kasich said that "economic growth is the key to everything," and "once you have economic growth, you reach out to people in the shadows" like minorities. "America is a miracle country," he said, and he would "restore the sense that the miracle will apply to you."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
On Iran: While both Walker and Paul said they don't agree with the Iran nuclear deal, they said they would handle it differently. Walker said on Day 1 of his presidency, he would "terminate the deal," then would put in place "more crippling sanctions" and urge other countries to follow suit. Paul said that he plans to vote against the deal, but doesn't "immediately discount negotiations." Calling himself a "Reagan conservative," he said it's important to "negotiate from a position of strength, and I think President Obama gave away too much, too early."
On gay marriage: Kasich said that while he "happened to believe in traditional marriage," he recently attended the wedding of a gay friend. "Just because someone doesn't think the way I do doesn't mean I can't care about them or love them," he said. "If it were one of my daughters, I would love them and accept them. That's what we're taught when we have strong faith."
On hugs: After a back and forth between Christie and Paul over NSA records, Paul snapped, "I don't trust President Obama with our records. I know you gave him a big hug, and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead." Christie quickly retorted, "You know, the hugs that I remember are the hugs that I gave to the families who lost their people on September 11th."
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Russian drone tests Romania as Trump spins
Speed Read Trump is ‘resisting congressional plans to impose newer and tougher penalties on Russia’s energy sector’
-
Trump renews push to fire Cook before Fed meeting
Speed Read The push to remove Cook has ‘quickly become the defining battle in Trump’s effort to take control of the Fed’
-
September 15 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include publisher advice for Kamala Harris, the radicalization pipeline, and flu season guidelines
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants