CNN's first 4 Republican debate questions were about Donald Trump


Right off the bat, the four GOP presidential candidates participating in CNN's early Republican debate Wednesday were asked about frontrunner Donald Trump.
Moderator Jake Tapper asked Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal if he "violated Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment" by speaking ill of a fellow Republican. Jindal said he believes Trump isn't a Republican, and isn't serious about being president. "He'll either implode in the general election, or if God forbid he was in the White House, we wouldn't know what he would do." Former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) struck a more conciliatory tone, saying Trump has "every right to run for president as a Republican," and it doesn't "help when Republicans attack Republicans personally."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) was asked why so many of his constituents would rather have Trump as the GOP nominee over him, and responded that at the same time during the 2012 presidential race, Rick Perry and Rudy Giuliani were the Republican frontrunners. Former New York Gov. George Pataki went on the attack against Trump, saying he was not going to be the Republican nominee "period," and added, "This is an important election with an enormous number of challenges facing American people, and the first four questions are about Donald Trump." Trump is "unfit to be president of the United States or the Republican nominee," he said, and failed while running casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey. "He said he was going to make Atlantic City great again," Pataki said. "Every one of those casinos went bankrupt, and over 5,000 Americans lost their job."
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US