***Horse Race LiveWire*** GOP Candidates Debate in Michigan

Welcome to Breitbart News’s daily live updates of the 2016 horse race. 

Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich will participate in Fox News’s debate in Detroit Michigan. Fox’s Megyn Kelly will be one of the moderators in her second showdown with Trump. Breitbart News will be providing live updates throughout the evening.

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— Kasich says that he is going to win Ohio. He says the media have counted him out since day one. He tells O’Reilly that voters get a sense that he gets them. And that’s why he thinks the race will come to Kasich v. Trump. He says you don’t beat Trump by getting into an insult war with him. Kasich says you beat Trump with vision/showing Americans he has the solutions…. Kasich says he won’t take VP, thinks the race may go to the convention, where an “adult” will be chosen.

— Cruz insists that Trump will get clobbered in a general election. He says there is so much negative on him that he may be the only Republican on earth who may lose to Clinton. Cruz says he thinks Trump can say two opposite things in the same minute and believe what he is saying when asked if he thinks Trump is an honest man. He says Trump could say it is hot and cold in a minute and still pass a lie detector test. Cruz does not answer when O’Reilly asks if he thinks Trump is dishonest. “I’m not going to speak to his heart,” Cruz says. But he sys his rhetoric does not match his record. Cruz says his is a “no-spin campaign” because you know what you’re getting with me.

— Trump posts his “A” grade for Trump University from the Better Business Bureau. He has come under fire from his opponents for having run a scam university.

— Rubio says Trump has been very good at dominating the media coverage and now that the race has narrowed, people will realize that he lacks substance on the issues. He says this is the most important election in a generation and you can’t elect someone who says “I’ll get there and figure it out.” O’Reilly says Rubio would have won Virginia had Kasich had not been there. Rubio says Trump has been scamming people over the years and now he is trying to con people into giving his vote. Rubio says “tonight, we changed his position” on various issues and Trump will have to be held to account. Rubio vows that he will win Florida and he doesn’t believe the polls that have Trump leading. Rubio says he doesn’t regret trading insults with Trump because if anyone deserves it, it’s Trump.

— In a post-debate interview, Trump says the debate was tough but fair. He says Cruz is his primary competition. When O’Reilly asked about Romney, Trump says Romney is a “failed candidate” who “made a fool out of himself.” He says Romney is a “jealous guy” who would have liked to run but was “afraid.” Trump says his retort was better. He thinks Romney may be angling to get the nomination at a contested convention because he didn’t endorse anybody.

Trump says Romney is a “phony.” He says the worst guy we can have is Romney at the top of the ticket. Trump says he will defeat Hillary because he has a chance of winning New York and will win in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and add states that other Republicans have not been able to be turn red. Trump says O’Reilly may have to ask his “psychiatrist” about why he has gone negative on Trump. Trump says he heard he won the debate based on online polls.

Trump says the best chance to win is to win as a Republican. O’Reilly says Trump’s wife Melania creamed Trump in the ratings on Greta.

11: 10: Breitbart’s Pollak: Rubio Wins Cheers for Answer on Flint at GOP Debate.

Kasich says he will take the formulas he has used successfully in Ohio to fix the problems in Washington and restore the spirit of America as he send power back to the people

Rubio says this has been an “unusual election cycle.” He says if we get this election right, the 21st century can be the greatest era.

Cruz says he wants to talk to every soldier, sailor, airmen and marine. He says for seven years, you’ve had a commander-in-chief who doesn’t believe in you and send you into battle with rules of engagement. He also wants to talk to first responders who have  been left behind by Obama. Cruz says when he gets into the White House, “I will have your back.”

Trump says “I am going to bring jobs back to the United States like no one else can.” He will fix the military, take care of our vets, strenghtn our border” and Americans will be proud of their country.

10:55: Baier asks the candidates if they will definitely say they will support the Republican nominee even if it is Donald J. Trump. Rubio and Cruz answer “yes.” So does Kasich.

Wallace asks Trump if he can definitely say he can support the nominee even if it is not him. Trump says he is very proud that millions of people have come to the Republican Party and “it’s the biggest thing happening in politics.” He says “yes, I will.”

10:52: Kasich laughs when Wallace says his campaign ran an ad suggesting Trump would name Putin as his running made. Wallace asks if he thinks Trump is naive about Putin. Kasich says “I’m  not biting.” Kasich says that in Russia, we need to tell them that we will arm the Ukrainians. Kasich will tell the Chinese that they don’t own the South China Sea and to stop hacking us. In the Middle East, he says the Egyptians know they are on their last legs while the Jordanians/Saudis know they are at risk too.  In Turkey, Kasich says we have to bring them toward the West and not the East…

10:50: Wallace tells Cruz what do about the North Koreans putting their nuclear weapons on ready… Cruz says this is a failure of the Clinton administration that negotiated a deal with the North Koreans and lifting sanctions. Cruz says our options are constrained because a lunatic has nuclear weapons. He talks up missile defense, including space-based missile defense, while moving carriers into the South China Sea. He says we should put pressure on China because North Korea is a client state of China.

10:45: Debate turns to foreign policy. Wallace points out that Rubio compared Trump to Kim Jong Un as a “lunatic” trying to get nuclear weapons. Rubio says Trump has not shown “seriousness” when it came to foreign policy. Rubio says “foreign policy is not only consequential” but much of our future depends on it. Rubio says today’s millennials have the chance to be the greatest generation in 100 years. He says strong American leadership is needed to make sure the world is not dangerous, unstable. Rubio says Trump lacks the “intellectual curiosity” to learn about these complex issues.

Trump says Rubio is “not a leader. Believe me.” Trump says “they will do as I tell them. It’s very simple.” He says “we are in a very dangerous place” with a “depleted military.” He then says we are going to take care of our vets and build up the military by getting equipment that the general and the soldiers want.

Rubio again accuses Trump of engaging in insults because he lacks substance. Trump says “wrong” after Rubio accuses Trump of praising Putin. Rubio asks Trump whether he will give detailed answers on foreign policy instead of engaging in insults.

10:37: Rubio says  there should be no restrictions on the Second Amendment. He says it is second for a reason. He says they understood you cannot have life, liberty, happiness without the Second Amendment. He says criminals do not follow laws. And that is why gun laws are not effective.

Baier says Trump was once for an assault weapons ban. But Trump says he now wants no restrictions on the Second Amendment and is a “very big supporter of the Second Amendment.” He says he does not support the assault weapons ban anymore.

Trump says “unlike Donald, I would not support banning firearms.” Cruz says Clinton’s ban did nothing to reduce crime and only took away the rights of law-abiding citizens. Cruz says Trump can’t say he supports the Second Amendment and then want to compromise on Supreme Court Justices. Cruz says Trump has written checks to Schumer/Reid and any Justice they sign off on will be a left-wing judge. Cruz says we are one judge away from reversing Heller.

Trump says Cruz was the primary supporter of John Roberts. Cruz responds that “Donald has a tenuous relationship with the truth.” Cruz asks Trump to breathe so he does not interrupt. Rubio quips that Donald is “very flexible” after Cruz says he doesn’t want to see anyone doing Yoga on the stage.

10:35: When asked whether he thinks gay people should adopt kids, Cruz says adoption is decided at the state level and he would leave the question of marriage/adoption to the states. He said that is how it was for two centuries until five unelected judges wrongfully decided to tear down the marriage laws of all 50 states.

Cruz slams Trump and says he will never compromise on religious liberty when nominating a Supreme Court Justice. He says “I will never compromise away” religious liberties… Cruz points out that he has spent two decades fighting for religious liberty and says he represented veterans defending the Mojave Desert Memorial.

Trump has nothing to say when asked to respond to Cruz about whether he would be flexible in appointing Justices who will not compromise on religious liberty.

10:30: When asked if gay marriage dissenters have rights, Kasich says he tries to be a man of faith every day. He says it is “another issue” if people are forced to participate in something they don’t like. He said he hoped things would “settle down” after the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling. He says people should not sue photographer if they do not want to photograph a gay marriage. People should have “common sense” and just find another photographer. Kasich says someone should not be pressured to participate in something against their religious beliefs and we may have to deal with that with a law. But he again says people should just have “common sense” on these matters.

10:28: Cruz is asked what he would do to bring manufacturing jobs to places like Detroit. Cruz says Detroit has been “decimated” by 60 years of failed left-wing policies. He accuses left-wing Democrats of being weak on crime and pushing failed economic policies. He says the media should be telling the story of destructive left-wing policies but they don’t. Wallace asks Cruz to answer the question (he didn’t do that to Rubio). Cruz says he will repeal Obamacare and pull back regulations that are killing small businesses  and manufacturers. His tax plan, he says, (16% border-adjustable flat tax) will bring back millions manufacturing jobs.

10:25: Kasich is asked about Detroit’s urban blight. Kelly asks if the federal government should bail out Detroit’s schools if it bailed out the auto industry. Kasich says he would bundle federal programs into four buckets and send them to the states. He talks about vocational training and more school choice. He says adults need to fight in our communities for our children’s education and out children first. He says the people in Detroit are going to rise and they need to be involved.

10:23: Candidates are asked about the Flint water crisis/tragedy. Rubio says he and other candidates have talked about it. He says it was a “systemic breakdown” at every level of government. He says it is unfair to politicize the issue because someone didn’t wake up one morning and decide to poison the water. He says it is absurd that Democrats are trying to politicize the issue and there is a proper role that the federal government can play to help cities like Flint and to ensure that something like that never happens again.

10:17: Kasich talks about the people who show up at his town halls. They have lost their children. Their wages have gone down. They see the rich get richer while their sons and daughters are living in the basement. Kasich says people are hungry for politicians who can fix the economy. But they also want to believe that they have the power to fix things where they live. Kasich says voters are yearning for someone who can bring America together and “reignite the spirit of America… so let’s stop fighting.”

10:14: Cruz asks voters at home if this is the debate they want playing out in the general election. He says if we nominate Donald, we will spend the spring and fall with the GOP nominee facing a fraud trial while Hillary Clinton asking why Trump donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to her and her foundation. Cruz tells Trump to “count to ten” when he continues to interrupt. Cruz says he has “beat Trump” five times and asks people who believe in the Constitution to stand with him and join his campaign.

Cruz says that the CNN poll that Trump is touting found that Trump is losing to Clinton by eight points. That poll shows Cruz beating Clinton. “We can’t mess this up,” Cruz says.

He accuses Trump of being on every side of every issue. He says the stakes are too high to nominate someone like Trump.

10:12: Rubio says he is trying to do to the American voter what he did to the Trump University students who were conned. Trump says the “real con artist” is Sen. Marco Rubio, who was elected in Florida and has the worst voting record in the United States Senate. Trump says the people of Florida can’t stand Rubio. He accuses Rubio of scamming and defrauding the people of Florida. Rubio says Trump has “cheated people out of their money” time and time again.

10:09: Kelly points out that Trump countersued the lead plaintiff and the court threw out the countersuit. She points out that the court found that victims of con artists sing the praises of their fleecers until they realize that they have been fleeced. Rubio says he spoke to one of the Trump University victims and he says Trump refused to give people their money back when they realized it was a scam and demand a refund. Trump claims he gave refunds to some people.

[If Fox is fair, they would ask Rubio about his support for for-profit colleges that also screwed people over…we’ll see if they do so.]

10:06: Rubio says there is a difference between flexibility and telling people whatever they want to hear… Rubio brings up Trump University and says people went into debt and have nothing in return for it after Trump said whatever he needed to get them to give him their hard-earned money. Trump says he doesn’t settle cases and that is why he doesn’t get sued often. Rubio accuses Trump of lying about Trump University’s ratings and whether people were satisfied. Kelly says the last public rating from the Better Business Bureau was a D-. Trump insists that it was elevated to an A.

10:05: Kasich says people want to know whether they can believe it if someone tells them something. Kasich says people are upset because politicians tell them what they hear and they don’t deliver on these promises.

[This is presenting Cruz a strong opportunity to say he kept his word to his constituents and that is why Washington hates him.]

10:00: At the top of the hour, Kelly says Trump has told voters one thing only to reverse himself right after. She has three examples ready. She has three videos ready on Trump’s flip-flops on Afghanistan, Syrian refugees, and whether Bush lied to get us into the Iraq War. Kelly says “there are many other examples” and how can he claim to be someone who “tells it like it is.” Trump points out that one of the interviews was with Howard Stern– Trump says he and Stern are great friends. And he points out Kelly’s friendship with Stern [Kelly said some racy things in an interview with Stern].

On Syrian refugees, Trump says we should be building safe zones in Syria. He said he he has changed his tune on things, especially Syrian refugees, the more he studies an issue.

Kelly asks Trump voters are wondering what his core is… Trump says he hasn’t seen a successful person who didn’t have a certain degree of flexibility. He claims he has a “strong core.”

9:55: Baier asks Trump about two or three potential national security advisers. Trump names Richard Haas, Col. Jack Jacobs. Kasich points out that a majority of voters in a survey said they trusted Kasich the most on foreign policy. He points out that he was there with Reagan when he was rebuilding the military.

9:49: Baier asks Trump about national security advisers/pro-Bush neocons coming out against his candidacy. He asks Trump what he would do if the U.S. military refused to carry out his waterboarding orders. Trump says they won’t refuse. He says they are chopping off heads in the Middle East and “we’re talking about waterboarding.” He says Cruz had a hard time with the waterboarding question and he thinks “if we want to go stronger,” we should. He says if someone flies into the World Trade Center and their family leaves to Saudi Arabia, he would have no problem targeting that family.

Cruz says Americans understand that “yelling and cursing at people” doesn’t make someone a tough guy. Cruz says he will build the military like Reagan and destroy radical Islam like Reagan defeated the Soviets. Cruz says every militant will understand that they are signing their death warrant if they join ISIS.

Re: Snowden, Cruz points out that he said in his initial statement that if Snowden violated the law, then he should be prosecuted. Cruz says now it is clear that Snowden committed treason and undermined the ability to defend the United States.

9:45: From Breitbart’s Joel Pollak: Trump Reassures Nation About Penis Size at GOP Debate

9:43: Cruz says he will propose a 180-day moratorium on the H-1b visa program. Trump says people don’t want a short-term job so “we will bring people in and send people out.” Trump says when we can, we hire people from Palm Beach. Trump says Americans don’t want very short, part-time jobs. Rubio says “that’s not accurate.” He says there have been 300 Americans who applied and they were not  hired. Rubio says you have people captive when you bring in workers from abroad. Rubio is making a strong case–but it rings hollow when his bill wanted to triple the number of guest-worker visas. Trump says he takes advantage of the law and there’s nothing wrong with it. Cruz then calls on Trump to have the New York Times release the tapes.

9:41: Trump shifts his position on high-tech visas. [Has he even read his own plan?] He says he will change it because we need more brainpower in this country. He says he is softening his position on high-tech visas. He says he is not playing to people’s fantasies on immigration and he is playing to the fact that our country is in trouble.

9:35: Kelly asks Rubio about Gang of Eight. Rubio says Trump should call on the New York Times to release the audio. Rubio says he wants to solve the issue and he did the best he could in the Senate controlled by Harry Reid. “We do need to deal with the issue,” he says. Rubio says illegal immigration will be brought under control. And he will move forward on immigration only after illegal immigration is under control. Kelly doesn’t ask Rubio a follow-up about whether he supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and in-state tuition.

[Like Wallace, Kelly asks Rubio a “tough” question, let’s him dodge, and does not follow up. That seems to be what Fox has planned  for Rubio.]

9:30: “Nice to be with you, Megyn,” Trump says. “You’re looking well.” Kelly asks Trump about a BuzzFeed reported that claimed Trump expressed “flexibility” on immigration to the New York Times in an off-the-record interview. She wonders if Trump told the New York Times if he was flexible on deportation. Trump says BuzzFeed said he wouldn’t run for president and “boy, were they wrong.” Trump says in terms of immigration, there always has to be some “tug and pull and deal.” “I would never release off-the-record conversations,” Trump says. He adds that is not fair to anyone. And he says he is “not that flexible” on immigration. Trump says re: flexibility, he essentially says he will negotiate on the height of the wall but not on the wall itself.

9:29: Kelly essentially wonders if voters want Sessions’s policies on immigration, shouldn’t they support Trump since Sessions endorsed him. Cruz says that Trump supported Carter over Reagan and Kerry over George W. Bush. Trump says Trump funded Harry Reid/Pelosi and he funded five of the eight members of the Gang of Eight. Cruz says Trump has written checks to Clinton 10 times and wonders how he can stand up on a debate stage and say he wasn’t for Clinton…

Trump says he supported Reagan and wrote checks to Clinton for his businesses. Trump says “the last person Hillary Clinton wants to face is Donald Trump. That I can tell you.”

9:28: Kasich says balancing the budget is not a theory. And he is the only person who can say he was the architect behind balancing the budget. Very strong answer from Kasich, who inspired a lot of people to become Republicans in the 1990s with his floor speeches that were seen on CSPAN. Kasich says he is the one person running for president in either party who has restored the budget and cut taxes.

9:24: Wallace asks Cruz who will collect the taxes if he abolishes the IRS. Cruz says every American will fill out their taxes on a postcard and when we get rid of the corporate welfare, subsidies, and carveouts, it will simply the IRS. He says there will be an office in the Treasury Department to receive the postcards. Cruz says that in between the insults between Rubio and Trump, the specificity was lacking. He says he has rolled out a plan to cut $500 billion in federal spending. Cruz says he understands Trump’s voters are angry at Washington and Cruz says for forty years, Trump has been a part of the corruption in Washington that they are angry about. He accuses Trump of using government for private gain. [This argument doesn’t work well and is too academic. But it doesn’t work when Trump’s voters think he will screw over the politicians just like he looked out for himself. Pundits/Establishment consultants do not understand this dynamic.]

9:21: Trump says he will get rid of the Department of Education, the EPA and get rid of waste, fraud and abuse that is “massive” throughout the federal government. Wallace claims Trump’s numbers do not add up — and Fox has graphics prepared to try to trip Trump up on his math. Trump says “we are going to buy things for less money” re: Medicare and “other things.” Trump says we will properly negotiate to save the government money.

9:16: Wallace asks Rubio how many jobs he has created. Rubio claims Trump has inherited $100 million. Rubio says Trump can announce that the Donald J. Trump clothing will be made in the United States. Rubio says those in public service must allow the private sector to create jobs. But he hasn’t answered how many jobs he has created.

Wallace asks Trump about his clothing collection but DOES NOT press Rubio about how many jobs he has created.

“This little guy has lied so much about my record,” Trump says of Rubio. Trump uses the opportunity to blast TPP. Rubio says everything in his campaign store is made in America. Rubio says Trump engages in personal attacks because “he doesn’t have the answers.” Trump says Rubio hasn’t employed one person while he has employed tens of thousands of people.

When Trump calls Rubio “little Marco,” Rubio calls him “Big Donald.” [What a comeback!]

9:12: Kasich says he can beat Clinton because he can get “crossover votes” and voters seem him as the “adult on the stage.” He says he is working for President because he worked hard to fix this country as Chair of the Budget Committee in Congress. Baier presses Kasich on his path to the nomination, and Kasich all but concedes everyone’s path to the nomination is through a contested convention. Kasich says “it’s March Madness” and we’re heading up north “to my turf.” Kasich says voters are wondering why he isn’t getting that much time on the debate stage. He has brought wage growth ad economic security to the country and he wants to do it again as president. He says the strength of our country is in our neighborhoods/families.

9:08: Cruz says Americans are struggling and not interested in candidates bickering like school children. He says he will repeal every word of Obamacare and will pull back the regulators that are killing small businesses and will abolish the IRS.

[The only person who says something different at every debate is Trump. He keeps everyone interested and they tune in to hear his policy prescriptions on immigration, trade.]

Trump says he has won 10 states while Cruz has only won two or three contests in response to Cruz’s claim that he is the only candidate who can beat Trump. “But he’s getting beaten very very badly,” Trump says. “So where is this coming from?”

Rubio says that two-thirds of the people have voted against Trump. But way more voters have voted against Rubio. Rubio says Republicans don’t want to turn over Reagan’s GOP to someone who is not conservative.

[Rubio doesn’t know how to deliver devastating attacks. As Newsweek’s Matt Cooper noted, he does seem like a hormonal teenager just firing off randomly.]

Trump says a national poll found Rubio at 15 while Trump is at 49. Trump points out that means nearly 80% of Republicans are against Rubio. Trump says he is beating Clinton in many polls when Rubio claims that Trump cannot beat Clinton in a general election.

9:06: Baier asks Rubio about his personal attacks against Trump after vowing not to do so. Rubio says Trump has mocked everybody with personal attacks. And Trump deserved to be attacked that way. Rubio, who seems a bit anxious, says he would much rather have a debate on policy. He says the media have given Trump’s personal attacks “an incredible amount of coverage.”

Trump responds by saying that he called Rubio a “lightweight.” Trump says Rubio is not that much of a lightweight. Trump says “he hit my hands.” Trump says “I guarantee you there’s no problem” after remarking that Rubio implied that something else was small if Trump’s hands were small.

9:04: Trump “totally disavows” David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan. He says he has been doing so for two weeks. He says just take a look at his Twitter account.

9:02: As Wallace (not Kelly) asks Trump about Romney, the crowd boos (Romney). Trump says Romney was a “failed candidate” who “failed miserable” and was an “embarrassment to everybody.” Trump says he “wants to be relevant” and “back in the game.” Trump says he believes in free trade but if you look at China, Japan, Mexico and “every other country we do business with,” we “are getting absolutely crushed on trade.” Trump says he has great people lined up re: trade and “we will make great trade deals.”

9:00: Chris Wallace introduces the candidates.

8:45: Trump announced that Sen. Jeff Sessions will chair his National Security Advisory Committee. Trump said in a statement: “It is an honor to have Jeff as a member of the team. I have such great respect for him and I look forward to working with him on the issues most important to Americans.” Sessions, whom Matt Drudge described as the conservative “soul” of the Senate, endorsed Trump last Sunday in Alabama.

7:04: Chris Matthews calls Romney a “certified loser” who is only attacking Trump because of his own ambition.

7:00: More calls for “unity.”

6:50: Brianna Keilar points out that Trump undermined the Clintons’s ability to play the “war on women” card. Much more effective than Romney’s “binders full of women.”

6:40: Harsh words for Kasich:

6:30: [Tony Lee: In 2008, Barack Obama opted out of the public campaign finance system despite promises to participate in it. If Trump does fundraise if/when he secures the nomination, he’ll have to let voters–who have been drawn to his candidacy because he self-funded his primary campaign–know that he told donors, borrowing from the playbook of the late Jesse “Big Daddy” Unruh (who also happened to say money is the “mother’s milk” of politics), that he will essentially “eat their food, drink their booze, screw their women, take their money and then vote against” them on behalf of the American people.

6:08: On CNN, Jim Acosta says Romney sounded like he was the leader of the “Never Trump” movement. In other words, Romney is sounding like the leader of the “GOP  smart set.”

5:50: UPDATE: Romney’s Facebook page no longer says he is running for president.

5:45: On MTP Daily, Louisiana GOP Chair Roger Villere says Trump might as well have paid Romney to unleash his attacks because “it really backfired” on Romney and “will help Trump tremendously.” He says he has received calls all day from outraged Republicans. Mississippi GOP Chair Joe Nosef says he’s heard more from people who were upset with Romney’s remarks than those who were are anti-Trump.

5:30: Shock Poll: Donald Trump Earns More Muslim Support Than Rest of GOP Field Combined: While Democrats Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
earned 46% and 25% support, respectively, Donald Trump has the support of 11% of Muslims, more than the rest of the GOP field combined.

5:17: Romney will be on TODAY show to remind more voters why they dislike him and his mannerisms:

https://twitter.com/MLauer/status/705516111220056066

5:13: Ha. When has he ever stopped running?

5:10: Romney wants to steal the nomination from Trump. Will ensure Republicans stay home and GOP loses general election…. just like in 2012.

4:58: Bruce Jenner Likes Cruz:

4:55: Graham: Brokered convention ‘unfair’ to Trump.

4:46: Democrat Steve McMahon says it is tough to run against Trump because he is so unpredictable.

[Tony Lee: Again, Hillary Clinton, like many in the media/consultant/pundit class, is that student who always memorizes the answers to the test. Throw them a curve ball that they haven’t prepared for and they short-circuit.]

4:45: GOP establishment strategist Mark McKinnon–sans funny hat and scarf–says at Trump’s rallies, you see a lot of millennials AND working-class whites. He says a lot of them will end up voting for Trump over Clinton.

4:43: On CNN, anti-Trump S.E. Cupp surrenders when asked who Republicans will block Trump from winning the nomination. “I waive the white flag.”

4:42: Trump raising the roof:

https://twitter.com/NolteNC/status/705507556089839616

4:35: Not looking good for the GOP establishment:

4:30: Nobody wants to be in the Washington Post’s resident dunce/useful idiot’s party:

4:28: Was Trump responsible for losing the GOP’s majority in Congress like DeLay and his poster children for crony capitalism?

4:25: Anti-Trump cultists who think everyone in the world has the same viewpoints as their group of Twitter “influencers”… (the same people who cheered on Rubio as he likely turned off affluent/moderate suburban voters with his childish attacks while not turning off one potential Trump supporter):

4:22: What did those juvenile attacks do for his campaign?

4:11: Sarah Huckabee Sanders says on CNN that Romney’s “desperate” attacks will only help Trump in this anti-establishment election cycle.

4:00: Networks are playing up Trump vs. Romney. Trump wins that battle every time. Romney won in 2012 by default–because there was no viable (or a “severely” conservative candidate) conservative alternative around whom voters could rally.

3:42: Report: NOBODY CARES:  ‘Very Few People’ in Diner  in ‘Romney Country’ Were ‘Paying Any Attention’ to Romney’s Speech. ‘That May Tell You All You Need to Know.’

On MSNBC, reporter Tony Dokoupil is in Romney’s home town of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He is in the “richest town in the richest county in all of Michigan.” He says Romney went to prep school a short walk from here and grew up a short walk from here. He says this has been “Romney country” for 5o years. He went to a diner where Romney’s speech was on every television. “But very few heads were turned. Very few people were paying any attention. That may tell you all you need to know…”

3:40: Axelrod on GOP establishment’s attempts to steal nomination from Trump: ‘Like watching a corporate board frantically maneuver to block a hostile takeover’:

3:36: If Arnold really hated Trump, he would endorse Trump. These people just don’t get it:

3:33: Says it all:

3:32: FL Gov. Rick Scott will not endorse:

3:29: And that’s the problem:

3:20: Incompetent Jeb! adviser–who reportedly pocketed $14 million from Jeb!’s failed campaign and whose firms have reportedly received at least $34 million from Jeb!’s campaigns since 1998 (can you say gravy train?)–thinks Romney’s speech went well (Listening to people like Murphy for political advice is like asking DeAndre Jordan/Dwight Howard/Andre Drummond to teach you how to shoot free throws):

https://twitter.com/murphymike/status/705464907337105412

3:13: On CNN, Cruz surrogate Steve Deace sounds bitter. Bitter doesn’t play well on television from pundits.

3:08: This guy whines about rhetoric… except he said the donor class should “put a bullet” in Trump.

https://twitter.com/NolteNC/status/705482382397333506

3:00: Excitement for Sanders in Nebraska:

2:56: The problem here is that Hillary, just like Romney, isn’t the best person to make the attack against Teflon Don.

2:52: Trump says Mexico, China will respect us and says Romney conceded that Trump is a better businessman than Romney.

2:50: More blowback from Romney’s tone-deaf speech:

2:45: Trump says he’ll act “presidential” but if someone hits him, he’ll “hit back harder.”

2:43: Trump says if we “keep free trade” like we have now then we’re not going to have any companies left.

2:37: Trump says Romney won in every place Trump made robocalls for Mitt. Trump says that Romney “probably had a right to turn” because nobody was “nastier” in getting him not to run than Trump. Trump says Romney “doesn’t have what it takes” to make the country great.

2:32: Trump says he has a store that is worth more than Mitt and nobody knows more about trade than Trump.

2:31: Christie on Romney’s lecture:

2:30: This is the sentiment of many. These are the voters the GOP establishment has always been clueless about and whose concerns the establishment has never understood:

https://twitter.com/NolteNC/status/705471886491324416

2:25: Trump says Romney is an “absolute choke artist” and he started hitting Romney so hard because “we can’t afford to lose” another election. Trump says he has never seen someone choke like Romney except for Rubio.

2:23: Trump says the reason Mitt “chickened out” of running in 2016… “was me.”

2:22: Trump says Hillary Clinton would destroy Mitt in a hypothetical general election.

2:20: Trump calls Romney a “failed candidate” who disappeared. Trump says Romney was “begging” for his endorsement and Mitt would have dropped to his knees if Trump had ordered him to do so. Trump says Mitt was thinking about running again after running a campaign that should have never been lost. He blasts Romney for demeaning 47% of the people in the country. Trump says Mitt was more interested in looking for zoning for a nine-car garage in California than winning the White House. Trump says “Romney let us down” by losing the White House. Trump blasts Stuart Stevens for running one of the worst campaigns in modern history. Trump says when Romney “started raising his head” to think about running for president, Trump says he said Romney should not run because he is a “choke artist.” Trump praises Jeb! for being a high-energy salesman for convincing Romney not to run.

2:19: Romney attacking Trump again:

2:18: Trump says he is self-funding his campaign. “I don’t want your money,” Trump says. He just wants their votes on Saturday.

2:17: Trump says he is not a politician and says there hasn’t been a movement like this in the history of this country. More protests. “Get ’em out,” Trump says. “They just don’t stop. Terrible. Incredible.”

2:15: Nolte:

https://twitter.com/NolteNC/status/705467866129309696

2:13: Spicer is a better spokesperson for the RNC than Priebus.

https://twitter.com/NolteNC/status/705456416753106944

2:12: Trump says Rubio has the worst voting record in the history of Florida. He calls him a “lightweight” again.

2:10: Trump addresses huge crowd in Maine. Protesters again disrupt the event. “Get ’em out,” he says. “What are they doing? What’ the purpose?”

2:07: Do you think Americans in these countries get enthusiastic about a candidate like Romney?

2:05: LePage on Trump:

https://twitter.com/JonWGME/status/705469515627368448

2:03: More Americans are “appalled” by Romney and everything he represents.

1:50: Sarah Palin thanks Romney for making Trump favorables rise again:

Thank You, Mitt

Trump’s favorables just rose again, as did the veil you willingly wore while being used by the corrupt political establishment who can’t afford to lose their power in liberal D.C. Your speech was so silly and contradictory it confirmed the reasons Trump received tens of thousands more votes than you did in your own home state that you governed. Silly man. Could the establishment really not find anyone credible in their holier-than-thou movement to spew the deception you regurgitated today on tv?

1:45: [Tony Lee: In another sign of complete incompetence from the Republican establishment, Romney made his case against Trump by using a teleprompter. You also can’t say things like this: “He is the only person in America to whom we have added an article before his name. It wasn’t because he had attributes we admired.” No regular person speaks like this and it prevents Romney from convincing any Trump supporter or those on the fence to not support Trump. Again, Romney epitomizes the politician who speaks “Politically Correct English.” And Americans–including Democrats who are crossing over to the GOP–are revolting against the “smart set” people who are anything but except just “sounding smart” during this election. And Romney’s speech will ensure more of them join the revolt by reinforcing all that they hate about the establishment.]

1:40: Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says the GOP lobbyists are so fearful that their days of running Washington will be over if Trump wins the White House. He adds that Trump is the only person who is growing the party.

1:30: Kasich now speaking out against Trump, adds that Republicans may be headed to contested convention if he wins Ohio:

https://twitter.com/kailanikm/status/705457578927468544

https://twitter.com/kailanikm/status/705457578927468544

1:26: John Podhoretz, a card-carrying member of the GOP “smart set” who called Breitbart readers “rape-loving,” weighs in on Twitter re: Romney’s speech:

1:25: Breitbart’s Joel Pollak in Utah: EXCLUSIVE – Insider at Mitt Romney Speech: ‘This Is Just Act One’:

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The host of Mitt Romney’s speech attacking Republican frontrunner Donald Trump on Thursday at the University of Utah told Breitbart News: “This is just Act One” for Mitt Romney.

Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, told Breitbart News that he expected Romney’s speech would be the first in a series of steps in an attempt to derail Trump’s progress to the GOP nomination.

1:22: On CNN, folks like David Chalian pointed out that Romney’s speech was probably only received well by elite GOP donors.

1:21: Trump is getting ready to address his supporters in Maine. Reporters expecting him to address Mitt Romney’s “attacks” against him.

1:08 – Kasich, Christie press conferences starting now.

12:58 – Some advice from David Axelrod, who knows a thing or two about winning national campaigns.

12:54 – Rubio campaign nabs Carson’s Michigan state chairman.

12:53 – Rubio cancels a Louisiana rally, as well.

12:48 – Conservative national security experts pen open letter against Trump:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dozens of conservative national security experts are warning that Republicans presidential candidate Donald Trump is unfit to be commander in chief.

In a letter released late Wednesday, former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and more than 70 other experts wrote that they have disagreed with one another on a variety of issues but are united in their opposition to a Trump presidency.

They called Trump “fundamentally dishonest” and said his support for the expanded use of torture against suspected terrorists is inexcusable. They also cited Trump’s “hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric,” his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his advocacy for waging trade wars, which they say would lead to economic disaster in a globally connected world.

The letter was posted on the web site War On The Rocks, an online forum for foreign policy and national security commentary.

12:44 – Romney social media intern doing some cleanup:

12:39 – Transcript: full remarks from Romney.

12:32 – Sarah Palin tells Trump: it’s a trap. “Don’t take the bait.”

12:27 – Host of Romney speech said the former GOP nominee will continue to campaign against Trump: “This is just Act One.”

Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, told Breitbart News that he expected Romney’s speech would be the first in a series of steps in an attempt to derail Trump’s progress to the GOP nomination.

He predicted that Romney would take other actions leading up to the key winner-take-all primaries on March 15, such as Florida.

12:26 – Sanders blasts Hillary’s record on trade:

12:25 – No response to Romney from Rubio, Cruz campaigns yet.

12:13 – Fox News not supporting Romney!

12:08 – John McCain concurs with Romney:

12:07 – Oddly, the Huffington Post is attacking Romney for attacking Trump University.

But Rubio’s attacks on Trump University are at odds with his past support for other alleged fraud factories: Troubled for-profit colleges, many of which also have been accused of duping prospective students into enrolling with false claims, preying on the poor and vulnerable, graduating few and causing financial ruin for many.

Unlike dodgy for-profit colleges, at least Trump University didn’t stick taxpayers with the bill.

12:05 – Debate prep.

12:04 – Kasich campaign gives a thumbs up to Romney speech:

11:58 – Breitbart’s Joel Pollak on Romney’s speech:

Alluding to Ronald Reagan’s famous 1964 speech, “A Time for Choosing,” Romney said that it was again a time for choosing — but that the Republican party had to choose someone other than Trump as its presidential nominee.

Trump’s 35 percent tariff on goods from China, he said, would launch a trade war. And his economic policies, Romney said, would hurt Americans. He cited a string of Trump’s business failures: “A business genius he is not.”

Better policies, he said, come from “Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio, and John Kasich. One of these men should be the nominee.” But Romney did not say which he preferred, merely urging them to “find some common ground.”

He urged voters to select whichever particular candidate “has the best chance to beat Mr. Trump in any given state.”

11:54 – Trump campaign response to Romney?

11:53 – Associated Press on Romney speech:

Mitt Romney says Donald Trump lacks the temperament and the integrity to be president — and that the GOP should pick one of the other three candidates.

He says, the only serious policy proposals that deal with the broad range of national challenges we confront today, come from Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich. One of these men should be our nominee.”

He tells a University of Utah audience that “dishonesty is Donald Trump’s hallmark.”

The 2012 GOP presidential nominee says Trump imagined that he saw Muslims celebrating the September 11, 2001 attacks in New Jersey.

He adds: “His imagination must not be married to real power.”

11:52 – Fascism.

11:49 – A challenge.

11:48 – Rubio cancels Kentucky rally–no reason given.

11:47 – Romney adopts Rubio’s line of attack against Trump:

11:40 – Updates from Romney’s speech via Breitbart News reporters:

11:34 – John Bolton says during CPAC speech of Hillary Clinton: “If she doesn’t have the wit to protect her own emails, how is she going to protect us?”

11:33 – Live stream of Romney speech.

11:32 – “Little Marco” meme makes its way to late night comedy.

11:30 – Joel Pollak reports from the line waiting for Mitt Romney’s Salt Lake City speech:

“I find it abhorrent that Mitt Romney would pull this stunt,” said “Max,” a Trump supporter wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, who did not want to be named.

“After the support that Trump gave Romney in 2012, this is just absolutely hypocritical and below the Republican Party. It’s below the Democrats, for that matter.”

Others, however, were happy to hear Romney’s perspective.

“I wish Romney would run,” said Andrew Drechsel, 32, of Salt Lake City, saying he looked forward to hearing Romney’s rebuke to the “kids” in the GOP. He added, however, that he is supportingb Sen. Bernie Sanders for president: “I would never vote Republican.”

11:28 – New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez endorses Rubio, calling him “a compelling leader who can unite the country around conservative principles.”

10:51 – Ahead of debate, Trump releases health care plane details. If you recall, in the last debate, Trump was double-teamed by Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz over a lack of specifics.

First, the plan emphasizes that ObamaCare will be fully repealed, including the mandate for everyone to have coverage, an issue that has sparked criticism against Trump.

Trump’s main ideas for a replacement are to allow health insurance to be sold across state lines and permit people to make tax-free contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSAs are paired with a high deductible health insurance plan and are intended to make people more conscious of how they spend health dollars and reduce costs. …

“These proposals, including repeal of the [Affordable Care Act], would lead to a significant increase in the number of people uninsured,” Larry Levitt, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which does nonpartisan healthcare analysis, wrote in an email. “In that sense, this plan really isn’t a replacement for the ACA. But that makes sense, since the aims are very different — less spending, less regulation, and lower taxes.”

 

10:36 – Line forms for Romney speech

 10:34 – Wall Street readies big Trump assault

Wall Street is getting ready to go nuclear on Donald Trump.

Terrified that the reality TV star could run away with the Republican nomination and bring his brand of anti-immigrant, protectionist populism to the White House, some top financiers are writing big checks to fund an effort to deny Trump a majority of delegates to the GOP convention. …

The group, initially funded by $3 million from Marlene Ricketts, wife of billionaire T.D. Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, wants to saturate the expensive Florida airwaves ahead of the state’s March 15 primary with hopes of denying Trump a victory that could crush the hopes of home state Sen. Marco Rubio.

 

10:21 – SCHEDULE REMINDER:
Tonight is the GOP debate on Fox News.

Saturday the following states vote: Kansas, Kentucky (R), Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska (D)

Sunday is the Democrat debate and Republicans vote in Puerto Rico.

Tuesday the following states vote: Hawaii (R), Idaho (R), Michigan, Mississippi.

 

10:15 – New York Post rips Romney: “Why would anyone want Mitt Romney’s political advice?”

Mitt Romney is back, offering to share the sage political wisdom that won him the White House in 2012.

Oh, wait. President Obama beat him — despite a sagging economy and terrible approval ratings. Indeed, Obama became the first guy ever to win a second term in the White House despite drawing fewer votes than the first time round.

More than 3 million fewer — while Mitt added only 1 million to John McCain’s disastrous 2008 total.

 

9:43 – Trump and Hillary way up in Mississippi. The primary is Tuesday March 8.

Trump 41, Cruz 17, Rubio 16, Kasich 8, Carson 5

Clinton 65, Sanders 11

 

9:42 – Hillary is up 61% to 33% over Bernie in Michigan. The primary is Tuesday March 8.

 

9:27 – Trump up +20 points in latest poll out of Michigan. The primary is Tuesday March 8.

Trump 39, Rubio 19, Cruz 14, Kasich 12.

Trump beats Rubio and Cruz combined.

In the Real Clear Politics poll of polls, Trump is +14.

 

9:24 – Trump rips “phony” Trump University lawsuits.

 

9:17 – FLASHBACK ROMNEY: ‘I’ll support the Republican nominee’

 

8:55 – Alex Castellanos: “Fantasy efforts to stop Trump”

“It is too late,” Republican media strategist Alex Castellanos, who had unsuccessfully urged top GOP contributors to back an anti-Trump campaign earlier in the cycle, wrote in an email. “There is a fantasy effort to stop Trump, like a fantasy campaign to stop yesterday but it exists only as the denial stage of grief.”

“If our self-indulgent Republican party establishment had really wanted to prevent a takeover of the GOP, they should not have gorged on political power while they failed to do anything to prevent the decline of the country. Our leaders could have led. They could have done more than say ‘no’ to Democrats while offering no alternative.

“They should have stood up for the change Donald Trump is bringing now but they didn’t.

 

 

8:47 – Comparison of Trump and Romney’s primary voters in South Carolina.

—

—

 

8:21 – Trump: ‘If I get out’ supporters going with me‘

Donald Trump on Thursday flirted with launching an independent bid if it he does not lock up the Republican presidential nomination after turning out “millions” of voters.

“The establishment – they want to throw that right out the window. Because if I get out, all those people are going, they’re all going with me,” Trump said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.’

Pressed about whether he was still willing to run as an independent, Trump said, “Well, look. Do I want to? No. I’m leading by a lot [among] Republicans.”

 

8:26 – Small crowds for Rubio in Michigan, which votes in 5 days. Polls show Trump up by double-digits.

Mr. Rubio spent the day in Michigan after a string of disappointing defeats in the Super Tuesday contests, rallying a rowdy but relatively small crowd compared with the ones he had been drawing.

He spoke to several hundred people at a banquet hall in Salem Township, Mich., in the late afternoon. And he kept the Trump insults limited to the developer’s business dealings and political ideology.

 

8:25 – After Super Tuesday shellacking, Marco Rubio stops doing his Jimmy Kimmel impersonation.

Gone were the petty torments about the size of Donald J. Trump’s hands and the orange hue of his skin. In fact, Senator Marco Rubio was all business on Wednesday, leaving aside the mean jokes about Mr. Trump.

 

8:22 – Video of Romney from just 4 years ago praising Trump

—

7:59 – FLORIDA INSIDER POLL: Marco Rubio poised to lose Florida, “God save the Republic”

Sorry Marco Rubio, but the political establishment in Florida thinks it’s over for you.

Nine out of 10 people surveyed in the latest Tampa Bay Times Florida Insider Poll expect Rubio lose lose Florida’s March 15 presidential primary to Donald Trump, and nine in 10 expect Trump to be the Republican nominee.

More than eight in 10 of the 160 politicos surveyed said that Florida’s junior senator should suspend his campaign if and when he does lose his home state.

 

7:46 – Is Time talking about Obama or Harry Reid or Trump?

 

7:25 – Mitt Romney is about to attack Trump harder than he ever had the courage to do Obama. Proving once again that the Establishment is not only a bunch of serial-losers but also a bunch of feckless backstabbers.

This is the same Mitt Romney who, per Donald Trump, begged for Trump’s endorsement in 2012. Even the Washington Post wants this question answered:

Romney’s attack is also typical of the Establishment inasmuch as it is a strategic blunder. Trump now has another Establishment hypocrite to use as a punching bag.