The Republican presidential candidates expressed deep differences on a range of key issues at their fourth debate Tuesday night in an encounter that illustrated the overall fault lines within the GOP.
Front-runner Donald Trump said the United States should avoid direct confrontations abroad. He argued that the United States shouldn’t intervene militarily against Islamic extremists in the Middle East and should let other countries fight it out. “They say, “Keep going, keep going, you dummies,” Trump declared. “We can’t continue to be the policeman of the world.” He added: “If [Russian leader Vladimir) Putin wants to go and knock the hell out of ISIS [Islamic extremists], I am all for it.”
Other candidates faulted Trump for showing weakness. “That’s like a board game,” said former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida. “That’s like playing Monopoly. That’s not how the world works.” He added: “We are not going to be the world’s policeman but we sure as hell better be the world’s leader.”
READ: [Immigration, Foreign Policy Splits Republicans In Fourth Debate]
Former business executive Carly Fiorina argued for a more aggressive U.S. role in foreign affairs, and she said Trump was being naïve about the danger posted by Putin.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said, “I know that the world is a safer and a better place when the United States is the strongest country in the world.”
But Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., sided with Trump in urging more restraint in U.S. military operations abroad. “You can be strong without being involved in every civil war around the world,” Paul said.
One of the debate’s more revealing exchanges occurred when Gov. John Kasich of Ohio criticized Trump for making a “silly argument” in favor of deporting 11 million people who entered the United States illegally–a cornerstone of Trump’s campaign. “Come on, folks,” Kasich said. “We all know you can’t pick them up and ship them back across the border. It’s a silly argument. It’s not an adult argument.”
Trump replied that President Dwight Eisenhower, a popular Republican, had deported undocumented workers in the 1950s. “We have no choice,” the billionaire real-estate developer said.
LINK: [The Republican Presidential Debate’s 6 Wackiest Quotes]
Bush also jumped in, saying Trump’s position on deportations hurt the Republican party’s ability to win over Latinos and others, and played into the hands of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. “They’re doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign right now when they hear this,” said Bush, who had a relatively strong debate performance after being criticized for tepid showings the first three debates.
But Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas agreed with Trump. “If Republicans join Democrats as the party of amnesty, we will lose,” Cruz said. He argued that illegal immigration is “a very personal economic issue. We’re tired of being told it’s anti-immigrant. It’s offensive.” Cruz said, “I am the son of an immigrant who came legally from Cuba to seek the American Dream and we can embrace legal immigration while believing in the rule of law.”
On another issue, retired surgeon Ben Carson was asked whether recent news reports raising doubts about his biography were hurting his campaign. “First of all, thank you for not asking me what I said in the 10th grade,” Carson replied. “I appreciate that….The fact of the matter is, we should vet all the candidates. I have no problem with being vetted. What I do have a problem with is being lied about….I’m an honest person.”
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Republican Fault Lines on Display in Debate originally appeared on usnews.com