--- title: Republican Debate Poll: Who Won First Fox GOP Debate? description: Vote here to decide who was the night's big winner canonical: https://time.com/3988073/republican-debate-fox-first-gop/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-07T03:11:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2024-01-17T16:35:51.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Vote Now: Who Won the First Republican Presidential Debate? og:description: Cast your vote in our reader poll for who came out on top og:url: https://time.com/3988073/republican-debate-fox-first-gop/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b9542f072445bbc/69885e0e196cf4b11c0376b6/gop-republican-debate-fox.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4508 og:image:height: 2536 og:image:alt: GOP Republican debate fox og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Vote Now: Who Won the First Republican Presidential Debate? twitter:description: Cast your vote in our reader poll for who came out on top twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b9542f072445bbc/69885e0e196cf4b11c0376b6/gop-republican-debate-fox.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:31 video:published: 2015-08-07 section: politics topics: presidential debate, immigration, border wall, tax reform, fair tax, Obamacare repeal, Iran nuclear deal, Planned Parenthood, abortion, Iraq war genre: debate, compilation tones: confrontational, assertive, critical, combative emotions: anger (medium), determination (high), pride (medium) sentiment: neutral audience: voters, political observers, policy followers, Republican primary voters people: Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, El Chapo, Barack Obama organizations: Republican Party, Planned Parenthood, Internal Revenue Service, Congress products: Obamacare, fair tax content_suitability: war [00:07-00:18]; politics [00:00-02:31]; crime [00:43-00:52]; death [01:51-01:55]; health controversy [01:55-02:31]; health controversy [01:24-01:24] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Vote Now: Who Won the First Republican Presidential Debate? > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=13ee6ed9-4dcd-44c5-a740-cf5a904c525e&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 2016 Republican Presidential Debate in Under 3 Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): 2016 Republican Presidential Debate in Under 3 Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/AWg12u3O.m3u8) (2:31)  _Published 2015-08-07. 2016 Republican Presidential Debate in Under 3 Minutes_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary A compilation of excerpts from the 2016 Republican presidential debate, covering a range of policy positions. Topics include immigration and a proposed border wall, tax reform and the fair tax, repealing Obamacare, the Iran nuclear deal, Planned Parenthood funding, abortion, and the Iraq war. Candidates respond to one another and to questions about their records and positions. ## Key points - A candidate says he will not have his marriage or guns registered in Washington. (00:00) - A candidate argues that the Iraq war was a mistake, stating that knowing what is known now, it was a mistake. (00:12) - A candidate says the country needs to build a wall quickly, with a big beautiful door so people can enter legally. (00:31) - A candidate proposes lowering the tax rate for small businesses to 25% and eliminating the Internal Revenue Service by passing the fair tax. (01:02) - A candidate calls for repealing and replacing Obamacare. (01:24) - A candidate says the Iran deal should be terminated on day one and the sanctions authorized by Congress reinstated. (01:31) - A candidate says President Obama gave away too much, too early, and would not have released sanctions before consistent evidence of compliance. (01:34) - A candidate says that as governor of Florida he defunded Planned Parenthood and created a culture of life in the state. (01:55) - A candidate states that all human life at every stage of development is worthy of protection and that such a law already exists in the Constitution. (02:18) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:28] Marriage, guns, race and the Iraq war. Candidates address federal registration of guns and marriage, remarks about race, the Iraq war, and criticism of Hillary Clinton's comments on paycheck living. - [00:28 to 00:43] Immigration and the border wall. A candidate calls for building a wall quickly with a legal entry door and keeping illegal immigrants out. - [00:43 to 01:02] Fence, tunnels and illegal immigration. Candidates discuss the need for a fence, the risk of tunnels under it, and the popularity of ending illegal immigration. - [01:02 to 01:27] Tax reform and healthcare. Proposals include a 4% growth strategy, a 25% small business tax rate, the fair tax replacing the IRS, and repealing Obamacare. - [01:27 to 01:55] Iran nuclear deal. Candidates criticize the Iran deal, call for terminating it and reinstating sanctions, and cite Iranian threats against Israel and America. - [01:55 to 02:31] Abortion and Planned Parenthood. A candidate describes defunding Planned Parenthood as Florida governor and states positions on abortion and the protection of human life. ## Key quotes - [00:12] Candidate: "Knowing what we know now, it was a mistake." - [00:21] Candidate: "I was raised paycheck to paycheck." - [00:31] Candidate: "We need to build a wall, and it has to be built quickly." - [01:31] Candidate: "Iran is not a place we should be doing business with." - [01:55] Candidate: "As governor of the state of Florida, I defunded Planned Parenthood." - [02:18] Candidate: "I think that law all ready exists, it's called the Constitution of the United States." ## Questions this video answers - Should the Iraq war be considered a mistake in hindsight? [00:12] - What should be done about illegal immigration and the border? [00:31] - How should the tax code and the IRS be changed? [01:02] - Should the Iran nuclear deal be terminated and sanctions reinstated? [01:31] - Should Planned Parenthood be defunded? [01:55] - When does human life deserve legal protection? [02:18] ## Content suitability - war [00:07-00:18]: Discussion of the Iraq war, a ruthless dictator being deposed, and whether the war was a mistake. - politics [00:00-02:31]: Entire video is a political debate on contested policy issues. - crime [00:43-00:52]: Reference to illegal immigration and a drug trafficker building a tunnel under a fence. - death [01:51-01:55]: Reference to Iran threatening to bring death to America and wipe Israel off the map. - health controversy [01:55-02:31]: Debate over abortion, Planned Parenthood funding, and protection of human life. - health controversy [01:24-01:24]: Call to repeal and replace Obamacare. by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Updated: Jan 17, 2024 4:35 PM UTCPublished: Aug 7, 2015 3:11 AM UTC 2016 Republican Presidential Debate in Under 3 Minutes by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Updated: Jan 17, 2024 4:35 PM UTCPublished: Aug 7, 2015 3:11 AM UTC It’s all over but the shouting. [The first Republican presidential primary debate](http://time.com/3988189/republican-debate-fox-first-gop-donald-trump/) took place on Thursday night, with the 10 leading candidates making their pitches for why they should be the party’s nominee. But who came out on top? Cast your vote in our reader poll for the person you think won the debate. The results of this poll are not scientific. ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. Brian Snyder—Reuters ## Transcript [00:00] I don't want my marriage or my guns registered in [00:03] Washington. Why don't I talk about race that often I said it's [00:07] because I'm a neurosurgeon. To the families of those who [00:09] died in that war who say they liberated a country and [00:12] deposed a ruthless dictator, how do you look at them now [00:15] and say your brother's war was a mistake? Knowing what [00:18] we know now, it was a mistake. How is Hilary Clinton [00:21] gonna lecture me about living paycheck to paycheck? I was [00:24] raised paycheck to paycheck. [ APPLAUSE ] [00:28] [ MUSIC ] [00:31] We need to build a wall, and it has to be built [00:35] quickly. And I don't mind having a big beautiful door in that [00:39] wall so that people can come into this country legally. [00:43] We need to keep illegals out. I also [00:47] believe we need a fence. The problem is if El Chapo builds [00:50] a tunnel under the fence we have to be able to deal with [00:52] that too. Mr. Trump is touching a nerve because people [00:56] want the wall to be built. People want an end to illegal [00:59] immigration and they want to see it end and we all do. A [01:02] 4 % growth strategy means you fix a convoluted tax code. [01:06] The first thing we need to do is we need to even out the tax [01:09] code for small businesses so that we lower their tax rate to [01:11] 25 % just as we need to lower it for all businesses. You get [01:15] in and you change every aspect of regulations that are job [01:18] killers. We can get rid of the internal revenue service if we [01:21] would pass the fair tax which is a tax on consumption [01:24] rather than attacks on people's income. We need to repeal [01:27] and replace Obamacare. Iran is not a place we should be [01:31] doing business with. To me we terminate the deal on day [01:34] one, you reinstate the sanctions authorized by Congress. I [01:37] think President Obama gave away too much, too early. I [01:40] would have never released the sanctions before there was [01:43] consistent evidence of compliance. The world has a [01:47] burgeoning nuclear power, but the Iranians have said is we [01:51] will wipe Israel off the face of the map and we will bring [01:55] death to America. As governor of the state of Florida, I [01:59] defunded Planned Parenthood. I created a culture of life in [02:03] our state. I was in business, they asked me a question as to [02:07] pro life or choice. And I said if you let it run that [02:12] I hate the concept of abortion. I hate the concept of [02:16] abortion. What I have advocated is that we pass a law in [02:18] this country that says that all human life At every stage of [02:21] its development is worthy of protection. In fact, I think that [02:24] law all ready exists, it's called the Constitution of the [02:26] United States. 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