--- title: Republican Debate: Candidates Get Nasty description: "You already had your chance, Marco. You blew it." canonical: https://time.com/4182083/republican-debate-donald-trump-nasty/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-15T06:08:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:40:46.453Z article:section: Politics og:title: How the Republican Presidential Race Got Even Nastier og:description: At Thursday's debate. og:url: https://time.com/4182083/republican-debate-donald-trump-nasty/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e1aadc2742eeb5a/69887950cf40a8fe2ec417fd/republican-presidential-debate-gop-photos-008.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2453 og:image:height: 1380 og:image:alt: GOP Presidential Candidates Debate In Charleston og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How the Republican Presidential Race Got Even Nastier twitter:description: At Thursday's debate. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e1aadc2742eeb5a/69887950cf40a8fe2ec417fd/republican-presidential-debate-gop-photos-008.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How the Republican Presidential Race Got Even Nastier > 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=d53fe17d-9600-4b02-99ad-ffd187a7ef76&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: FOX January GOP Debate in Under 4 minutes [Watch (HLS stream): FOX January GOP Debate in Under 4 minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/43Jv4tOR.m3u8) (3:59)  _Published 2016-01-15. GOP DEBATE 011416: The FOX January GOP Debate in Under 4 minutes_ by [Philip Elliott / Manchester, N.H.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/) and [Zeke J Miller / Charleston, S.C.](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) Jan 15, 2016 6:08 AM UTC by [Philip Elliott / Manchester, N.H.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/) and [Zeke J Miller / Charleston, S.C.](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) Jan 15, 2016 6:08 AM UTC In one of the most personal exchanges yet in the Republicans’ already fractious race for the party’s nomination, Ted Cruz invoked rival Donald Trump’s late mother. And not in a good way. Her sin? She was born in Scotland. Welcome to the final month before Iowa leads the country with its caucuses and the last month before voters in New Hampshire lend their voice. What was designed as an intellectual counter-punch quickly became a “Your Mama” attack. With just 18 days before Iowans caucus, this is the state of the campaign: a personal fight in close quarters in which candidate-to-candidate acrimony and strategic ploys are hard to discern, and may not matter. **Read More:** [_Cruz Didn’t Want Trump’s Legal Advice_](http://time.com/4182043/republican-debate-donald-trump-ted-cruz-legal-advice/) The rhetoric stood to overshadow serious but abstract conversations about trade policy, fighting terrorism and the role of the federal government. Everything party elders hoped to avoid in 2016 came reeling forth, on the lesser-watched Fox Business nonetheless, as about half of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, historically speaking, are still undecided. “The final phase of a campaign is how you differentiate yourself from everybody else. We’ve arrived at that stage,” Cruz adviser Rick Tyler told reporters of his boss’s newfound feistiness. “Voters actually find it positive, since it helps them make a decision.” Others in doubt? Attack the other guys. Just pile on the party in power and hope to turn early-state contests into referendums. It worked in 2008 as Republican John McCain ran against his own party to win the primary, and then become the GOP nomination. In this week’s debate—the first of the year but hardly the last— New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dismissed President Obama as a petulant child who deserved to have his rear quarters kicked to the curb. (The 22nd Amendment trumps any L.L. Bean boots purchased at New Hampshire’s outlet malls.) Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush argued that likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton might spend her first 100 Days in the Oval Office shuttling back and forth between the White House and a courtroom. (She won’t.) **Read More:** [_Christie’s One-Liner on Obama Won Twitter_](http://time.com/4182070/republican-debate-christie-rear-end/) And in the spin room they went after each other: “Rubio looked like an operative reading off a three-ring binder” of opposition, according to Bush adviser David Kochel. (There’s a reason why Republicans look outside their primary rivals to pick a running mate.) When Rubio and Cruz engaged in a debate on tax policy instead of answering a question on entitlements, Christie interrupted to plug his own reform plan. “You already had your chance, Marco. You blew it,” Christie snorted as Rubio objected. Later on, Cruz and Rubio sparred—and unloaded the research file aides have prepared for the better part of a year alleging a host of anti-conservative flip-flops by the Texas lawmaker. “I appreciate you dumping you oppo research,” Cruz japed, laughing about what most voters would consider research about the opposition. Rubio did not flinch: “No, it’s your record.” Christie mocked the pair for Senate-speak. “I’d like to interrupt this debate on the floor of the Senate to actually answer the question you asked,” he interjected. He knows that he’s running as an outsider, and is actually OK with it. When a voter needs a decoder ring for a debate, it’s clear that the audience is far from those sitting with a can of Diet Coke at home. It might hurt the party come November, but the ultra-involved activists needed no crib sheet. They need egos stroked at this moment in the political calendar. Yet the most dynamic moment of Thursday night’s debate in South Carolina came as the surviving White House hopefuls argued over who, standing in feets of each other, met legal muster. Hint: they all do. But in personality-driven campaigns bolstered by a former reality television star who pushes discredited readings of legal blogs, whisper campaigns led by operatives jealous of better-polling rivals and voters who cannot make sense of the onslaught of negative ads crowding their televisions, it was a perfect moment of where this campaign stands—and where it is going. Trump, the bombastic billionaire, remains atop the polls nationally but locked in a tight race with Cruz in Iowa. That’s why Trump has been shivving Cruz on his constitutional eligibility, even though most legal scholars consider this another sideshow. Cruz was ready with a rejoinder questioning Trump’s own qualifications. **Read More:** [_Trump and Cruz Tussle as Iowa Caucus Looms_](http://time.com/4181973/donald-trump-ted-cruz-iowa/) “At the end of the day, the legal issue is quite straightforward,” Cruz said calmly. He had prepared for this moment. After all, he didn’t win national debating championships by happenstance. “But I would note that the birther theories that Donald has been relying on, some of the more extreme ones insist that you must not only be born on U.S. soil, but have two parents born on U.S. soil. Under that theory, not only would I be disqualified, Marco Rubio would be disqualified, Bobby Jindal would be disqualified and, interestingly enough, Donald J. Trump would be disqualified.” The moment caught Trump by surprise. “Not me!” Oh, yes, you. A woman born in 1912, in some voters’ minds, might be the thing that finally disqualifies frontrunner Trump from the most powerful office in the land “Donald’s mother was born in Scotland. She was naturalized,” Cruz continued with the calm of a former Supreme Court lawyer, which he is. “But I was born here. Big difference,” Trump said, trying to set this attack back on track and stretching out the adjective as long as he could. “Big” became a very big word. He knew the clip was going to be a cable news favorite. “On the issue of citizenship, Donald, I’m not going to use the issue of your mother’s birth against you,” Cruz said. It was a fantastic reminder that no white paper, no policy address can compete in the modern era of political campaigns with the snide dagger stabbed just below a rival’s rib cage. **Read More:** [_Cruz Didn’t Want Trump’s Legal Advice_ ](http://time.com/4182043/republican-debate-donald-trump-ted-cruz-legal-advice/) The nastiness was not limited to that pair and competing readings of the Constitution’s Article 2, Section 1\. No, the others were sniping at each other too, locked in their own battles for friendly slices of likely primary and caucus-goers. Many of the moments seemed tailored for friendly super PACs to make television and Web ads. “We don’t need a weak person being President, and that’s what we would get with Jeb,” Trump jabbed. “Backbench Senators,” Bush clucked. “I hate to interrupt this episode of Court TV,” Rubio interrupted. Rubio aides sent that quip to his email list before anyone had left the debate stage. These campaigns have spent small fortunes building dossiers against their rivals. It’s time they used them. The attacks seen Thursday night were just a preview of what the candidates know about their rivals. Imagine what their aides are pushing behind the scenes. No. Don’t do that. Just turn on a television in an early-nominating state like Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina. Yeah. All the embarrassing details are soon to make their way to broadcast soon. In the best-case scenario, voters can construct a Venn diagram of family trees, national borders and the Constitution. All of which, of course, go well with popcorn. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] The next Commander in Chief is standing on this stage. On Tuesday night I watched story time with Barack Obama and I gotta tell you, it sounded like everything in the world was going amazing... Hillary Clinton would be a national security disaster. She wouldn't just be a disaster. Hilary Clinton is disqualified from being Commander and Chief of the United States. Well Maria, thank you for passing on that hit piece on the front page of the New York Times. [ APPLAUSE ] And the entire New York Times attack is that I disclosed that loan on one filing with the United States Senate that was a public filing, but it was not on a second filing with the FEC. Both of those filings were public. Ted Cruz And yes I made a paper work error disclosing it on one piece of paper instead of the other but if that's the best hit the New York Times has got they better go back to the well. On the issue of citizenship Donald I'm not going to use your mother's birth against you. Donald Trump >> In the last three polls I'm beating you so you shouldn't misrepresent how well your doing. I win I choose him as my vice presidential candidate and the Democrats sue because we can't take him along for the ride. I hate to interrupt this episode of Court Tv [ LAUGH ] but the real. I like Chris Christie, but we can not have a president of the United States that supports common core. We cannot afford to have a president of the United States that supports gun control [ APPLAUSE ] South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is out of the race but he joins us tonight in the audience Is this America anymore? Do we still have standards? You know, we have a war on virtually everything. Race wars. gender wars, income wars. Every war you can imagine, we have people at each other's throats. And our strength is actually in our unity. I also want to recognize the people in that church that showed the grace of God, and the grace of forgiveness, and the mercy they showed. [ APPLAUSE ] i don't know if any of us could've done what they did, one after another, within 48 hours of that tragedy taking place. The guns don't pull the trigger, it's the people that pull the trigger [ APPLAUSE ] And we have to find out what is going on. The Second Amendment is not an option, because criminals don't buy their guns from a gun show. And let me tell you, ISIS and terrorists do not get their guns from a gun show. This [ APPLAUSE ] Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal, are pro- abortion, are pro gay marriage, focus around money and the media. Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I'm just saying. [ LAUGH ] When the World Trade Center came down I saw something that no place on Earth could've handled more beautifully, more humanly than New York and everybody in the world watched and everybody in the world loved New York and loved New Yorker's and I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made. [ APPLAUSE ] I said from the beginning That we should take no Syrian refugees of any kind. If we do not know who you are and we do not know why you are coming, when I am President, you are not getting into the United States of America. [ APPLAUSE ] This was a question on entitlements [ CROSSTALK ]. [ APPLAUSE ] Oh, I'll ask the entitlement question [ CROSSTALK ]. And the reason. No, you're. Already had your chance, Mark, and you blew it. But here's the thing. If I become President, I couldn't care less about my company. It's peanuts. I have Ivanka and Eric and Don sitting there. Run the company, kids. Have a good time. I'm gonna do it for America. [ APPLAUSE ] I saw you on the Senate floor flip your vote on crop insurance cuz they told you it would help you in Iowa. And last week, we all saw you flip your vote on ethanol in Iowa. [ APPLAUSE ] Iowa, for the same reason. That is not consistent conservatism. That is political calculation. This last back- and- forth between two sen -, two back bench senators. You know, it explains why we have the mess in Washington, D. C. We need a president that will fix our immigration laws and stick with it, not bend with the wind. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4182083/republican-debate-donald-trump-nasty/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4182083/republican-debate-donald-trump-nasty/"},"headline":"How the Republican Presidential Race Got Even Nastier","datePublished":"2016-01-15T06:08:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-05T08:40:46.453Z","description":"'You already had your chance, Marco. 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