• Politics

Watch Republican Candidates Reveal Their Pre-Debate Rituals

2 minute read

The Republican presidential candidates will face off Saturday night in a key debate, the last one before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary—and they’ve revealed the rituals they’ll undertake before stepping on stage.

“My favorite thing to do on the day of the debate is play Plants vs. Zombies on my iPhone with my two girls,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in a video on Saturday. “Nothing better to get you in the right mood for the debate.”

The video was released by the Independent Journal Review, a conservative web publication that has made several entertaining viral videos during the campaign.

“Siri, what questions will David Muir be asking at the New Hampshire debate?” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says, scrolling through her responses.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush referenced a comment his mother made on the campaign trail in New Hampshire on Thursday, saying her “too polite” son should interrupt his opponents more during debates.

“Before the debate, I normally call my mom to get advice,” he says in the video.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson takes a more extreme approach to preparation.

“I take these hundreds of pieces of paper—because they have all the advice that people have given me about what to say during the debate—and light them on fire,” he said. “I’m gonna be me.”

Read more: How to Watch Tonight’s Republican Debate Online

More Must-Reads From TIME

Write to Katie Reilly at Katie.Reilly@time.com