--- title: Republican Debate: Carly Fiorina Comes Out Swinging description: Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina made the most of her first appearance on the main debate stage. canonical: https://time.com/4037858/republican-debate-carly-fiorina/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-17T03:41:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:50:36.203Z article:section: Politics og:title: Carly Fiorina Takes the Debate Stage Swinging og:description: She showed her experience in years of corporate presentations. og:url: https://time.com/4037858/republican-debate-carly-fiorina/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt11f0c66f8ee12634/69886404e20a877c83a8d472/carly-fiorina1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Carly Fiorina - Republilcan Debate og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Carly Fiorina Takes the Debate Stage Swinging twitter:description: She showed her experience in years of corporate presentations. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt11f0c66f8ee12634/69886404e20a877c83a8d472/carly-fiorina1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Carly Fiorina Takes the Debate Stage Swinging by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) and [Philip Elliott / Simi Valley, Calif.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/) Sep 17, 2015 3:41 AM UTC  Carly Fiorina walks with her husband Frank Fiorina at the presidential debates at the Reagan Library on Sept. 16, 2015 in Simi Valley, Calif. Carly Fiorina walks with her husband Frank Fiorina at the presidential debates at the Reagan Library on Sept. 16, 2015 in Simi Valley, Calif.Justin Sullivan—Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) and [Philip Elliott / Simi Valley, Calif.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/) Sep 17, 2015 3:41 AM UTC Carly Fiorina fought onto the main stage of Republican politics, battling her way into the primetime presidential debate and shaming a powerful cable network into changing how the candidates qualified. Once there, she never stopped swinging. The former Hewlett Packard CEO used her turn on the stage, even at a podium on the very edge of the stage, to deliver some of the strongest criticism of her GOP rivals and the woman she hopes to face in a general election next year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The fierce business executive had polished answers prepared, witty rejoinders at the ready and a calm tone that drew first blood on the GOP front-runner for the first time this cycle. “I think women across this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said,” Fiorina said dryly, alluding to Trump mocking her appearance in an interview with _Rolling Stone_. Call it the anatomy of the humbling of a Trump. His face blushed. “I think she’s got a beautiful face, and she’s a beautiful woman,” he replied. Fiorina did not react. Instead, she looked out at the crowd, which remained largely silent, and the network cut to commercial as the cameras captured the stunning split-screen. Republicans in the crowded field of hopefuls have been struggling with how to break past the bluster of Trump, the brash billionaire whose bombast has upended the rules of typical campaigns. Fiorina, perhaps, demonstrated how to go after Trump and his over-the-top tone. Quoting a Yale researcher, Trump called her tenure at HP, “one of the worst tenures for a CEO he has ever seen.” “She can’t run any of my companies,” he added. Fiorina knew the criticism was coming. Before earning her spot on the main debate stage, it has been a frequent topic of questions, as it was during her failed 2010 bid for Senate in California. Never flinching, Fiorina tapped into the poise she practiced as an executive on earning calls. “Why should we trust you to manage the finances of this nation any differently than you managed the finances of your casinos,” Fiorina replied, referencing Trump’s corporate bankruptcies, and sending him backpedaling. It wasn’t clear if Fiorina left any lasting damage to Trump and his brand. But her own brand was certain to win a boost. For many Americans, this was the first time they were seeing Fiorina jostling with leading rivals and more than holding her own. Aside from the technical answers about business and board rooms, Fiorina also sprinkled her personal life into her answers. When Bush and Paul sparred on drug policy, Fiorina injected herself, telling her new audience that her stepdaughter lost her battle with addiction. “My husband Frank and I buried a child to drug addiction,” she said. “So we must invest more in the treatment of drugs … Drug addiction is an epidemic.” **Read More:** [_Carly Fiorina Gets Personal in Her New Book_](http://time.com/3843413/carly-fiorina-rising-challenge-book/) Republican voters have seemed ready to reward non-traditional candidates so far this year. Trump is atop the polls, followed by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Neither has ever held elective office. Fiorina, now getting her shot, is primed to pitch herself as another outsider. Already there are indications in early state polls that her message is resonating. And when she is in her moment, her years in corporate presentations comes through. Fiorina was ready. Before the debate, she played solitaire on her smartphone in a luxury trailer that served as her holding room while the also-rans debated. In her opening statement, Fiorina introduced herself as the former secretary-turned-CEO, and her husband as a tow truck driver who became an executive. When asked which woman should be added to U.S. currency, Fiorina rejected the suggestion. Women, she said, are a majority in the country and should not be treated as a special-interest group that needs pandering. It drew applause. Toward the end of the debate, moderator Jake Tapper asked each candidate what their Secret Service codename would be. Fiorina turned to the story of a Triple Crown winner who beat expectations and was incidentally owned by a woman. “Secretariat,” she said with a smile. **Read Next:** [_Here’s What the Republicans Would Pick for Secret Service Codenames_](http://time.com/4037829/republican-debate-codenames/) ### 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. 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