Low Blows in the Lowcountry: Gloves Come Off in GOP Debate

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Coming into the debate, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has been suggesting that Sen. Ted Cruz, his nearest rival, may be ineligible to be president because he was born in Canada – even though his mother is American. That led to a vigorous exchange. 

"I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa. But the facts and the law here are really quite clear. Under longstanding U.S. law, the child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural-born citizen," the Texas lawmaker said.

"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," he continued. "Under that theory, Donald J. Trump would be disqualified…because Donald's mother was born in Scotland. She was naturalized."

But Trump said Democrats would attack Cruz.

"Here's the problem. We're running. We're running. He does great. 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'm not bringing a suit. I promise. But the Democrats are going to bring a lawsuit," Trump said. "And you have to have certainty. You can't have a question. I can agree with you or not, but you can't have a question over your head."

Cruz Slams Trump's 'New York Values'

The two top polling candidates weren't finished. Cruz was asked to explain his recent criticism that Trump has "New York values."

"Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro- gay-marriage, focus around money and the media," Cruz said.

But Trump said Cruz's comments "insulted a lot of people."

"I've had more calls on that statement that Ted made," Trump continued. "New York is a great place. It's got great people. It's got loving people, wonderful people. When the World Trade Center came down, I saw something that no place on Earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York. "

Cruz, Trump on the Hot Seat

Both Trump and Cruz stayed in the hot seat. Cruz found himself trying to fend off Sen. Marco Rubio's attacks on his immigration record. 

"Ted Cruz, you used to say you supported doubling the number of green cards; now you say that you're against it," the Florida lawmaker pointed out. "You used to support a 500 percent increase in the number of guest workers; now you say that you're against it."

"You used to support legalizing people that were here illegally," Rubio continued. "Now you say you're against it. You used to say that you were in favor of birthright citizenship; now you say that you are against it."

Cruz took issue with Rubio's claims, saying that at least half of them "are flat-out false."

"They're absolutely false," Cruz said. "Let's start with immigration and have a little bit of clarity. Marco stood with Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama on amnesty. I stood with Jeff Sessions and Steve King… Marco supports legalization and citizenship for 12 million illegals. I opposed and oppose legalization and citizenship."

Meanwhile, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush took Trump to task for continuing to call for a temporary ban on Muslims coming into the country.

"Donald…I hope you reconsider this because this policy is a policy that makes it impossible to build the coalition necessary to take out ISIS," Bush said. "The Kurds are our strongest allies. They're Muslim. You're not going to even allow them to come to our country?"

Trump says he wants "security for this country."

Christie vs. Rubio

The other storyline coming in was the battle brewing between  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Rubio. Both were trying to be the alternative to Trump and Cruz. They've been running nasty attack ads against each other and that boiled over to the stage.

 "Governor Christie has endorsed many of the ideas that Barack Obama supports, whether it is Common Core or gun control or the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor or the donation he made to Planned Parenthood," Rubio said.

But Christie disagreed.

"First of all, I didn't support Sonia Sotomayor. Secondly, I never wrote a check to Planned Parenthood," Christie said.

"Two years ago, he called me a conservative reformer that New Jersey needed. That was before he was running against me. Now that he is, he's changed his tune," the governor noted.

The rest of the debate was filled with talk of tax reform, changes to entitlements, a robust defense of the right to bear arms and the divisiveness that's gripped America.

"Where did that spirit come from in America? It did not come from our Judeo-Christian roots, I can tell you that," retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said. "And wherever it came from we need to start once again recognizing that there is such a thing as right and wrong. And let's not let the secular progressives drive that out of us." 

Candidates Target Obama, Clinton

Beyond the issues, the debate did allow for plenty of bold talk against President Barack Obama.

"This guy is a petulant child. That's what he is," Christie said.

 "The American people have rejected your agenda and now you're trying to go around it. That's not right. It's not constitutional. And we are going to kick your rear end out of the White House come this fall," he added.

There was also bold talk against Hillary Clinton.

"(Clinton) is disqualified from being commander in chief of the United States," Rubio said. "Someone who cannot handle intelligence information appropriately cannot be commander in chief and someone who lies to the families of those four victims in Benghazi can never be president of the United States. Ever."

The debate in Charleston may not change the contours of the GOP presidential race in any distinct way. That's because there's yet another debate less than two weeks from now in Des Moines, Iowa, just a few days before the all-important Iowa Caucus on February 1.