Donald Trump opened the first Republican presidential debate Thursday by refusing to support the eventual GOP nominee for the White House, then dominated the evening by slamming fellow candidate Rand Paul, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and even taking a shot at liberal celebrity Rosie O’Donnell.
"I will not make the pledge at this time," said Trump in refusing to support the ultimate nominee. He has refused to rule out an independent run.
"We want to win and we will win," Trump said. "But I want to win as the Republican. I want to run as the Republican nominee."
Trump's response brought boos from many of the 4,500 people in the Quicken Loans Arena and a rebuke from Paul, whose campaign has sagged since Trump entered the race in June.
"This is what's wrong," Paul said. "He buys and sells politicians of all stripes."
Paul ignored moderator Bret Baier's request to stop.
"He's already hedging his bet on the Clintons. Okay?" Paul added. "If he doesn't run as a Republican, maybe he supports Clinton or maybe he runs as an independent.
"But I tell you, he's already hedging his bets because he's used to buying politicians," Paul said.
"I've given you plenty of money," Trump retorted.
The exchange was a harbinger of things to come during the 90-minute debate that was sponsored by Fox News Channel, the Ohio Republican Party and the Republican National Committee.
The prime-time debate followed an earlier forum featuring the seven other candidates who did not make the cut, which Fox based on an averaging of five national polls.
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pundits later declared former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Carly Fiorina, the only woman among the 17 Republican candidates, the winner of the hourlong debate.
Besides Paul, others squaring off against Trump were Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida; Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey, John Kasich of Ohio, and Scott Walker of Wisconsin; former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, and retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson.
The debate provided the contenders with their first opportunity for a national stage. Joining Baier as moderators were Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace.
The forum was among six party-sanctioned forums scheduled before primary voting begins in February. The Republican Party will hold its convention in Cleveland in July.
In a debate that proved raucous and combative at times, Trump continued to hold sway as he then squared off with Kelly, who pressed him about past derogatory comments he had made about women, including calling them "fat pigs," "dogs," and "slobs." Trump said that he had only used those references to "only Rosie O'Donnell."
"The big problem this country has is being politically correct," he said, drawing applause from the audience. "I've been challenged by so many people — and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness."
He also accused Kelly of not treating him well, again drawing boos from the audience.
"Honestly Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me.
"But I wouldn't do that," Trump said. "But you know what? We, we need strength, we need energy, we need quickness and we need brains in this country to turn it around."
Wallace later pressed Trump to provide evidence to support his statements during his presidential announcement about illegal immigrants and crime.
"Gov. Bush called those remarks 'extraordinarily ugly,'" Wallace said. "I'd like you to tell us, talk to him directly and say how you would respond to that."
Trump responded: "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be talking about illegal immigration. You wouldn't even be talking about it. This was not a subject that was on anybody's mind until I brought it up at [my] announcement."
When Wallace pressed him further "to answer my question," Trump referenced his visit to the South Texas border last month.
"Border patrol, people that I deal with, that I talk to, they say this is what's happening," Trump said. "Because our leaders are stupid. Our politicians are stupid.
"And the Mexican government is much smarter, much sharper — much more cunning — and they send the bad ones over because they don't want to pay for them.
"They don't want to take care of them," he added. "Why should they, when the stupid leaders of the United States will do it for them? That's what is happening, whether you like it or not."
Trump's comments brought applause from the audience.
He again clashed with Paul over Obamacare, after slamming it as "a complete disaster."
Kelly noted that Trump had supported a single-payer healthcare system in 2004, asking why had he had since changed his views.
"What I would like to see is a private system without the artificial lines around every state," Trump responded. "The insurance companies are making a fortune, because they have control of the politicians. They're making a fortune.
"Get rid of the artificial lines, and you will have yourself great plans. Then, we have to take care of the people who can't take care of themselves …"
"News flash," Paul interjected. "The Republican Party has been fighting against a single-payer system for a decade. I think you're on the wrong side of this if you're still arguing ..."
"I don't think you heard me," Trump told Paul. "You're having a hard time tonight."
The developer, however, was gracious toward Bush, who said that his previous attacks on the businessman were incorrect.
Bush noted that he disagreed with Trump's tone, not his position.
"He is a true gentleman," Trump said. "He really is.
"The one thing he did say about me was my tone," he added. "I also understand that. But when you have people who are cutting Christians' heads off … we don't have time for tone. We have to go out and get the job done."
Trump later unabashedly said "you better believe it" when Baier noted that donations to such Democrats as Hillary Clinton and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi led politicians to "do whatever the hell" he wants them to do.
"When they call, I give," Trump said. "And you know what, when I need something from them — two years later, three years later — I call them.
"They are there for me. That's a broken system."
When pressed on what Clinton had done for him, Trump responded: "I said 'be at my wedding' and she came to my wedding."
He said Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, came to his wedding in 2005 because he had given to the Clinton Foundation.
"She had no choice," Trump said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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