Ted Cruz won the fifth Republican debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday, but Donald Trump held his own and Chris Christie "helped himself," political strategist Dick Morris told
Newsmax TV.
"Cruz was the big winner tonight," Morris said on the "Newsmax TV Post-Debate Special," hosted by Steve Malzberg. "He was terrific in his speeches. He was aggressive, forceful and really hit it out of the park three or four times.
"Trump did very well, not as well as Cruz — but he clearly held his own and showed people why he is so popular," he added.
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On the other side, Marco Rubio "was the big loser," Morris said. "He got clobbered in the debate with Cruz and in the debate with Rand Paul."
As for Ben Carson, he "did better in showing himself to be more knowledgeable about foreign affairs and somewhat tougher — but he can't make the grade with the ISIS issue."
The issue of destroying the Islamic State "is killing Carson, because people just don't see the strength in him that they want," Morris said.
But that is helping Christie, especially since Jeb Bush did not fare well.
"Christie helped himself tonight," Morris told Malzberg. "And it is possible, given how pathetic Bush's performance was and how Rubio got lost in those debates that Christie could emerge as the establishment alternative to Trump and Cruz."
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