Trump-Cruz 'bromance' is over, New York billionaire says
US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump and top challenger Ted Cruz have clashed during the sixth GOP presidential debate in their sharpest and most personal encounters of the presidential race.
The 2.5-hour debate held on Thursday in North Charleston, South Carolina, was filled with testy exchanges between the seven candidates on stage.
Trump, a billionaire from New York and Cruz, a senator from Texas, ended a longstanding truce in spectacular fashion.
Until the latest debate, Trump and Cruz had been friendly because they have both been seeking to appeal to conservatives in the Tea Party movement and did not want to anger them.
"I guess the bromance is over," Trump told CNN after the debate.
Trump also reiterated his anti-Muslim stance despite facing criticism at home and abroad. His presidential campaign has been marked by controversial statements directed against immigrants, refugees and Muslims.
Cruz strongly rejected Trump's accusations that he isn't eligible to be president because he was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father.
US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida turned in a contentious performance with attacks on Cruz and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
"Unfortunately, Governor Christie has endorsed many of the ideas that [President] Barack Obama supports," the Florida senator said.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, quiet during most of the debate, presented himself as a voice of reason against Trump.
Bush repeatedly called on Trump to "reconsider" his anti-Muslim rhetoric, warning him it would alienate American Muslims and Islamic countries and help the ISIL terrorist group.
"All Muslims? Seriously? What kind of signal does that send to the rest of the world?" Bush said.
A RealClearPolitics daily average national poll on January 15 showed Trump had 34.5 percent of the vote, Cruz 19.3 percent, Rubio 11.8 percent, Carson 9.0 percent, Bush 4.8 percent, while 3.5 percent favored Christie.
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