This exchange is all you need to know about the 2016 CBS Republican Debate. The two frontrunners, not arguing about policy, not differing on how they would implement conservative ideals, not agreeing to disagree.
No, this was gloves-off verbal brawling with no point while wasting a lot of time.
Here's the short version:
Cruz: blah blah blah argle bargle Planned Parenthood.
Trump: He's a big liar. He's the biggest liar. No one lies more than him. He plays dirty tricks on other candidates. He lies.
Cruz: I know you are but what am I?
Seriously, that's how insanely juvenile this was.
Transcript follows:
CRUZ: [Trump] supports federal taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. I disagree with him on that. That's a matter of principle --
TRUMP: Hold on, hold on. You are the biggest liar. You probably are worse than Jeb Bush.
(Audience boos)
TRUMP: You are the single biggest liar. Let me just tell you. This guy lied about Ben Carson when he took votes away from Ben Carson in Iowa. And today, we had robocalls saying Donald Trump is not going to run in South Carolina where I'm leading by a lot. "Vote for Ted Cruz." This is the same thing he did to Ben Carson. This guy will say anything.
He's a nasty guy. Now I know why he doesn't have one endorsement from any of his colleagues.
CRUZ: Alright, John, John
TRUMP: He's a nasty guy.
CRUZ: I will say -- I will say it is fairly remarkable to see Donald defending Ben after he called him pathological and compared him to a child molester, both of which were offensive and wrong.
(crosstalk)
You notice Donald didn't agree with the substance that he supports taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. And Donald has this weird pattern. When you point to his own record he screams "liar, liar, liar" --
(crosstalk)
TRUMP: Where did I support it? Where did I support it?
(More crosstalk, more times Trump asking where he supported it)
CRUZ: You supported it when we were battling over defunding Planned Parenthood, you said "Planned Parenthood does wonderful things and we should not defund it."
TRUMP: It does do wonderful things, but not as it relates to abortion.
Excuse me -- excuse me -- there are wonderful things having to do with women's health, but not when it comes to abortion.
NOTE: that last was said while talking over Cruz.
CRUZ: The reason principle matters, sadly, was illustrated by the first questions today. The next president is going to appoint one, two, three, four Supreme Court Justices. If Donald Trump is President, he will appoint liberals. If Donald Trump is President, your Second Amendent rights will go away.
(cross-shouting)
TRUMP: When John Roberts was appointed Supreme Court justice by your brother (points at Jeb), you wanted him. He twice approved Obamacare.
DICKERSON: We're in danger of driving this into the dirt.
Sorry, John. It went into the dirt on the first question and then sank into the mud. What a clown show.
