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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

GOP Debate. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired February 26, 2016 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[12:00:00] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: At all against Marco Rubio.

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, his strategy has been the same throughout the entire campaign. It's divert, deflect. Insult, divert, deflect. Insert - don't look at any one thing too long. Just bring in a new topic and keep the ball moving. Keep people distracted. Keep shifting people's attention. That's all he's done. So I can only imagine whatever it will be, it will be to focus our attention on the shiny bright object for five more minutes so we don't look at what his possible vulnerabilities are.

By the way, you're right, immigration is a real vulnerability. That's what catapulted him to the top.

BOLDUAN: Right.

HOOVER: But no one attack works with Donald Trump. It is -

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ryan Williams, I want to give you a 30-second last word here. You know, again, you're no Donald Trump fan. How would you advise him to push forward towards Super Tuesday right now?

RYAN WILLIAMS, FORMER SPOKESMAN FOR GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: I would just put the tax returns out now. Get it over with. Rip the Band-Aid off instead of letting this drag out. We had this problem with Governor Romney in 2012. We eventually released the taxes, but after months of bad press. Just put them out now. Just get it over with.

BERMAN: Christine Romans, Margaret Hoover, Ryan Williams, Steve, thanks so much for being with us. A busy hour. The entire campaign shifting and changing right before our very eyes.

BOLDUAN: Right here! It's amazing!

Thank you all so much for joining us "AT THIS HOUR." Ashleigh Banfield is going to take it over from here on out.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. And welcome to LEGAL VIEW.

OK, that is it until Super Tuesday. No more debates. No more CNN town halls. The two Democrats, the five Republicans, now they just stump and speak and rally to try to persuade as many people in 13 different states to show up and either caucus or cast a primary vote for them.

Got a live shot here of Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail right now. He is in Minnesota. A busy, busy day on the trail. Not just for him, for everyone in this race.

Just in this hour alone, feast your eyes on your screen. Four different candidates appearing at four different campaign events. All of them in Super Tuesday states. Scheduled for right now in Nashville, Tennessee, Senator Ted Cruz. And in about 30 minutes, Donald Trump in Ft. Worth, Texas. Later this hour, Hillary Clinton in Atlanta, Georgia. Of course, we're going to try to dip in and show you some or all of those events just as soon as they get going.

But just a few minutes ago, I really hope you were watching. Senator Marco Rubio went off. You could say he effective unloaded on Donald Trump at a rally live in Dallas. And, man, was it intense. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So, you want to have a little fun? All right. What does Donald Trump do when things go wrong? He takes to Twitter. I have him right here. Let's read some. You'll have fun.

All right, number one. Here's the first one. "Lightweight Marco Rubio was working hard last night." This is true. "The problem is, he is a chaker. And once a chaker always a choker." I guess that's what he meant to say. He spelled choker c-h-o-k-e-r, choker. He called me "Mr. Meltdown."

Let me tell you something, last night in the debate during one of the breaks, two of the breaks, he went backstage. He was having a meltdown. First he had this little makeup thing applying like makeup around his mustache, because he had one of those sweat mustaches. Then - then he asked for a full length mirror. I don't know why because the podium goes up here but he wanted a full length mirror. Maybe to make sure his pants weren't wet. I don't know.

Then - then I see him pacing back and forth and then he's huddled in the corner talking to somebody and he's like waving his arms up and down and the person's trying to calm him down. So, anyway.

But I'm the - I'm a chaker. All right.

Next tweet. "Leight weight chaker Marco Rubio looks like a little boy on stage. Not presidential material." He meant to say lightweight but he spelled it e - l-e-i-g-h-t. So he got that wrong.

Looks like a little boy on stage. It's not that I look like a little boy. I wouldn't even be the youngest president. But he would be the oldest president ever elected. And it's like an eight year term. So you start to worry.

All right. Last one. Wow. "Every poll said I won the debate last night." No, this was him about himself, OK? "Great honer." I think he meant to say great honor. I don't know how he got that wrong because the "e" and the "o" are nowhere near each other on the keyboard. "Great honer." All right. So, here's what - yes, that's what I'm thinking. So how does this guy, not in one tweet, three tweets, misspell words so badly? And I only reach two conclusions. Number one, that's how they spell those words at the Wharton School of Business where he went. Or, number two, just like Trump Tower, he must have hired a foreign worker to do his own tweets.

[12:05:15] BANFIELD: Oh! Oh! It is on. As for last night's debate, the remaining five GOP candidates were tougher on each other, more name cally and cheap shotty and more interrupty than ever before. And right in the middle of it all, one level headed man appealing for calm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But we're not going to let them die in the streets.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who pays for it and who's control (ph)?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right - senator - senator - gentlemen, gentlemen, please.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, can I just clarify something? Wolf, no, I want to clarify something.

BLITZER: Gentlemen, please, I want to move on. I want to talk about the economy.

RUBIO: This is a Republican debate, right? Because that attack about letting people die in the streets if the government doesn't support health care? That's the Democrat's thing.

BLITZER: I want -

CRUZ: This is a (INAUDIBLE) answer. He's going to add (INAUDIBLE) government would pay for -

BLITZER: Gentlemen, gentlemen, all of you have agreed - Senator Cruz -

CRUZ: Refusing to answer the question.

TRUMP Call it what you want - you know what, call it what you want.

CRUZ: It's a yes or no.

TRUMP: Call it what you want, people are not going to be dying on the sidewalks or the streets.

BLITZER: All of you have agreed - all of you have agreed to the rules. Hold on a minute, I want to move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: I want to move on. Boy, I think a lot of people wanted the move on. In between all that shouting and all the insults and Wolf Blitzer says "gentlemen, please," the Republican candidates actually did knock around some issues. Some that they agree on and, of course, some that they really don't agree on. I want you to watch this minute and a half primer on the CNN Republican debate in Houston.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome the Republican candidates for president of the United States.

CRUZ: Welcome to Texas.

RUBIO: Well, you're the only person on this stage that's ever been fined for hiring people to work on your projects illegally. You hired some workers from Poland.

TRUMP: No, no, I'm the only one on the stage that's hired people. You haven't hired anybody.

RUBIO: Well -

CRUZ: But let me say, Wolf, I really find it amazing that Donald believe that he is the one who discovered the issue of illegal immigration.

TRUMP: First of all, I don't believe anything Telemundo says, number one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You used to say that you -

BLITZER: Let me get Governor Kasich in. He's been waiting patiently. Governor Kasich?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's talk about your plan.

RUBIO: I see (INAUDIBLE) every night. It says five things. Everyone's dumb.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Rubio -

RUBIO: He's going to make America great again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Rubio -

RUBIO: We're going to win, win, win.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Rubio, please!

RUBIO: We're winning in the polls.

TRUMP: All true.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please stop!

RUBIO: And the lines around the (INAUDIBLE).

BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People say that I whine a lot because I don't get time. I'm going to whine.

TRUMP: You get along with nobody.

CRUZ: If you want to be liked in Washington, that's not a good attribute for a president.

TRUMP: You don't learn anything about somebody's wealth with a tax return.

BLITZER: Gentlemen, please, I want to move on.

RUBIO: This is the Republican debate, right, because that attack about letting people die in the streets if the government doesn't support health care, that's a Democrat thing.

BLITZER: I want to talk about the economy. I want -

CRUZ: This is a critical answer. He said government would pay for (INAUDIBLE) -

BLITZER: Gentlemen, gentlemen, all of you have agreed -

TRUMP: I mean, first of all, this guy's a choke artist and this guy's a liar.

OK, they may even be tougher.

RUBIO: The Palestinians are not a real estate, Donald.

TRUMP: OK, no, no, no, a deal - a deal is a deal. Let me tell you, I've learned a long time ago -

RUBIO: They're not a real estate deal. A deal is not a deal when you're dealing with terrorists. Have you ever negotiated with terrorists?

TRUMP: You are not a negotiator.

CRUZ: OK, now -

BLITZER: The latest debate -

CRUZ: Well, hold on, I get my answer. He doesn't get to yell insults.

BLITZER: Gentlemen, please. I want to move - I want to move on. These are the rules. You will have a response, but I promised Governor Kasich he could respond.

CARSON: Can somebody attack me, please?

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: OK, here - Wolf - Wolf -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: That's my favorite line of the whole debate, could someone attack me, please? You know, we pulled both Donald Trump and Senator Cru aside after the debate so that we could get their assessment of how they thought it went from their perspective standing up there on the stage and Donald Trump doubled down on the new label that he is using to describe Senator Marco Rubio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The problem with Marco, he's a choke artist. He chokes. And he did it in front of Chris Christie. I've never seen anything like that. I was standing right next to him. I look over, I say, are you OK? I mean he was - it looked like he just came out of a swimming pool, he was soaking wet and he kept repeating himself, repeating himself.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN: He tried to use that on you tonight.

TRUMP: No, no, but I didn't do any repeating. I mean I just say, hey, I just say what -

CRUZ: I like Donald personally. I mean he's a charming guy, although he can turn on you in an instant.

TAPPER: As you learned firsthand.

CRUZ: You know, as you - you know, one minute he says he's my friend, he's terrific, I love him and then he comes back and starts hurdling personal insults at you. So, you know, I think it depends on what side of bed he woke up or actually what it really depends on is his poll numbers. If they're up, he's really happy. If his poll numbers dip, I mean, he really has a hard time with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Want to get some of these candidate's supporters in on this. Ron Nehring runs the Ted Cruz campaign in his state of California. Roseanne Rodriguez is with the Republican Party in east Texas, and Marco Rubio supporter as well. And Adriana Cohen writes a column in "The Boston Harold" and she aligns herself with Donald Trump.

Roseanna, I'm going to begin with you, if I can. Senator Rubio went to town on a stage just a few minutes ago and that was just after he went on all the big network morning shows to double down on what he said last night. Took the gloves off against Donald Trump, but is he going to be ready for the very dark and nasty bull's-eye that is sure to be on his back right now?

ROSEANNE RODRIGUEZ, FMR. FIELD DIRECTOR, HARRISON CO. REPUBLICAN PARTY: Yes. Senator Marco Rubio is definitely ready. As you saw last night, he took him on. He challenged him. He pressed him for answers and then he continued today and - on the morning shows and then he continued at the rally. He is ready to make this about - not only the issues, but about what Donald Trump really stands for and to kind of tear down at that mystique of what is Donald Trump.

[12:10:09] BANFIELD: Adriana Cohen, I don't know if you've had the memo, or if there is such a memo, or if Donald Trump, your guy, flies by the seat of his pants, but he's made some big announcement saying that there's a - something special about to happen at 12:30 when he has his press conference. I think he's actually said it's going to be a big announcement. And I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the guy he is now embroiled with, Marco Rubio. Do you know?

ADRIANA COHEN, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: You know, I don't have any inside information on that. I'm waiting just like everybody else. But I have to say, I think the consensus is, Donald Trump won the debate last night. That's what all the online polls said. That's the feedback we've gotten. And let's face it, he's still dominating in all the polls. And when it comes to Tuesday, Super Tuesday, he's dominating in every state except for Texas, where Senator Cruz has a slight advantage. And that may change over the next couple of days. So he's positioned to basically sweep the table on Tuesday.

BANFIELD: So, Ron Nehring, it's right - she's right, Adriana is absolutely spot on, a lot of the polls, they say that he is absolutely, you know, he's just cruising down that lane to a win after a win after a win. And for a guy like Cruz who was on the stage last night trying to go directly after his supporters and what's sacred to them, both he and Rubio, both Cruz and Rubio were going after him on immigration. They were saying things like, you hired illegal immigrants. You were fined for hiring illegal immigrants. You had bankruptcies that have made your little guy suffer. Do you think, though, after all the stuff that has not been sticking to Donald Trump, any of that is going to?

COHEN: I don't think that it will because Donald -

RON NEHRING, CALIFORNIA STATE CHAIRMAN, CRUZ CAMPAIGN: Well, I think that what you've seen last night -

BANFIELD: Sorry, that's for Ron Nearing. Go ahead.

COHEN: Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

NEHRING: I think what you saw last night is a stark contrast between Senator Cruz's approach, where he was very forward an direct, offering concise answers, which demonstrated his breadth of knowledge and prepared to be president, versus Donald Trump repeating himself, getting caught, you know, not being very well versed with the issues whatsoever. And I think what - what - as this race changes, as we move from 17 candidates to five and then ultimately to three and two, that Donald Trump has a real problem because those polls that he likes to brag about, he has pretty much a ceiling because so many of the other candidates as they drop out, their supporters don't go to Donald Trump. They go to other candidates. A lot of them wind up coming to us. So as we move forward, we're going to win in Texas, we're going to do well in other Super Tuesday states, as well. We're - and Texas has twice as many delegates, more than twice as many delegates as Donald Trump has won so far. So this is going to be a real game changer for us.

Marco Rubio, on the other hand, is a burning dumpster fire that he has to deal with and that is his terrible numbers in the state of Florida, his home state. That state is winner take all, 99 delegates. He's down by 15 points there. So it will be interesting to see how he diverts resources to try to shore up his own base in his own state of Florida while we go in - on and win Texas on Tuesday.

BANFIELD: Well, if it's a burning dumpster fire, I mean that's a - it's a great analogy, but he may have just had a big fire extinguisher last night with his performance.

Roseanne, is Rubio pushing for that money, that establishment money that's sitting on the sidelines right now, the Kochs of the world, the Koch brothers, the Adelson (ph) money out of Nevada? Is that what he's about to see as a windfall with his performance last night or does it remain to be seen where that money's going to go?

RODRIGUEZ: Well, definitely, we've already seen a tremendous amount of support come to Marco Rubio since Governor Bush jump - dropped out. We believe that in Florida we'll continue to get those supporters, those big donors who know that Marco Rubio is the only answer for our party.

BANFIELD: Appreciate all three of you. Thanks so much. Adriana Cohen, Roseanne Rodriguez and Ron Nehring. Thank you to all three of you.

And as I mentioned between the attacks and the insults last night, the candidates actually did manage to work in a big - a bit of policy here and there throughout the debate. We did hear something about the issues. And we heard some marked differences between those beliefs and issues that the voters needed to hear. We're going to dig deeper into that and deliver them straight to you in the simplest of ways.

About 15 minutes from now we're also expecting a Donald Trump news conference live from Texas, right before he speaks at a rally in Ft. Worth live. Don't go anywhere. The mikes are about to get super hot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:18:19] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This guy's a choke artist and this guy's a liar.

Well, you don't know a thing about business.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I don't know anything about bankrupting four companies.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where was Donald? He was firing Dennis Rodman on "Celebrity Apprentice."

TRUMP: You should be ashamed of yourself.

RUBIO: If he builds the wall the way he built Trump Towers, he'll be using illegal immigrant labor to do it.

TRUMP: He lied 100 percent.

RUBIO: If he hadn't inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be right now?

TRUMP: No, no, no, no. No, no, no. RUBIO: Selling watches in Manhattan.

TRUMP: I -

CRUZ: This is another area on which Donald agrees with Hillary Clinton.

TRUMP: I think Bush did a hell of a bad job -

First of all, very few people listen to your radio show. That's the good news.

RUBIO: A lot of these positions that he's now taking are new to him.

CRUZ: From the Bill of Rights.

TRUMP: When you say crazy zealot, are you talking about you?

RUBIO: You may not be aware of this, Donald, because you don't follow this stuff very closely.

TRUMP: Yes, I know you're embarrassed. I know you're embarrassed. But keep fighting. Keep swinging, man. Swing for the fences.

I watched him melt down and I'll tell you, it was one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

Having a lot of fun up here tonight, I have to tell you. Thank - thank you for the book. I really appreciate it.

CRUZ: Donald, Donald, relax. Go ahead.

TRUMP: I'm relaxed now. You're the basket case.

RUBIO: I sent him a book.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Thank you, CNN Politics, for making it so easy to get the highlights from last night's very long and very energetic debate. Those are the best one-liners. Donald Trump was the clear target. He was being attacked relentlessly. On one side from Ted Cruz and on the other side from Marco Rubio. And sandwiched between all of the insults were some pretty good conversations, though, about policy. Rubio and Cruz bashing the billionaire about policy at every turn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: My plan is very simple. I will not - we're going to have private - we are going to have private health care. But I will not allow people to die on the sidewalks and the streets of our country if I'm president.

[12:20:02] As far as Planned Parenthood is concerned, I'm pro-life. I'm totally against abortion having to do with Planned Parenthood. But millions and millions of women, cervical cancer, breast cancer, are helped by Planned Parenthood. So you can say whatever you want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: I think I can see a political commercial coming out pretty quick. Millions and millions of people are helped by Planned Parenthood. And I think it's going to run in some Super Tuesday states, my guess.

I'm joined by CNN political commentators, the host of "The Ben Ferguson Show," Ben Ferguson, and Democratic strategist Bob Beckel. He's also a CNN political commentator. And two of my favorite people.

So, thank you, gentlemen, for being a part of this.

Bob, I'm going to start with you.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good to be here.

BANFIELD: Hey, guys, look, everybody who has take a run at Donald Trump not come out the better for it. But a lot of what they've taken a run at him for has been about the personal stuff, how he treats women, his crassness, that kind of stuff. And a lot of his supporters really don't give much of a hoot about that.

FERGUSON: Sure.

BANFIELD: But one thing they care a lot about is the first line out of his mouth every time he hits the stage, and that is, I'm going to build a wall. The whole illegal immigrant thing. And last night, Bob, that was what Rubio targeted and did not let up on. Is that going to make a difference? Is that what's going to stick among his supporters?

BOB BECKEL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think it will, although it's a little bit late. But, listen, if they had this information that Trump had used all these workers to build Trump Towers who were immigrants on visas from Poland, why haven't they use it before this? Trump was clearly on the defensive last night. But the difference between last night and other attacks on Trump is, one, it was Jeb Bush doing it before. He's not a good attacker. But they kept coming at him, coming at him, coming at him, not letting go, and something that hasn't happened to Trump before and that's why he was so uncomfortable. There's something about Trump where you get him down and you continue to push and push and push, his reaction becomes very, very uncomfortable.

BANFIELD: Uncomfortable to say the least. I've been on the receiving end of it. It was almost physical it was so uncomfortable.

Listen, Ben, again, with the stuff that sticks and the stuff that doesn't -

FERGUSON: Yes.

BANFIELD: His supporters are ferociously loyal. And again, much of it has to do with illegal immigration. So if Rubio continues -

FERGUSON: Sure.

BANFIELD: And if Cruz jumps on as well and continues on that path about his paying fines for using illegal immigrants in some of his dealings, and - and for having these kinds of infractions, do you think it's going to stick or do you think Bob's right, they should have done this a long time ago. This is too late.

FERGUSON: Well, I - yes, they should have done this a long time ago. I don't think it's too late. I think that it's certainly at this point has stopped a little bit of the Trump momentum. Look, their - the Cruz campaign, the Rubio campaign, their supporters specifically were very concerned after the strong showing in Nevada, especially when you saw the Hispanic vote and how it went. This is going to completely change that dialogue now with voters going into Super Tuesday. And Donald Trump, the man who says I'm going to fix immigration, when people start Googling - and that was one of the things that Rubio did that was brilliant last night saying, go Google it, and people did, we saw that, they - this information was new to the voters and they're saying, OK, hold on a second. Donald Trump paid fines for illegal immigrants and Donald Trump imported workers to do work that Americans could have done. That is the complete opposite of what Donald Trump has been saying. He recently was saying we should boycott companies that send jobs overseas. Well, he was importing people to take away American jobs. That is a talking point that will resonate with voters. Ted Cruz should be talking about it all day long. Marco Rubio should as well. And paying a fine is a big deal, especially if it's significantly like we've been told. And I don't know why they didn't do this earlier on, but at least now they're doing it. And if I'm a Trump or a - supporter, I don't feel that great after last night compared to all the other debates. He had really good debates before last night.

BANFIELD: So here's the other thing -

FERGUSON: He got beat up.

BANFIELD: And I'll tell you what, Trump supporters are fine with him getting beaten up. They love it because he is so aggressive.

FERGUSON: Yes.

BANFIELD: No matter what his comeback is, his aggression is what they like. They like that he takes no crap from anyone essentially.

But here's the thing, Bob Beckel.

FERGUSON: Yes.

BANFIELD: Another of his first thing out of his mouth when he hits the stage is, I am the anti-politician. I'm not an insider. I've never been a politician, right? And most people love the fact that politicians who are always cagey about their words don't speak from the heart and Donald does.

BECKEL: Yes. BANFIELD: But last night he spoke from the heart and it may have come back to bite him in the butt. Vincente Fox (ph), the former president of Mexico, had some really salty language about Donald Trump's wall. He said something about, I'm not going to ever pay for that f-ing wall. And here's what Donald Trump said last night during the debate about Vincente Fox's language, the f-word, right? Donald Trump said, "this guy used a filthy, disgusting word on television and he should be ashamed of himself and he should apologize." OK? But I just put a graphic up - I want to pop it right back up on the screen because CNN went back on some of Donald Trump's television appearances, speeches that were broadcast live and, April of 2012 in Las Vegas, pop the graphic up, here's what he said about oil prices. "You're not going to raise that f-ing price." I'm quoting Donald Trump using the f-bomb which he last night called filthy and disgusting. And then again from the same speech. "Listen you mother f-ers, we're going to tax you at 25 percent."

[12:25:13] The reason I bring that up is because it is classic politician double speak. You say one thing, but you have been doing another. And voter hate that. Will they give him a pass for it, though, Bob?

BECKEL: No, I don't think they will on that. I mean, look, Trump - for Trump to be talking to something about using dirty language is about as ridiculous, you know, as a murderer trying to tell Mother Theresa how to do things right. I mean, look, the fact is, and Trump has been involved in politics a long time. He's given a lot of money. He's played New York City politics. He's brokered deals in New York City for politicians. He's come to Washington to broker deals.

Yes, he can broker deals. There's no question about it. But when they start to get down to that, what kind of deals was he brokering? What kind of deals was he going to broker for getting his buildings built with the building trades union? And, by the way, what he said, how you going to pay for this wall? Well, Mexico's got a $35 billion to $50 billion trade deficit with us, so we'll just stop the stuff from coming in. He's got to remember, a lot of that stuff coming in are parts for cars. They're not cars, they're parts for cars coming into the United States to build cars in the United States. He's got to be very careful about that.

But the whole point here is, for once we saw them take him on and be relentless about it and come back to it, come back to it, and back to it. I don't think Trump is used to taking that kind of heat for that period of time.

BANFIELD: I think you're right about that. And I'll tell you something else, it makes for great TV.

FERGUSON: And, Ashleigh, here's the - here's the other thing too.

BANFIELD: Real quick wrap-up on it, Ben. Go ahead.

FERGUSON: Yes, no. One other thing that I think you're going to see from these campaigns is, what is the policy of Donald Trump and what dictates the policy? When Vincente Fox said this, he said the wall just got ten feet taller. So is it every policy that he has if he's president, if someone insults him, he's going to build it even bigger? Is it - well, you insulted our military, so we're going to build it twice as big? You insult my wall, it's going to get three times as big. That's not a commander in chief that I think can be trusted with a deficit. Because you insult him, he decides to do something just to insult you back. That's not a leadership role there and I think Cruz and Rubio should exploit that to their advantage.

BANFIELD: But so far - yes, so far his supporters, they have not minded that much. That's for sure. We'll have to see if the - the others are -

FERGUSON: No, his supporters love him and there's nothing you can say.

BANFIELD: We'll see. We'll see about whether this attack on his immigration violations will bother his supporters.

Guys, I have so much more I want to ask you both, but I've got a couple things on the agenda. Can you stick around?

BECKEL: Sure.

BANFIELD: Great.

FERGUSON: Sure.

BANFIELD: Thank you. Ben Ferguson and Bob Beckel are going to stick around for a moment.

Because just minutes from now we're expecting a Donald Trump news conference to start, just ahead of a massive rally. I think about 8,000 people are showing up in a Ft. Worth, Texas, auditorium for a big rally. But he wanted to do a Q&A with the press first. He's also said wait for a big announcement which is, you know, that's a big tease as the language is in our business.

But just ahead of this, we also have some other news that we want to cover. It happened during the debate and just beforehand. A second mass shooting in less than a week. This time it was in Kansas. Three people are dead today, 14 others who were shot are in hospital beds. A workplace massacre that could have been even worse had the police not acted so quickly. We're going to update you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)