The second Republican presidential debate started once again with most eyes in the room focused on Donald Trump. But recent polling has shown two other candidates currying favor with potential voters: Dr. Ben Carson, who had some good moments, but didn’t stand out from the crowd; and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who would stand out.
The CNN debate started similar to Fox News’ debate last month, with all the candidates going after the front-runner. Trump, who basks in those all-eyes-on-me moments, remained mostly unfazed by jabs from Jeb Bush and the other 10 candidates on stage. Then moderator Jake Tapper turned to recent remarks Trump made about Fiorina’s appearance.
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In a Rolling Stone interview released last week, Trump, seeing Fiorina on the television, told the interviewer, “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next President?” Trump would try to walk back the remarks the next day saying he wasn’t talking about her face, but her “persona.”
Tapper’s question hung in the air a moment as the split-screen eyed both Trump, who gazed over at Fiorina, and the former CEO simply answered, “Mr. Trump said that he heard Mr. Bush very clearly and what Mr. Bush said,” recalling an earlier exchange in the evening when Trump made it very clear he had heard something the former Florida Governor said. Fiorina continued, “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.”
The crowd erupted with applause. Trump, for once, had very little to say, but he made an attempt.
Cutting into the applause, Trump added, “I think she has a very beautiful face.”
The comment fell flat and only dug Trump into a bigger whole. From that moment on, it was Fiorina’s debate and may mark the moment where everyone will look back and say, “This is where she won the candidacy.”
