First GOP Debate: Donald Trump, and Other Memorable Moments

[0:00] It's safe to say it was the Donald Trump show tonight, for better or for worse. [0:04] At the first Republican debate held in Cleveland, it was, at times, easy to forget that there were nine other candidates on the stage. [0:11] We've got our analysts standing by, but let's begin here tonight with the highlights. [0:16] In the center of the stage tonight, businessman Donald Trump. [0:22] Right from the jump tonight, Donald Trump made waves. [0:25] Is there anyone on stage, and can I see hands, who is unwilling tonight to pledge your support to the eventual nominee of the Republican Party, [0:35] and pledge to not run an independent campaign against that person? [0:43] Mr. Trump. [0:44] I cannot say. I can totally make that pledge. [0:47] If I'm the nominee, I will pledge I will not run as an independent. [0:51] So tonight, you can't say if another one of these... [0:54] This is what's wrong. I mean, this is what's wrong. [0:56] He buys and sells. [0:57] He sells politicians of all stripes. [1:00] He's used to buying politicians. [1:02] Well, I've given him plenty of money. [1:04] You're not going to make the pledge tonight? [1:05] I will not make the pledge at this time. [1:07] Okay. [1:07] A few other candidates said a few other things, and then, 21 minutes in, he was back to Trump for another doozy. [1:15] You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. [1:22] Your Twitter account... [1:23] Only Rosie O'Donnell. [1:25] For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O'Donnell. [1:30] Yes. [1:30] I'm sure it was. [1:31] Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women's looks. [1:36] I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. [1:41] Moments later, Rosie herself weighed in on Twitter, quote, [1:45] The testiest moment of the night didn't involve Trump, [1:50] but instead New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. [1:55] It was over the NSA's bulk data collection, which Christie supports and Paul does not. [2:00] I want to go back. [2:01] You collect more records from terrorists, but less records from innocent Americans. [2:06] When you're sitting in a subcommittee just blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that. [2:11] You fundamentally misunderstand the Bill of Rights. [2:14] I don't trust President Obama with our records. [2:17] I know you gave him a big hug, and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead. [2:22] And you know, you know, Senator Paul, Senator Paul, you know, the hugs that I remember are the hugs that I gave to the families who lost their people on September 11th. [2:31] To be sure, there was plenty. [2:32] There was plenty of Hillary Clinton bashing tonight. [2:35] If Hillary is the candidate, which I doubt, that would be a dream come true. [2:39] If I'm our nominee, how is Hillary Clinton going to lecture me about living paycheck to paycheck? [2:43] Everywhere in the world that Hillary Clinton touched is more messed up today than before she and the president. [2:47] We have many questions to come. [2:49] Here in the same arena in Cleveland where the Republican Party will hold its national convention next year. [2:55] But perhaps the most bizarre riff on Hillary came from the Donald, [3:00] who talked about why he contributed to her. [3:02] In the past, with Hillary Clinton, I said, be at my wedding and she came to my wedding. [3:07] You know why she had no choice. [3:09] It was a bit of a tough night at times for Jeb Bush. [3:13] The former governor of Florida seemed to struggle on issues such as immigration, education and once again, the Iraq war. [3:20] But he did stay above the fray when offered a chance to attack Trump. [3:24] You called Mr. Trump a clown, a buffoon, something else that cannot be repeated on television. [3:30] None of which is true. [3:31] No, it's not true. [3:32] But I have said that Mr. Trump's language is divisive. [3:36] I want to win. [3:37] I want one of these people here, or the ones at 5 o'clock, to be the next president of the United States. [3:42] Well, first of all, Jeb, I am very happy that you denied that and I appreciate that very much. [3:49] So how did the debate go over with Republican voters? [3:52] We got some rapid response tonight. [3:54] If you won't say it, I will. [3:55] From Tomi Lahren, a young political commentator who's become a viral sensation on YouTube in recent weeks. [4:03] In all things Trump. [4:04] We know Donald Trump tells it like it is. [4:06] He's not afraid of it. [4:07] What I saw, though, is Donald Trump be fearless. [4:09] I didn't see him back himself into a corner. [4:11] I saw him challenge Megyn Kelly. [4:13] I saw him challenge other Republicans on the stage. [4:15] And then I saw Megyn Kelly challenge him right back. [4:17] I like the conversation there. [4:20] And ABC's Tom Yamas was right there in Cleveland tonight for all the drama. [4:24] Tom, what are you seeing there? [4:26] Dan, good evening from the post-debate spin room where candidates are answering even more questions. [4:30] The big buzz, obviously, that Donald Trump is not afraid to run. [4:34] Without the Republican Party refusing to take a pledge that he will not run as an independent. [4:38] The other big buzz, some candidates actually breaking through. [4:41] Besides Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, the second most talked about candidate on social media. [4:47] And speaking of social media, Hillary Clinton had something to say. [4:50] Jon Stewart, missing you already. [4:51] Hashtag GOP debate. [4:53] Dan, back to you. [4:54] Tom Yamas on the ground in Cleveland tonight. [4:56] Thank you. [4:57] We want to turn now to our colleague Matt Dowd, ABC News political analyst, [5:00] and also BuzzFeed's Washington, D.C. bureau chief, Jon Stanton. [5:03] Gentlemen, thanks for being here. [5:05] Let me start with you. [5:06] Did Donald Trump help or hurt himself tonight? [5:09] I think Donald Trump had momentum coming into tonight. [5:12] But I think over the course of the two hours, I think it wore sort of thin over this. [5:17] And I think any momentum, in my view, that he had coming in is stopped by tonight. [5:21] I think he made a few errors in the course of tonight. [5:24] Some of the engagement that he had with some of the moderators. [5:26] But I think what he did, he'll still be ahead coming out. [5:29] But I think any momentum is now stalled because of his shtick. [5:32] Kind of got a little old over two hours. [5:34] So, Jon. [5:35] You work at BuzzFeed. [5:36] I've got to ask you. [5:37] Do you have a sense of what is popping tonight, what's going viral, if anything? [5:41] I think there are a couple things. [5:42] I think, one, the eye roll from Rand Paul was kind of amazing in his fight with Governor Christie. [5:48] I think the Donald Trump sort of shruggy emoticon moment there was pretty good. [5:54] Because they both sort of sum up, I think, their debate performances, frankly. [5:58] But I think coming out of today, Carly Fiorina, who did very, very well in the afternoon debate, [6:03] and the Ohio Gazette. [6:05] Governor Kasich, he did very, very well tonight. [6:07] And I think they're going to have momentum. [6:09] And that could change the dynamic a little bit for Trump. [6:11] Why are people so excited about Carly? [6:13] Carly Fiorina will be in the next debate. [6:15] I think she has enough momentum from her earlier debate. [6:17] By all accounts, she won it overwhelmingly. [6:19] And I think there was enough people at this debate that sort of faded from it [6:22] that she's going to jump into that next debate in September. [6:25] So get ready for Carly Fiorina. [6:26] And I agree. [6:27] I think if there was a winner tonight, it was John Kasich, the governor of Ohio. [6:31] I think he came across as the adult in the room. [6:34] His answers. [6:35] They flowed well. [6:35] There was a seam to him. [6:36] And I actually think he had the line of the night tonight, which is, [6:40] God loves me unconditionally. [6:41] Therefore, in the answer to the question about gay marriage and his daughters, [6:44] therefore, I'm going to love my friends and my family unconditionally. [6:47] Okay, before we go, I've got to ask you about Jeb Bush. [6:49] I think he didn't do a lot to ultimately distinguish himself, [6:53] which is kind of, I think, what he needed to do to get some kind of momentum. [6:55] I'll take it a step further. [6:56] I think Jeb Bush is no longer the inevitable candidate that everybody thought he was. [7:00] I think of anybody on that stage tonight that didn't do what they were supposed to do at all, [7:04] it was Jeb Bush. [7:05] He's going to need every dollar of his $100 million in this course of this race [7:08] because he just lost any veneer of inevitability coming out of here. [7:11] Matt Dowd, John Sentence, thank you both. [7:13] Appreciate it.