Donald Trump may have been at the middle of the lineup during the Republican debate, but it was Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio—and their debate over national security, foreign policy, and immigration—who took center stage. The two Cuban-American, first term senators sparred in some of tensest exchanges of the campaign so far, demonstrating that both men are in a tough fight to be the reasonable, conservative alternative to Trump.
On most of the topics that drew Cruz and Rubio into disagreement—NSA surveillance of potential terrorist communication, deposing anti-American dictators, and bolstering defense spending—Rubio seemed to have the better argument. But it was perhaps the exchange about immigration that was most telling about the dynamics of the Republican race and show why Cruz looks better positioned to come out on top over Rubio.
The questions Rubio faced on his support for the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration bill were the toughest the Florida Republican has taken in any debate. CNN questioner Dana Bash pressed Rubio on whether he still supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. After a long explanation of how he has learned a lesson that Americans won’t accept anything on immigration until border security is achieved, Rubio eventually admitted he still supports, eventually, a path to citizenship.
Cruz jumped at the opportunity Bash’s question and Rubio’s answer provided. He pointed out that while Rubio allied himself with Barack Obama and Democratic senator Chuck Schumer on immigration, Cruz himself “chose to stand with Jeff Sessions, Steve King, and the American people to secure the border.” Cruz also accused Rubio of trying to “muddy the waters” by misleading on Cruz’s record on immigration.
Rubio was ready, too. “Ted Cruz supported legal status,” he said, the first time of the night Rubio had mentioned his Senate colleague by name.
The Texan shot back. “It is not accurate what he just said,” Cruz said, echoing the way he countered many of Rubio’s criticisms throughout the night. “I led the fight against the legalization.”
So Rubio posed it as a question: “Does Ted Cruz rule out every legalizing people that are in this country illegally now?”
Bash looked to Cruz to answer, and Rubio turned to him to repeat it: “Do you rule it out?”
“I have never supported legalization, and I do not intend to support legalization,” Cruz finally said.
“I do not intend to”—an artful dodge from Cruz, lawyerly in its construction and reflective of Cruz’s own complicated position on immigration. Cruz did, in fact, speak in support of a path to legalization during the 2013 debate over the Gang of Eight bill. His unwillingness to disavow legalization wholeheartedly may indeed help muddy the waters on his position. That muddying might have been to Rubio’s benefit if he had a solid lead and were trying to squash an insurgency from Cruz, or even if the two were in an effective tie.
But Cruz is on or near the top in Iowa, coming into his own as a candidate and picking up momentum. The Texas senator is increasingly looking like a reasonable conservative alternative to the Trumpmania within the party. Rubio, meanwhile, has been sitting in the middle of the top of the pack in Iowa, New Hampshire, and nationally for weeks. Rubio didn’t need simply to mitigate the damage from finally facing difficult questions about his chief weakness. He needed to knock Cruz off his game, too. But ever the nimble debater, Cruz showed he was prepared to deny Rubio’s claims and reassert his commitment to principle. The confusion over Cruz’s position may end up looking more like a desperate Rubio trying to take down a surging rival.
And let’s not forget: The immigration exchange with Cruz—along with several assists from Rand Paul throughout the night—helped highlight that Rubio did, in fact, work with Chuck Schumer on an immigration bill supported by Barack Obama. Perhaps primary voters will believe that Rubio’s “learned his lesson,” that he’s now willing to fight for a secure border, and that Cruz’s tough border talk is more bark than bite.
But don’t count on it. Among the non-Trump candidates, Cruz is currently in control.
