Carly Fiorina was on fire during the Republican debate on CNN, not pulling any punches. She faced Donald Trump head on and actually got a positive response from him. (Getty)
Carly Fiorina had an amazing performance in the second Republican primary debate on CNN. She was absolutely on fire and not pulling any punches. She squared off with Donald Trump over and over, spoke out against Vladimir Putin, and challenged Planned Parenthood and Hillary Clinton. In fact, some are saying she may have won the debate and looked more presidential than anyone else on the stage.
Here are Fiorina’s greatest moments during the debate:
1. Carly Fiorina vs. Donald Trump
.@RealDonaldTrump says @CarlyFiorina has a “beautiful face.” http://t.co/mgAxgYG7Vn #CNNDebate #GOPDebate http://t.co/zQVypTTjVu
Fiorina’s first question was if she’d feel comfortable with Donald Trump’s finger on the nuclear codes. She said character, judgment, and temperament are revealed over time and under pressure, and she looks forward to a long race. She refused to answer the question and said it was for the voters to decide.
Later on, Trump’s comment about her face came up, after he very seriously said that he loves and respects women and will take care of them. When asked if Trump really was talking about her persona, like he claimed, she replied:
In the end, it appeared that she gained Trump’s respect, which shocked viewers. He said, “I think she has a beautiful face and she’s a beautiful woman.”
But their battle didn’t stop at this point. Fiorina’s tenure as CEO of HP came up. She said she led HP during a terrible recession and doubled the company’s size and tripled its rate of innovation despite those troubled times. Trump responded by saying HP was a disaster and they still hadn’t recovered from Fiorina’s tenure. He said she destroyed the company and there was no way she could run any of his companies. She responded that Tom Perkins, who was on the board during her tenure at HP, took out a full page ad in The New York Times supporting her. She also hit back hard, talking about how he was hypocritical because of his mountain of debt from his casinos. “Why should we trust you?,” she asked.
At least one person on Twitter, who was one of the people laid off while Fiorina was CEO, had something to say:
2. Fiorina Addressed the Political System and Called Out Hillary Clinton
Fiorina started out the debate talking about how broken the political system is, and continued later by talking about Hillary Clinton and questioned her accomplishments.
Near the beginning of the debate, Fiorina said that a big problem is that the system is broken. Voters want outsiders right now, Fiorina said, because someone who has been in the system for a long time simply can’t see how bad the system has become. It’s not that political insiders are bad, she said, they’re just too close to what’s going on.
.@CarlyFiorina says great politicians go against the flow. Do you agree? #GOPDebate http://t.co/NaQm30OimL
She then listed many problems that people have with the government, including that 75 percent think the government is corrupt, the insecurity of the border, veterans’ dying waiting for healthcare. The problem, she said, is that no one will challenge the status quo. “A leader will challenge the status quo,” she insisted.
Fiorina also addressed Hillary Clinton later in the debate, talking about how she’s part of what’s wrong with the political system. “If you want to stump a Democrat, ask them to mention an accomplishment of Hillary Clinton.”
Now a lot of people are saying they really want to see Clinton and Fiorina debate:
I would like to see @CarlyFiorina and @HillaryClinton debate and watch Hill implode. #GOPDebate
3. She Said She Supports a Stronger Military And a Distrust of Putin
@CarlyFiorina gave specifics on how she would counter Putin #CNNDebate http://t.co/fyYxANQEid
She said she’d send more troops to Germany, rebuild the missile defense program, and build up the military to give Putin a message. She said Russia’s in Syria right now and Vladimir Putin is someone they shouldn’t talk to. “The only way he’ll stop is to sense strength and resolve on the other side.”
Not everyone’s happy about her response and thinks her plan might set off a third world war:
4. She Addressed Domestic Policies Like Planned Parenthood
Fiorina addressed the issue of Planned Parenthood, saying that she dared Obama and Clinton to watch the videos.
“This is about the character of this nation,” she said, addressing the video about harvesting a fetus’s brain.
She also talked about marijuana legalization, stating that she was against it because of her stepdaughter’s death from alcoholism and drug addiction.
5. Many People Loved Fiorina’s Debate, But Not Everyone
Carly Fiorina was on fire in the debate. (Getty)
Many people absolutely loved Fiorina’s fiery debating, but not everyone. Here are a few reactions:
