Jeb Bush, here at a campaign town hall, participated in CNN’s event tonight. (Getty)
With the polling race in South Carolina coming to an end soon, the GOP candidates will lay out their proposals for South Carolinians one more time in a CNN. Anderson Cooper moderated the event over two days, with John Kasich, Jeb Bush and Donald Trump appearing tonight. The candidates gave impassioned personal testimonies and laid out their plans for transforming the economy and handling national security and domestic issues.
Read our recap below, then vote for your favorite in the poll at the bottom of the page.
National Security/Foreign Policy
Bush advocated arming the Kurds and creating “safe zones” within Syria.
Trump refused to back down from his criticism of the Iraq War:
.@realDonaldTrump on entering Iraq: “It was a horrible decision” t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/MOa0wNVh3k
The Race
Kasich committed to his campaign regardless of the result in South Carolina.
Trump replied to Cruz’s criticism of his sending a cease-and-desist letter:
.@realDonaldTrump on legal action against @tedcruz: “I like to send letters” t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/0htgouOGtR
Health Care
In response to a pro-ACA audience member, John Kasich touted his record with Ohio’s Medicaid program, singling out its simplification of billing:
.@JohnKasich: “It’s easier to interpret the Dead Sea Scrolls than it is a hospital bill” t.co/QcAalYCoal t.co/uH1JAyWWfs
Supreme Court
Kasich stated that his litmus test would be a commitment to “interpreting” rather than “making” the law:
.@JohnKasich on judges: “We don’t want you to make law; we want you to interpret the law” t.co/QcAalYCoal t.co/LcRsYubNvC
Bush said that, if he were the current President, he would appoint a justice:
.@JebBush: If I were president, I would nominate someone to the Supreme Court t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/41CnWH4PnS
Gun Rights
John Kasich reiterated his support for the Second Amendment:
.@JohnKasich: “We don’t want to be messing around with the Second Amendment.” t.co/G6bwBYaqF2 #GOPTownHall
Bush explained his earlier tweet of his gun:
.@JebBush explains why he tweeted a photo of his gun. t.co/rTNPx3BTzZ #GOPTownHall t.co/Mm42aNuR7Y
Criminal Justice
Bush opposed drug legalization, but advocated lighter sentences for drug users and the treatment of drug addiction as a mental health issue:
.@JebBush has a “moonshot” idea of his own t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/Bn48QrLxNV
Personal
Kasich, a Catholic, called himself “pro-Pope” and detailed how his faith deepened after losing his parents at a young age:
.@JohnKasich on lessons he’s learned from losing his parents at a young age t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/amWBHAk7eT
In a lighter moment, he talked about his surprisingly youthful musical interests:
.@JohnKasich: I like Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/fzjFI4tjxL
Jeb Bush talked about his Catholicism but chose not to touch the Pope’s comments, popularly taken as a jab at Trump:
.@JebBush: @realDonaldTrump‘s faith is “none of my business” t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/vFrpQkoIlZ
Trump noted the “very large” wall at the Vatican, referencing the Pope’s comment about building walls versus bridges between people:
.@realDonaldTrump: @Pontifex “has an awfully big wall at the Vatican” t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/MiCHWC41ZA
He clarified, however, that he has “a lot of respect” for the Pope, and believed he was given “false information:”
.@realDonaldTrump: @Pontifex “was given false information” t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/Q6hinLxuQW
Bush also praised his famously political family:
.@JebBush on his father: “This guy is the real deal” t.co/QcAalYCoal #GOPTownHall t.co/mKduCXnr3p
Trump cited as his greatest vice that he had trouble “letting go:”
.@realDonaldTrump on his biggest fault: “I hold on too long and I never forget” t.co/cIh4VXPqDg #GOPTownHall t.co/eGw562Q2oK
