Watch GOP Debate Live From Boulder, Colorado: Will There Be Fireworks?
The Republican Presidential hopefuls will take the stage again during the GOP debate from Boulder, Colorado, and we can expect fireworks when the candidates reply to the CNBC moderators’ questions.
As with the two previous GOP debates, all eyes will be on Donald Trump, who up until now has led most national polls with double digits. However, things seem to be shifting, and many polls released just ahead of the broadcast suggest Dr. Ben Carson has overtaken Trump nationally.
For the first time in months, Ben Carson is leading Donald Trump in a national poll from CBS News/New York Times, according to CNN. This comes ahead of the GOP debate in Boulder, where some observers expect several campaigns to come to an end, which will clear the field for the strongest candidates.
The most recent poll found Ben Carson won the support of 26 percent of Republican primary voters, while Donald Trump scored 22 percent of the votes. When viewers watch the GOP debate live from Boulder, they will see how both top candidates fare when they are asked specific policy questions.
Although the pressure will be on the front-runners, it will also be a do or die debate for establishment Republican candidates, including Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Chris Christie; all of whom are suffering from weak poll numbers. Outsider Carly Fiorina’s poll numbers have also fallen after a pronounced surge following the CNN debate, and her campaign seems to have lost traction in recent weeks.
When the GOP 2016 Presidential hopefuls take the stage in Boulder, some of the candidates can expect to be grilled by CNBC moderators on recent gaffes. One person to watch is Jeb Bush, who has been slammed for “whining” about Donald Trump’s reference to the former governor’s meeting with “mommy and daddy,” 41st President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, whom Jeb reportedly asked for advice.
Bush and Trump have been in a war of words after Jeb defended his brother, former President George W. Bush, for his handling of the Iraq War and stated that the 43rd President of the United States kept the country safe after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In an interview with Fox News, Trump harshly criticized Bush for the worst attacks in U.S. history.
“Look, look, Jeb said we were safe with my brother — we were safe. Well, the World Trade Center just fell down! Now, am I trying to blame him? I’m not blaming anybody. But the World Trade Center came down.”
Because of the number of candidates, those who watch tonight’s GOP contest will see a format that is similar to the previous debates. A preliminary debate featuring the lowest-polling Republican candidates kicks off at 6:00 p.m. ET and features Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki, and Lindsey Graham, according to Time. Political observers expect some or all of these candidates to drop out due to lack of support.
CNBC will continue their broadcast of the GOP debate at 8:00 p.m. ET, when the top ten candidates take the stage in Boulder. The Republican candidates for the main event will include poll leaders Donald Trump and Ben Carson, with Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina,n Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul also participating.
It will be a crucial time for many of the Republican Presidential hopefuls, especially those with single-digit poll numbers; many of whom are frustrated that non-establishment candidates are making all the headlines and gaining the majority of the support.
You can watch the GOP debate live HERE.
[Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]
