The third Republican primary debate was held on October 28th, 2015. With 11 candidates on the stage, the debate was particularly heated and featured several controversial statements. Many of the candidates made bold claims about their plans for the economy, foreign policy, immigration and health care. Given the high stakes of the primary debates, it’s important to determine what’s fact or fiction. In this article, we’ll fact-check the third Republican primary debate.
One of the biggest moments during the debate was when several of the candidates addressed their policies on immigration and border security. Donald Trump was particularly vocal on the issue, claiming that he would build a wall along the Mexican border in order to prevent illegal immigration. While Trump’s plan does have popular support, it’s important to note that the feasibility of such a plan is in question. Moreover, many of the candidates failed to address the more pressing issues concerning immigrants, such as visas and the process for citizenship.
Health care was also discussed during the debate. Candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz both spoke about their plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as ‘Obamacare’. While they both agreed that the current system is broken and needs to be replaced, no concrete plans were discussed. Furthermore, the repeal of Obamacare would result in millions of people losing their health coverage, something that was left unaddressed by the candidates.
When it came to foreign policy, the candidates had significantly differing opinions. Donald Trump once again expressed his isolationist stance, arguing that the United States should scale back its involvement in other countries. On the other hand, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and Jeb Bush all argued for increased involvement in the Middle East. While their views differ, neither candidate provided a clear plan for how the United States could move forward in the region.
Finally, the economy was discussed. Several of the candidates made bold claims about how they would fix the economy. Chris Christie and Marco Rubio both argued that tax cuts and simplified regulations would improve the economy. However, their plans were vague in terms of specifics, and no concrete numbers were discussed.
Overall, the third Republican primary debate featured several candidates with differing opinions on a range of issues. While some of their claims were factual, most were left unverified. It’s important to remember that debating is about discussing ideas and formulating solutions, not simply making unsubstantiated claims. As the primary season continues, it is important to remain critical and evaluate each candidate’s platform against the facts.