DETROIT: Donald Trump unleashed fiery, off-color rhetoric at Thursday’s Republican debate after enduring a day of intense criticism by party leaders, as conservatives agonize over embracing his divisive candidacy or derailing his march to the nomination.
But despite escalated attacks against Trump by his rivals on the debate state, each one of them — Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Marco Rubio, and Ohio Governor John Kasich — acknowledged they would support the party’s eventual nominee.
With the real estate tycoon apparently on a glide path to becoming the Republican standard-bearer, some panic has set in at the prospect of Trump winning the nomination.
Other operatives and voters said it is time, for better or worse, to rally around the man leading the pack.
With the bitter rivals gathered at a pivotal moment in the campaign, the debate attacks turned deeply personal, even vulgar. Trump made a startling if veiled reference to his genitals as he hit back against Rubio for mocking the size of Trump’s hands.
“Nobody has ever hit my hands,” Trump said as the raucous crowd laughed and booed.
