GOP Race Takes a Nasty Turn

“Two escalating rivalries at the heart of the Republican presidential contest took a nasty turn this week, crystallizing divisions among the top four candidates in what has so far been a murky race,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Donald Trump “raised the stakes in his contest with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson by uncorking a battery of personal insults at the one Republican who continues to challenge him for the top spot in most national polls. The escalation of their feud coincides with an acrimonious back-and-forth between Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio over the latter’s support for a Senate-passed immigration overhaul that would have established a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally.”

Washington Post: “Trump — after weeks of bristling at rising challengers — has again seized center stage in the chaotic Republican nomination race, unleashing a torrent of personal and sometimes profane attacks that forced his rivals to respond and underscored his continued dominance.”