"U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump defended changing positions on issues
from Syrian refugees to immigration on Thursday at a debate where he faced wave after wave of attacks as the party's establishment sought to unite behind a last-ditch anti-Trump effort.
"You have to show a degree of flexibility," he said.
Tempers escalated quickly during a two-hour Fox News Channel debate with tensions mounting over the New York billionaire's ascendancy and his drive to be the presumptive nominee should he win nominating contests in Florida and Ohio on March 15.
Trump, presented with videotaped evidence from the Fox moderators that he had shifted positions on the Iraq war, immigration and whether to admit refugees from the Syrian civil war, shrugged."You have to show a degree of flexibility," he said.
His answer provided fodder for more attacks from rivals Marco Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, and Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, who are anxious to stop the rise of Trump.
"I hope we don’t see yoga on this stage," Cruz said. Replied Rubio: "Well, he's very flexible so you never know."
It remained to be seen whether the debate would prove to be damaging to Trump. The runaway front-runner to date has been immune from criticism that other politicians normally face, for instance, over flip-flopping on issues.
Despite the ill will between them, both Rubio and Cruz said reluctantly they would support Trump should he win the nomination. Ohio Governor John Kasich, 63, agreed while noting, "Sometimes he makes it a little bit hard." Reuters
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