Trump Braces for Attacks in Second Republican Debate

Trump¹ Braces² for Attacks in Second Republican Debate

WASHINGTON—

Republican presidential contenders will gather Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California for their second nationally televised debate. A total of 11 candidates will be on stage this time, including the current frontrunner, real estate mogul Donald Trump.

Trump once again will be the center of attention as he was in the first debate last month in Cleveland; but Trump is expecting plenty of barbs³ headed his way from Republican rivals intent on seeking to share the spotlight⁴ in what has become an unpredictable and heated contest for the party's presidential nomination⁶.  

“I’ll be attacked.  I guess I’m going into a lion’s den,” Trump told reporters this past weekend on the campaign trail in Iowa. “Somebody will attack, somebody like a Rand Paul who is down at 2 percent [in the polls] ... It certainly seems to be unlucky to attack me.”

Trump has expanded his lead in public opinion polls since the first debate last month. A new poll shows him with 40 percent support in New Hampshire with fellow newcomer Ben Carson a distant second. Trump also has shown no hesitation⁷ in striking back at those who dare to attack him, including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Trump’s growing confidence

As Trump’s lead in the polls grows, so apparently⁸ does his confidence. During a rally last week in front of the U.S. Capitol featuring opponents of the Iran nuclear deal, Trump continued his habit of making bold promises.

“We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with winning. Believe me! I agree you will never get bored with winning. We never get bored!” he said.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told CNN’s “State of the Union” to expect “more elbows” to be thrown in the second debate, especially from Republican contenders who have sunk in the polls compared to Trump and Carson.

Fiorina makes debate stage

This second debate also will feature the only woman in the Republican field, former technology executive Carly Fiorina. Fiorina has been the target of Trump barbs for months now and she recently fired back that she considers Trump “an entertainer.”

Bush has stepped up his criticism of Trump, while Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky told The Associated Press that someone has to “bring him down.” Paul added that he was not going to “sit quietly by” and let “the disaster that is Donald Trump become the nominee⁹."

Bush also has been pushing a new blueprint¹⁰ for the economy focused on spurring economic growth.

“My plan for the entire economy will create a true revival¹¹ of the private sector¹² and 19 million new jobs,” Bush told supporters recently in Nevada. Bush has slipped in polling in the key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, however, and some of his supporters are urging him to take on Trump more directly in the second debate.

Among those rivals taking a pass on going after Trump was Ohio Governor John Kasich, who is building momentum¹³ in New Hampshire in recent polls. Kasich told “Fox News Sunday” he would take the time to introduce himself to voters who don’t know much about him.

Surge of outsiders

The surge in support for Trump, Carson and, to a lesser¹⁴ extent Fiorina, suggests there is a strong desire at the moment for political outsiders among Republican primary voters.

Carson’s quiet, even-tempered approach is in particular contrast to Trump’s edgy¹⁵, aggressive campaign. Carson, a political novice¹⁶, continues to do well with Republicans looking for an alternative. “If I listened to all the people throughout my life who said this has never been done before, this cannot be done, I wouldn’t be talking to you today,” Carson told supporters in California.

Among those hoping to grab a share of the limelight in the second debate is Texas Senator Ted⁵ Cruz, who has been very complimentary¹⁸ and deferential¹⁹ to Trump in the race so far.  Cruz invited Trump to attend last week’s rally at the Capitol opposing the Iran nuclear deal.  “This Iranian nuclear deal is catastrophic.  It is the single greatest security threat facing America,” Cruz told those at the rally before giving way to Trump.

Targeting Trump, not his supporters

In the second debate, Trump’s rivals will be looking for ways to attack him without alienating²⁰ his supporters, said analyst²¹ Stuart Rothenberg.

“We are at the point now where voters simply want to express frustration²² and disappointment and anger with the direction of the country, and Republican voters [expressing] frustration with the president. And so they are looking for someone who gives them voice and Donald Trump certainly does that,” said Rothenberg.

The debates also provide the Republican candidates an opportunity to connect with voters, although so far Trump seems to have done better than any of his rivals in that area.

The interplay among the contenders in the second debate will also be crucial.  

“Thinking on their feet is going to be an interesting moment because right now they are still pretty much just mouthing talking points and staying in their individual campaign bubbles,” said Republican analyst Scot Faulkner.

The Democratic contenders, including embattled frontrunner Hillary Clinton, won’t hold their first debate until October 13, by which time we may know whether Vice¹⁷ President Joe Biden will enter the race.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 braces   

n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃，因为支架全松了。
• You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。

3 barbs   

n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛

参考例句：

• She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话，或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。 来自辞典例句

4 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

5 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

6 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

7 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

8 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

9 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

10 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

11 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

13 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

14 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

15 edgy   

adj.不安的；易怒的

参考例句：

• She's been a bit edgy lately,waiting for the exam results.她正在等待考试结果，所以最近有些焦躁不安。
• He was nervous and edgy, still chain-smoking.他紧张不安，还在一根接一根地抽着烟。

16 novice   

adj.新手的，生手的

参考例句：

• As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人，我对此很感兴趣。
• She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。

17 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

18 complimentary   

adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的

参考例句：

• She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school.她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。
• The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service.这家超市提供免费购物班车。

19 deferential   

adj. 敬意的，恭敬的

参考例句：

• They like five-star hotels and deferential treatment.他们喜欢五星级的宾馆和毕恭毕敬的接待。
• I am deferential and respectful in the presence of artists.我一向恭敬、尊重艺术家。

20 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

21 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

22 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。