Trump targeted, Fiorina shines in US Republican debate

Ten challengers flank Trump on stage at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California

SIMI VALLEY, UNITED STATES: Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump stepped into a hornet's nest in Wednesday's debate as rivals turned their sights on the billionaire, while Carly Fiorina showed she had earned her place on the main stage.

Ten challengers flanked Trump on stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, seeking an opening against the man who has defied all political odds to lead the race for the party's nomination ahead of the November 2016 election.

"Mr. Trump, we don't need an apprentice in the White House, we have one right now," Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker told Trump — a snarky reference to the title of the real estate mogul's reality television show.

Trump swiftly returned fire, living up to his billing as the campaign bulldog by attacking his rivals, further imposing himself on the race to determine who will battle the Democratic nominee, likely Hillary Clinton, for the White House.

"In Wisconsin I went to number one, and you went down the tubes," Trump retorted, highlighting Walker's slumping poll numbers.

The remarks near the top of the marathon three-hour debate kicked off several minutes of Trump-related thrusts and parries that have so far defined much of the 2016 presidential race.

Many, like early presumptive frontrunner Jeb Bush, were under intense pressure to deliver a breakout performance — or risk a campaign meltdown that could see them shunted aside as the first state nomination votes in February draw nearer.

Fiorina, the sole woman in the Republican race and the only candidate to rise from last month's "undercard" debate to Wednesday's main stage, delivered by many accounts a command performance.

The former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard offered passionate calls for defunding women's health care provider Planned Parenthood, a publicly funded organization that offers abortions.

She also delivered a withering response to Trump's insulting comments about her looks that he made in a recent magazine interview.

"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," she said, offering him a cold stare and earning loud applause. Trump, in a rare concession, replied: "I think she's got a beautiful face, and I think she's a beautiful woman."

But Fiorina was not done. She dominated the middle portion of the debate, showing command of military figures, slamming Clinton for what she called a lack of accomplishments, delivering an emotional call for increased drug treatment as she recalled losing a child to addiction and hitting Trump over his business practices.

"You ran up mountains of debt, as well as losses, using other people's money," Fiorina said. "Why should we trust you to manage the finances of this nation?"

Earlier, a foursome of low-polling candidates took their shots at Trump in the "undercard" debate.

A fiery Senator Lindsey Graham warned against nominating "cartoon character" Trump, while former New York governor George Pataki declared Trump "unfit to be president of the United States."

The main event's 11 candidates clashed extensively on issues including immigration, how to handle a looming government shutdown, and dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Bush, perhaps the campaign's ultimate establishment Republican, has seen his political fortunes tumble in the months since Trump entered the race, and he sought to claw back some of his lost ground by projecting himself as an even-keeled conservative who can lead from day one.

The former Florida governor tangled with Trump over speaking Spanish in the United States, and provided a witty retort to Trump's accusation that he is a "low-energy" candidate.

Asked what he would want his Secret Service handle to be if he were elected, Bush said "Ever-ready. It's very high-energy, Donald."

But Bush was forced into an awkward defence of his brother George W. Bush, who was president on September 11, 2001 and launched divisive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after the terror attacks on American soil.

"There is one thing I know for sure — he kept us safe," Bush said. "I don't know, do you feel safe right now?" Trump replied. "I don't feel so safe."

As more conventional candidates like Ohio Governor John Kasich and Senator Marco Rubio struggle to gain precious air time with the media, another outsider, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, has quietly gained ground and now sits second in the polls.

While it is unclear whether Carson poses an immediate threat to Trump's dominance, the rise of the doctor — who like Trump has never held public office — is more evidence of an anti-establishment wave washing over the nomination race.

"When I entered this race, all the political pundits said it was impossible," Carson said. "We now have over 500,000 donations and the money is coming in."