The Fox News Republican Debate 2016 takes place tonight, and with Super Saturday just days away this could make or break the campaigns of Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich as they each look to establish themselves as the second placed candidate to challenge Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination. The GOP Debate will be broadcast on TV on the Fox News network, and has a scheduled start time of 9 p.m. ET. The debate can be watched online through free live stream via the link below.
With Ben Carson effectively jumping out of the Republican race earlier this week, there will only be four candidates remaining to take to the stage tonight; Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich.
This will be the 11th GOP debate and looks set to be the most tense yet as voters get to focus in on the few remaining candidates, who in recent days have let loose and gone on full attack against one another.
Earlier on Thursday, 2012 GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, spearheaded an extraordinary attack by the Republican Party on frontrunner Donald Trump, where he urged party voters to do everything in their power to ensure Trump does not win the nomination.
Romney told Republicans to vote for any of the other three candidates rather than Trump, and specifically told them to vote for Trump's nearest rival in each state to try and ensure the billionaire business mogul does not manage to gather the number of delegates needed to win the nomination.
"Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing members of the American public for suckers: he gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat," Romney said in his speech to around 700 people gathered at the University of Utah.
Trump solidified and extended his lead in the Republican race earlier this week on Super Tuesday, claiming a stream of state wins.
Later on Thursday, Trump issued a brief response to Romney's comments, calling him a "choke artist" and a "failed candidate."
Trump also told his supporters that Romney was begging him for his endorsement during his 2012 presidential run.
"You can see how loyal he is. He was begging for my endorsement. I could've said, 'Mitt, drop to your knees,' and he would have dropped to his knees. He was begging. True. True. He was begging me," Trump said.
Thursday's GOP debate is just two days away from primary contests in Maine, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, and Mississippi.
Tonight's Fox News Republican Debate will take place from Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit. Special Report anchor Bret Baier, The Kelly File anchor Megyn Kelly, and Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace will moderate the event. The debate has a scheduled start time of 9 p.m. ET and can be watched on Fox News, or watched online through free live stream by clicking here.
