Donald Trump Leads As Republican Candidates Wrestle For Debate Air Time

Republican presidential hopefuls listen as retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (C) speaks duri
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

“Jake. Jake. Jake.”

CNN moderator Jake Tapper was frequently invoked for more time as candidates begged, interrupted or demanded their way back into the focus at the debate last night.

Some candidates, like Carly Fiorina, continued to interrupt, pushing herself back on camera numerous times. Others, like Gov. Scott Walker, were less successful. Gov. John Kasich, meanwhile, appeared to interrupt at the worst moments.

Watch a video montage below:

Donald Trump, the target of frequent attacks from the rest of the field, spent a lot of time defending himself, but got a whopping 18+ minutes on camera. Bush was a close second with more than 15 minutes, and Fiorina pushed herself into third place with 13 minutes.

Here is the full air time clock via NPR:

Trump: 18:47

Bush: 15:48

Fiorina: 13:30

Carson: 12:56

Christie: 12:36

Rubio: 11:21

Cruz: 10:45

Paul: 10:28

Kasich: 9:44

Huckabee: 9:20

Walker: 8:29

Regarding debate time, the biggest winner is Carly Fiorina who wasn’t even expected to be there. After forcing her way on the main debate stage by attacking CNN, she successfully inserted herself into every conversation.

The biggest loser was Gov. Scott Walker, who sank to the bottom of the pile.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.