Debate another chance for Rubio, Cruz to try to slow Trump

LAS VEGAS (AP) — With Donald Trump’s grasp on the Republican presidential nomination tightening, the billionaire businessman’s rivals get one more chance to challenge the GOP front-runner on the debate stage before next week’s slate of Super Tuesday contests.

The situation is likely more dire for the other GOP candidates than they’d like voters to believe. Yet Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have so far shown little willingness to take on the former reality television star when the national spotlight shines brightest.

That could change Thursday night in Houston. Rubio is suggesting that Trump is winning only because the other candidates are splitting up the majority of the electorate.

For his part, Trump predicts that the relative civility between Rubio and himself is about to disappear.

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