MANCHESTER, N.H. — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio stuck to the talking points Sunday that drew criticism during his uneven performance in Saturday night's presidential debate.
Rubio's performance could hurt his bid to emerge as an alternative to Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Rubio has sought to appeal both to mainstream Republicans and those eager to upend the status quo. But his rivals, particularly New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have been blistering in their criticism of what they see as his slim qualifications to serve as commander in chief.
"You have not been involved in a consequential decision where you had to be held accountable," Christie said.
He accused the senator of being a candidate governed by talking points — then pounced when the senator played into his hands by repeating multiple times what appeared to be a planned response to criticisms about his qualifications.
Rubio wavered in defending his decision to walk away from the sweeping immigration bill he originally backed in the Senate and said he wouldn't pursue similar legislation as president.
The senator found his footing later in the debate when outlining his call for more aggressive action to fight the Islamic State group and emphasizing his anti-abortion stance.
Cruz faced criticism for messages his campaign sent to voters ahead of the caucuses saying rival Ben Carson was dropping out and urging the retired neurosurgeon's supporters to back him instead.
Cruz apologized for his campaign's actions Saturday, but not before Carson jabbed him for having "Washington ethics."
Trump was back on the debate stage after skipping the last contest before the Iowa caucuses. He sought to refocus on the core messages of his campaign, including blocking Muslims from coming to the U.S. and deporting all people in the country illegally, all while maintaining he has the temperament to serve as president.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has staked his White House hopes on New Hampshire, offered a more moderate view on immigration, saying if elected president, he would introduce legislation that would provide a pathway to legalizing immigration status, though not citizenship, within his first 100 days in office.