Trump Got Seriously Booed At Saturday’s GOP Debate

Donald Trump’s first debate back from his self-imposed break has a markedly different feel. While he’s still leading in the polls as of the beginning of Saturday night’s debate, the audience doesn't seem to be feeling The Donald’s style quite the way they used to. Trump has previously enjoyed going head-to-head with dynasty candidate Jeb Bush, but this time around, he's not getting the cheers he once did. During the subject of eminent domain, Trump was resoundingly booed by the audience as he defended the use of eminent domain proceedings. “It’s a necessity for a country,” he said. “That’s for public purpose,” Bush countered, before attacking Trump's personal history on the subject. “What Donald Trump did was use eminent domain to try to take the property of an elderly woman on the strip in Atlantic City,” he said. “That is downright wrong.” The two engaged in a very familiar back and forth. “I didn’t take the property,” Trump defended himself. “The woman ultimately didn’t want to do that.” “To turn this into a limousine parking lot for his casinos is not a public use,” Bush threw out. “How difficult is it to take property from an elderly woman?” “Quiet,” Trump said as he put a finger to his lips and shushed his opponent. The audience booed. “It’s all of his donors and special interests,” Trump snarked. “It’s donors and special interests,” Trump reiterated, drawing more boos. “Excuse me!” When Josh McElveen, the political director of WMUR-TV in Manchester who asked the question, said, "Gentlemen, we have to move forward," Trump cut him off, too, eliciting more boos. It’s a marked shift from previous debates, where Trump’s brash speech and large personality won approval. It's too early to say whether it marks a serious shift in voter attitudes, but The Donald is clearly not where he once was.