beings cannot differ civilly -- civilly -- on matters of great importance. >> justice stephen breyer, thank you. that's it for me. i'm wolf blitzer. erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. "outfront" tonight, standing by for a major speech by donald trump tonight on the deck of the "uss iowa," trump expected to detail his national security plan. we are live in los angeles. while trump speaks, his republican opponents are hunkered down preparing for tomorrow night's crucial face-off with the front-runner in less than 24 hours. carly fiorina, a trump insult pumped new life into her campaign. will there be a trump/fiorina showdown at the debate? let's go "outfront." good evening, "outfront"

tonight -- donald trump firing shots across the bow. trump taking to the deck of the us iowa," a storied battleship with distinguished service in both world war ii and korea. his advisors say that he will use this illustrious stage to reveal his national security platform tonight. the audience already gathering aboard the "iowa" which is moored in los angeles. trump's addressed the only public event today for any of the 16 republican candidates. rest of the presidential hopefuls behind closed doors prepping for tomorrow night's critical debate which will be broadcast here on cnn in less than 24 hours. the usual debate prep has the added challenge this time for candidates of how to take on and maybe take some of the spotlight away from the gop front-runner. the latest poll by "the new york times" and cbs news shows trump leading the field with 27% of the vote. ben carson, 23%.

a full 63% of voters -- nearly 2 out of 3 -- say that their mind is not yet made up. we begin with sara murray in front of the "uss iowa." >> reporter: the big question on top of everyone's mind, donald trump has said regularly in his stump speech that he will make a strong military, he will be great fob veterans. he has not said how he will do any of this so it will be interesting to see tonight if he offers any meat on the bones, any of the policy specifics. we know the veterans group that's here, the guys who are running that have been in touch with the donald trump campaign and they've been prepping him not just for this speech but also for the debate. donald trump is the only candidate on the stump today and he said he does events like this instead of doing debate prep. this is his debate prep, going out, talking to groups like this, talking to veterans. that's how he shapes his views and that's what prepares him to take the stage. >> just a remarkable stage as

well, right in front of the "uss iowa" there in los angeles. the other republican candidates are preparing to go head-to-head tomorrow night at cnn's debate in simi valley, california. >> this is a movement that's happening. >> reporter: the donald trump movement sweeping the republican presidential race. he's riding a confident wave into the second gop debate. tomorrow night on cnn. >> we've had a lot of fun, and now it's time to really start. because this is going to happen. i'm telling you. >> reporter: trump an ben carson now battling for number one. a new poll today from the "new york times" and cbs news shows trump at 27%. carson suddenly close behind at 23%. up from 6% from august. the rest of the field, battling to stay alive. jeb bush falling from 13% to 6%. scott walker from 10% to 2%.

>> he cut taxes $19 billion. >> reporter: today the bush super pac come being to the rescue, or hoping to. starting a $24 million ticing bli advertising blitz to tout bushing a conservative. >> jeb bush, proven conservative. real results. >> reporter: republicans say they're looking for an outsider which has given rise to trump, carson and carly fiorina. but they're torn over whether they want a candidate who burns red hot, like trump -- >> i hear they're all going after me. whatever. whatever! >> reporter: or more humble like the neurosurgeon, dr. car southern. >> it's human nature to think that whatever you do is the greatest thing and provides everybody with their messiah. i don't have that complex, quite frankly. >> reporter: six weeks after republicans shared a stage at their first debate, time is running short, and some candidates are desperate to jump-start their campaigns.

they've tried huffing, and puffing. but they haven't blown trump's house down. today, the conservative group club for growth launched a $1 million ad campaign in iowa aimed at trump. >> trump wants us to think he's mr. tell-it-like-it-is. but he has a record, and it's very liberal. >> reporter: at most candidates cram for debate behind closed doors, trump is delivering another speech tonight. it's on foreign policy. he'll be on deck of the "uss iowa," a battleship that waged war in the pacific during world war ii. >> unless i win, it's been a waste of time for me, folks. i'll be honest with you. been a total waste of time. i really mean that, too. >> reporter: jim, tomorrow night donald trump will be standing right here center stage in the reagan library in front of this air force one that ronald reagan flew. of course all republican candidates are trying to slow his rise. take a look at how closely they'll be standing together. just a few feet apart. finally bringing all those long distance barbs face to face as they speak to this intimate small audience here.

but it is more than that, jim. it is also those key early voters in iowa and new hampshire, in south carolina. and of course, those republican contributors who are paying such close attention tomorrow to see if any candidates will break out of this pack. jim? >> "outfront" now, senior strategist for ben carson, politic political, a recaagan white hou director. donald trump talking national security tonight. this is an area where he has shown some weakness. does he have to get into specifics tonight on his national security platform? >> no. he has to deliver the message. as reagan's message was peace through strength, reagan didn't go into 75,000 pages of details. no. all he has to do is deliver his message and his vision on foreign policy and the kind of american foreign policy we should have in general outline form. absolutely not. >> he's had problems, let's be honest, delivering that mess ooj. hugh hewitt who will be at the

debate tomorrow asking questions. he has, you'll remember, managed to stump trump. have a listen. >> are you familiar with general solepimani? >> yes. go ahead. >> he runs the qods forces. >> right. i think it the kurds have been harshly mistreated by us. >> not the kurds. the qods forces. the iranian revolution forces. the qods forces. the bad guys. >> i thought you said kurds. i'm sorry, i thought you said kurds. >> confident that trump will be ready this time for this stage. >> sure. sure. i mean his disagreement with hugh -- hugh later said that he thought well maybe he did mishear him on this. but the overall question, the disagreement -- i've written a column on this for conservative review -- there a disagreement on whether you get into all the details which is what jimmy carter did, was famous for

reading air force budget, tlouzs of pages, or whether you do it like ronald reagan, whether it is your judgment and your management and you hire good people but you're the one who makes the judgment. judgment is the issue here, not all the details. there are plenty of people who will bring you the details. you're the one who has to decide. >> ed, trump has been very specific in his criticism of ben carson recently. called him low energy. he called him in his words an "okay" doctor. does carson fight back? because so far the only time he's criticized trump, he actually later apologized for questioning trump's faith. i wonder if there is a change of tack tomorrow. >> well, jim, all along dr. carson has been campaigning on his -- >> that was for you. please go ahead. >> yes. i think that dr. carson's campaign all along has been about him presenting his values, his views, his thoughts to the american people. tomorrow night you will see dr. carson continue on that path.

>> talk about another candidate here, jeb bush. he is polling according to latest cbs/"new york times" poll down from 13% to 6%. that's more than a -- a drop of more than half. is tomorrow a make or break moment for bush, not just for his supporters but also for his fund-raisers? >> tomorrow is an important day for jeb bush. there is going to be an enormous amount of viewers. we've seen that these debates, the last one attracted 24 million, 25 million viewers. it is an important debate for every candidate on that stage. there is a lot of people on that stage who are on the verge of dropping off the main stage. jeb is not. he's going to be on center stage right next to donald trump. but i do think it is an important debate for him. as for everybody else. jeb though, unlike some others, has got the ability to wait this out. he's got the ability to wait for the field to whittle down. he can play the long game.

he put away a lot of acorns to survive the winter. he's got a lot of resources. he's got a very strong structure. yes, i think he can wait this out. >> jeffrey, last night trump spoke, we saw the event. we had it live here on cnn. thousands of cheering supporters in dallas in what is normally an nba venue. tomorrow it is a much smaller audience. it will not be thousands, it will be a few hundred. we know that he benefits from playing to the crowd. cheers and the boos. will a crowd like tomorrow's affect his chances of making any real impact, his chances of success? >> no, i don't think so. in "the apprentice," he didn't have a crowd of thousands either. he does very well with an audience one, let alone an audience of thousands. so i don't really think that's going to be a problem for him. >> let's talk if we can a little bit about ben carson. he has struggled with foreign

policy questions which we know donald trump is speaking to tonight at the last debate. he cornered with many unfamiliar with israel's government, alan greenspan. with carson now closing in on trump, does he have most to lose, i suppose, if he makes a mistake? >> not at all. dr. carson has shown that he has the values that the american people are looking for, that they are looking for a new diki of leadership. because right now washington is broken and the political class is failing us. when you look at dr. carson's experience, whether it's been the 57 countries he's traveled to, the 68 doctorates, his views and values he has about protecting america's national security, we feel very confident that he'll do well on those issues. >> i want to come to you last before we go. when we spoke yesterday you said that if trump picks a fight, jeb bush should fight back. we've seen some of that recently. is that in your view the best strategy? because as we know, donald trump likes a fight. he likes a chance to respond. it can be a risky one as well

for jeb bush. >> i don't know there is another option, jim, particularly with this debate setup. when you're going to be a foot and a half, two feet apart, and jeb is going to be on one side of donald trump, ben carson is going to be on the other side, if he is insulting you and calling you names while standing a foot and a half from you, how do you not respond? you can't just ignore it. so i think what you've seen from jeb is that for a long time, certainly at the start, he thought, okay, is this serious? could this be possible? if you asked me -- i've known him for a long time -- jeb would much rather be talking policy, offering up his agenda and being optimistic on that stage. but if the guy standing two feet from him is going to pick a fight, i think yes, hell, yes, he needs to fight back. >> thank you all for joining us tonight. "outfront" next, you are looking at the "uss iowa." in just a little while, donald trump will take the stage there. his camp billing his speech as a

major address on his national security strategy. and carly fiorina. she took aim at trump in the first round. will the two trade blows at tomorrow's debate? we'll be right back. plaque psoriasis...

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candidate on stage is now taking on the front-runner, donald trump. this latest hit from a fiorina super pac answering trump's personal attack. >> look at this face. this is the face of a 61-year-old woman. i am proud of every year and every wrinkle. >> reporter: the comeback following this insult trump seemed to make about fiorina's appearance. "look at that face. would anyone vote for that? can you imagine that, the face of our next president?" trump later tried to clean it up. >> i'm talking about lher persona. many of those comments are made as an entertainer. >> reporter: fiorina's strategy so far -- turn trump's own words against him. >> donald trump is an entertainer so he says things that are entertaining. i think these are serious times that call for real leadership. >> reporter: the big debate is a potential make-or-break moment for fiorina who has registered

just single digits in the polls. both fiorina and trump, the outside business leaders, are trading insults. >> the fact that carly fiorina has had a terrible past. she was fired viciously from hewlett-packard. >> reporter: fighting over their business records. >> she was a disastrous ceo. >> the face of leadership in our party, the party of women's suffrage. >> reporter: and over leadership skills. >> i will be the greatest jobs president that god ever created. >> reporter: leadership is not about the size of your office. the size of your airplane. the size of your helicopter. >> reporter: fiorina was widely declared the winner of the gop debate among the second-tier candidates. but her most recent numbers have been disappointing. according to a cnn/orc poll, she's getting just 3% support of republicans nationwide. meanwhile, trump is leading with

33%. after a week of punch and counterpunch for fiorina, stakes could not be higher. she and trump are both going after the critical female vote. while trump overall favorability rating among women nationwide is only 31%, the latest poll shows him gaining among republican women up by 13 points from just last month. >> can she make an impact on the stage like she did last time. former president of trump communications, the company that produced t"the apprentice," and dean. fiorina got a big bump after that last debate. i wonder is tomorrow night do or die for her? >> i think it is. i've talked to the campaign and they are trying to ignore the hype. but the expectations are high. when you demand to get more attention and to be on the main

stage as carly fiorina did, and then you get it, well then you have to perform. the good news is she's very quick on her feet. i think you can expect some good one-liners out of her, maybe even a "look at this face" applause line. i know that she's going to stick with policy but she's also not going to back away if she's hit. the campaign thinks that she's done a very good job dealing with trump so far. we'll have to see it is a little different when you are in the same room from donald trump and he is standing a couple feet away from you and he is calling you a loser or questioning your record at hp which i expect him to do. so we'll see. but without a doubt, expectations are high for carly fiorina and she has to have a very good night. >> so andy, trump was asked if he's worried about fiorina and sheer here's his response. have a listen. >> no, i think she's a very nice woman. i'm not at all. i think she'll do well. i asked that she join the debate

because i think she should. >> certainly different from the comments about her face. is trump backing off fiorina and do you expect that tomorrow night? >> right. so i think he's realizing that she's polling in the low single digits. she has absolutely no chance. when the american public looks at her record at hewlett-packard where she fired 30,000 people and the stock went down 47% under her tenure, she also forced the board to buy her a $30 million golf stream ford jet while her predecessor used to fly coach. but the most worrying thing about carly fiorina were her dealings with iran through a hue bet packard subsidiary. she sold hundreds of millions of dollars of printer technology to iran which sparked an s.e.c. investigation. once they looked into it, she stopped her dealings. >> maybe pressing some of the points donald trump might make tomorrow, particularly the iran comments. you spoke to the campaign. what is their plan of defense

but also plan of attack against donald trump? >> yeah. i mean for -- if trump isn't worried that carly fiorina could become president, his friends like andy certainly have studied up on her record. and i, for one, hope that trump asks her about her time at hp because i've heard her defend it multiple times in interviews and on the stump. sheep does a great job of talking about how you have to lay some people off to save the thousands of joshs that sbs and company that she did. she's got that down pat. the way her campaign says it is, she gets the best debate preparation of anyone because she takes actual questions, non-screened, from folks on the campaign trail at every event. she's very relaxed. in fact, she plays a lot of solitaire on her iphone to relax and focus before these big nights. so she's feeling very, very good. >> andy -- >> i got to interrupt here. i just don't know how do you

spin -- how could carly fiorina spin her time at hue bet packard? she was there for six years. the stock was down 47%. board fired her. you talk to the people there, her tenure was a disaster. the proof is in the puddle. when she left the company, the day after the stock went up $3 billion because investors were so happy to get her out of there. if she can spin this, i want to see it. >> do you agree that's going to be difficult for her to defend her record as ceo? >> well, look. yeah. i mean carly's only record, because she's not held political office, is as a ceo. it's fair game. my only point is i've heard her defend it. she does is very well. but the more success she has, either tomorrow night or as the campaign moves forward, the more scrutiny she's going to face. and of course she's going to get those kinds of questions either from the trump team or journalists. i expect maybe even jake will

bring some of her record up tomorrow night. again, that's fair game. i just hope that trump maybe gets a little of the same kind of scrutiny about his positions, his ideas, his sort of broad philosophy that you can't really pin down. i hope we get to the bottom of trump's record as well. >> no question. fair point that as his standing remains as high as it is, he is going to face similar challenges. "outfront" next -- we are standing by for donald trump, his campaign says that tonight's speech will focus on his national security plan. it is going to be onboard the "uss iowa." he has picked this wonderful, powerful symbol of world war ii for his stage. and jeb bush. he's tried ignoring trump. he tried responding politely to him. he's also tried attacking him. what is his plan for tomorrow night's crucial debate. >> when you're not confident you have complete visibility into your business,

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welcome back. tonight, donald trump about to board a battleship and reveal his national security plan to an audience of veterans. you are looking at live pictures of that ship. pt "uss iowa" on the los angeles

water front. trump set to appear on the deck of the decommissioned war ship to deliver what his campaign is calling a major speech. republican front-runner has been big on foreign policy talk but, does he actually have a strategy? like many of his views, donald trump's foreign policy can be summed up in one short phrase -- get tough on isis. >> i'd bomb the hell of the oil fields. i didn't get exxon, i didn't get these great oil companies to go in. they will rebuild them so fast your head will spin. >> on china. >> china's taking our jobs, they're taking our money. be careful, they'll bring us down. you have to know what you're doing. we have nobody that has a clue. >> on the iran nuclear agreement. >> the nuclear deal is a disaster. all because we have people in there that are either incompetent or there's something maybe even worse going on. i happen to think they are a incompetent. >> he ha is to back up his tough talk with an invigorated u.s. military. >> i want to build up our

military. i want to have such an incredible military that nobody's going to play games with us, nobody's going to mess with us and hopefully we won't ever have to use our military. >> is he's proposed sending u.s. ground troops to fight isis. however, many of his bold pronouncements have yet to be backed up by specifics. and when asked who he relies on for military advice, he pointed to the sunday talk shows. >> well, i watch the shows. i mean i really see a lot of great -- when you watch your show and all of the other shows and you have the generals and you have certain people -- >> reporter: still, beneath the surface, some of his foreign policy positions are less hard line than they first appear. while many of his opponents vow to tear up the nuclear deal on day one in office, donald trump says he'd keep it -- though renegotiate. >> i'm really good at looking at a contract and finding things within a contract that are bad. i would police that contract so tough that they don't have a chance. as bad as the contract is. i will be so puff tough on that

contract. >> reporter: while he vows to stand up to china by, for instance, imposing a 25% tariff on chinese-made goods, he also promises to keep doing business with beijing. >> i'm a free trader. the problem with free trade is you have to have smart leaders on your side. we do not have smart leaders. we do not have good negotiators. >> "outfront" now, former u.s. military attache, colonel frank kona. and frank lloyd. you've been on the ground in the region. is trump's strategy a credible strategy? >> it is not really a strategy. those are offhand comments of something he wants to do. i think strategy remains the same. destroy, degrade, defeat isis. how we go about that is what is important. when trump makes his statemnts

about putting troops on the ground, a lot of military people are wary of that because every time we go over and put troops on the ground we have to do it the right way. we never seem to have an end game in mind. i haven't heard an end game from mr. trump yet. but he does resonate with a lot of military people when he says he wants to reinvigorate the military. over the last few years we have cut muscle from the kdefense department way beyond what we need to be cutting the fat. >> in addition to those criticisms, the questions about how these positions fit into a broader strategy, you remember the comment, he said he learns about his military strategy, in effect, by watching television. there is a new ad out today from bobber jindal, one of his opponents. have a listen. >> you get a lot of your military analysis from watching television. >> i watch all of the shows. i really find it to be a fascinating subject. i see a lot of good things by watching your show and other shows. >> it's a biting ad, to say the

least. that's politics. but the fact is his foreign policy proposals to date short on specifics. do you expect to hear those specifics tonight? does he need to present them tonight? >> i don't know that he'll do all kinds of specifics. i honestly don't know. i have no concern here about his taking a different view on things. the colonel was just describing a situation which resonates, since we're here at the reagan library, ronald reagan's approach to national security policy when he became president. arms control was very much in vogue at the time. he believed in a whole other approach, peace through strength. he want to end the cold war. they thought he was crazy. he went forward with the strategy defense initiative. all sorts of people thought that was terrible. that wound up breaking the back of the soviet union and winning the cold war. so we do have this civilian command of the military and national security, and donald trump, like any other president, new president, would come in

with his own set of ideas and certainly listen to reasonable opposition and then make his decision. >> but jeffrey, those positions you describe of ronald reagan, they fit under a broad strategy, cold war strategy. have you heard a strategy from donald trump? because to this point what many say is you've heard applause lines. you haven't heard a strategy. >> right. right. well with be i am assuming from what's being described that we're going to hear some version of that tonight. it will be very interesting to see. i honestly have to tell you, i don't know. >> colonel, part of this -- if not strategy, part of the platform to this point is that he would reinvigorate the u.s. military. says it would be the strongest military in the world. people would know it. today it is already the strongest military in the world, it certainly has its problems. in your view, is there something there that needs to be fixed and the key question is, how do you pay for it in light of the military's sequestration, the

already-existing budget issues? >> you just hit it right there. who's going to pay for all this? we do need to reinvigorate the u.s. military. we cannot keep these cuts. sequestration is killing the department of defense. we are already beyond where we should cutting the army by 40,000 troops? i would like to hear we're not only going to do it but how we're going to do it. it is very important that the veterans and the military hear this because right now you hear words like we're going to have vic interest i after victory. you can't do that unless you reinvigorate the military. want to make sure that the new president is not going to be deploying troops willny nilly anywhere in the world. there has to be a strategy and we have to adhere to it. >> he is a very careful executive, jim. i mean he's a very careful executive. he built this enormous business precisely on the same principle that ronald reagan ran the

government. he had good people that gave him the details and he had the judgment. as i said earlier, that's what this is all about. he certainly i think would agree with colonel about rebuilding the military. i mean that is one of his prime positions, without doubt. >> that will be one of the questions, can he translate that business success into governing. that's one thing he'll have to answer to voters. thank you both. "outfront" next, jeb bush still struggling for an answer to trump's relentless attacks. could tomorrow's cnn debate be bush's last chance to turn the tide? and this is the "uss iowa." she saw service in both world war ii and korea. shortly donald trump will take the stage there where his campaign says he will lay out his national security plan. just might be the one. to clean the oceans, to start a movement, or lead a country. it may not be obvious yet,

but one of these kids is going to change the world. we just need to make sure she has what she needs. welcome to windows 10. the future starts now for all of us.

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welcome back. donald trump about to roll out his national security plan on board this battleship, the "uss iowa." while trump will be in front of the cameras, one of his main rivals, jeb bush, is behind closed doors preparing for tomorrow night's debate. tom foreman is "outfront."

>> reporter: with a friendly smile, a steady demeanor and a deep political resume, jeb bush has worked himself to third place and falling in the republican pack. >> thank you all. i'm offering something different -- leadership, ideas, and a proven conservative record. >> reporter: maybe it is because conservatives have not yet embraced him. maybe it is because gop voters are strongly liking outsiders. but mostly, it's this guy. >> we're really killing it. we are killing it. >> reporter: from the moment donald trump eninterpreted the race, he has battered bush's too nice, too boring, too soft to lead. >> i don't want to see he's a stiff because that's too rude. and then they will say i'm not a nice person. but, you know, can you imagine him negotiating against china? >> we're going to win when we unite people with a hopeful optimistic message. >> reporter: bush has pushed back suggesting before, during and after the first debate that trump is a side show threatening

to split the party. >> look, he is who he is. he likes to disparage people. >> reporter: and trump has responded to each gentle jab with a roundhouse hook. >> he's a very low-energy kind of guy and he had to do something. >> reporter: so with this next debate looming, bush's latest ad is a full-on attack title ld "the real donald trump." >> you'd be shocked if i said that in many cases i probably identify more as a democrat. >> then why are you a republican? >> i have no idea. >> still, almost one-third of republicans thought bush would get the nomination as late as july. now it is down and trump keeps climbing. >> i think he believes that he can insult his way to the presidency and i don't think history's a really good guide for that. i think he needs to begin to say what his vision is for the future. >> reporter: in short, bush is like a boxer who thinks he is pick his opponent apart. and trump is like a brawler who never gives him that chance. as we head into this crucial second debate, jim, the brawler

is ahead on points. >> who lands those punches tomorrow. tom foreman in washington. "outfront" now, michael smerconish, michael, what is jeb bush's strategy to turn it around tomorrow night? >> i think most importantly he can't take any crap from donald trump. i think he's been flat-footed for far too long in terms of fashioning his response to trump. but jim, if he should knock trump out tomorrow night with some great sound bite, i don't think he'll be the beneficiary. think the beneficiary will be ben carson and carly fiorina. i've been saying for quite some time, there are two debates playing themselves out on this stage. jeb is facing a threat right now from other establishment candidates who might surpass him in the polls. if that happens he'll have a money issue. he's raised $100 million for that super pac. $100 million doesn't get you all the way home in a race that long and this expensive. his fear has got to be that the

financial spigot will be turned off if he can't show some life tomorrow night. >> where does that money go if the donors get scared after his performance tomorrow night? >> those donors don't go to donald trump. those donors don't go to ben carson and they don't go to carly fiorina. think that they go to a john kasich. i think they go to marco rubio. they might even go to a chris christie. i think you have two different clusters of on this debate stage, and also a third category of individuals who don't fit into either the establishment class or into the maverick class. i am thinking of someone like ted cruz who holds an office but you don't perceive him to be part of the washington establishment. watch the clusters of tomorrow night. that's what i'm saying. >> michael smerconish in simi valley "outfront," thanks. these are live pictures of the deck of the "uss iowa." donald trump about to take one of the biggest stages yet. that's next. can a business have a mind?

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donald trump is about to speak on the battleship "uss iowa." the "iowa" a long illustrious history, it operated on the atlantic and pacific during world war ii and in the korean war and was reactivated for service in the 1980s. on a personal note, my father served onboard as well as lieutenant j.g. at the end of the korean war. tonight donald trump has chosen "the iowa" which happens to bear the name of the first caucus state as the venue to deliver what his camp is calling a major national security speech. earlier i spoke to the chairman of veterans of a strong america. i began by asking if he was insulted by trump comparing his time as a military prep school to time in uniform. >> look, donald trump is a plain-spoken, authentic, rash, strong personality. most people understand what he's

saying when he says, hey, look, i was in a military prep school. i understand what goes on in the military. i don't find it offensive. it's not like the guy claimed to be a navy s.e.a.l. or something. what's more offense if is not only members of the military getting pink slips while they're in combat but 250,000 veterans who died while waiting for care from the current administration, the current va. that's more insulting than these off the cuff remarks that we hear from donald trump, so we're worried about the substance, we're worried about whether government can deliver for the veterans. we're looking for a presidential candidate, what we want to hear from donald trump tonight is whether or not he's fwoingoing live up to president lincoln's promise to take care of the veterans when they come back from battle. >> i wonder as you stand there in front of the "uss iowa" that is an illustrious platform. it was brought out of moth balls used again in the '80s. my father served on board that ship. do you think donald trump the

candidate has earned that platform? >> i think anyone running for office who has that first amendment right can walk on that platform and tell the american people what they stand for, jim. i think donald trump certainly the american people so far think he has earned it with the kind of support that he has in the polls. and it's because he's plain, he's authentic, he's outspoken about these issues. you know, for so long, jim, we've had people who have held previous elected office and what do we get? we get three decades now of problems with the v.a., so previously elected officials are not fixing these chronic government problems that we face. you look at the kind of success that donald trump has had in business. he's been able to produce results. >> let's get, if we can, to some of the policy. you said this is part of his appeal there. trump has said, has proposed sending 25,000 troops on the ground in iraq and syria to fight isis. you did your time there and that's a credit to you. would you support that decision sending u.s. troops back into

ground combat in iraq and syria? >> well, it would have to be a very measured decision. we'd want to hear from all the experts. i think at the end of the day in order to beat back isis from the vacuum that was created when president obama removed troops from iraq, and i think that's undispu undisputed, is we're going to have to put boots back on the ground. i mean, that's not an easy decision to make again but what we have to look at is whether or not isis is an existential threat to this country. it's certainly a threat to the middle east. it is certainly a threat to thousands of christians who are being beheaded, little children are being beheaded. isis, they are a gruesome, horrific organization, and if it takes american military personnel to intervene in order to stop that kind of humanitarian crisis from happening, we certainly need to give great thought to it. >> joel arends, thanks for your service to the mill teitary and taking the time tonight. >> thank you, jim. "out front" next jeanne moos

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you're looking at a live picture of the stage for the second republican debate now just 24 hours away. we look back at some of the most memorable moments in debate history, which are often also the most awkward. here's jeanne moos. >> reporter: we tend to watch debates -- >> can i bayou -- >> reporter: hoping to see a train wreck, instead we're left with memorable moments.

sarah palin winking. >> how long have i been at this, like five weeks? >> reporter: ronald reagan demanding the sound system not be turned off. >> i am paying for this microphone. >> reporter: a line he picked up -- >> don't you shut me off. i paid for this broadcast. >> reporter: -- from spencer tracy in the movie "state of the union." tv magnifies everything from the sweat, onyxen's chin he had to wipe off, to al gore's exaggerated -- >> that's what a governor gets to do. >> reporter: exasperated sigh. >> there's differences. >> reporter: resuscitated by "snl." >> rome came to life. >> reporter: what was i going to say, again? oh, yeah, there were unforgettable forgettable moments. >> commerce, education, and the -- what's the third one there? let's see. >> reporter: rick perry's oops moment. >> oops. >> reporter: and arizona governor jan brewer's brain freeze. >> we could possibly do --

>> reporter: this was just her opening statement. you know what a televised debate isn't the time for? checking the time, as president george bush did. >> how has national debt -- >> reporter: debates are a time for memorable zingers. >> senator, you're no jack kennedy. >> reporter: and one-liners. for instance, from a relatively unknown candidate for vice president. >> who am i? why am i here? >> reporter: and whatever you do, candidates, don't invade your opponents' personal space. as hillary's senate rival once did. >> what you -- >> sign it right now. >> we'll shake on this, rick. >> i want your signature. >> reporter: or well al gore crept up on george bush. >> can you get things done? and i believe i can. >> reporter: there's nothing like debatable behavior to liven up a debate. >> there's differences. >> you're likable enough, hillary. >> thank you.

>> reporter: gejeanne moos. >> are we not doing the talent portion? >> reporter: cnn, new york. >> thank you for joining us tonight. i'm jim sciutto. be sure to watch the republican presidential debate tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. eastern, that is right here on cnn. and right now, "a.c. 360" starts right here. good evening, thanks for joining us. we are at the reagan library in simi valley just outside los angeles. this time tomorrow night, on a stage that we built 45 feet in the air, to be at eye level with president reagan's old air force one, 11 republican candidates will try to outshine their setting and each other. two of those 11, donald trump and dr. ben carson, have risen greatly since the first debate. one quietly, the other not so much. in about an hour, donald trump, in fact, will speak from the deck of the old battleship "iowa" not far from the port of los angeles and may also face protesters, about