Growing feud: Trump, Cruz escalate attacks on each other

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (Reuters) – The growing feud between Republican front-runner Donald Trump and his central rival Ted Cruz intensified yesterday with tit-for-tat attacks that put to rest any notion that their debate night fight was a solitary engagement.

The split between the two is evidence of the closeness of the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, particularly in Iowa. Polls there show a neck-and-neck battle with little more than two weeks to go until Iowa on Feb. 1 stages the first nominating contest on the road to the Nov 8 election.

Trump, who needs a victory in Iowa to set a winning tone to his campaign, kept up his attempt to undermine Cruz’s attempt to portray himself as an outsider to the political establishment.