WASHINGTON – Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement on the Republican debate tonight in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Below is the full statement:

“Tonight’s debate in Las Vegas was a complete disaster for the Republican Party.  It was clear that not a single one of their candidates has what it takes to keep our country safe. From suggestions to shut down the Internet, to calling for punching Russians in the nose, to confusion about how to target ISIL — or even where they are — there were no serious proposals presented tonight. From Donald Trump on down, the Republican Party’s candidates have allowed their dangerous rhetoric to get them in way over their heads on national security.

“The entire debate also ignored Republican opposition to keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists and the mentally ill, in the same week our nation marked the third anniversary of the massacre of 26 children and educators at Sandy Hook, and the deaths of 90,000 more Americans to gun violence since then. And there was no substantive discussion on the economic security of the American people, which is threatened by those candidates’ plans to go back to Bush-era policies that preceded the great recession and the loss of 8 million jobs. Perhaps most embarrassing for the GOP, their Chairman went on stage to tout the Republican Party’s outreach to minorities just as his candidates lined up to bash immigrants, while continuing to insult the entire Muslim religion. We need to keep America moving forward. Our country just can’t afford to take a risk on any of these reckless Republican candidates.”