With the first vote of America's 2016 election a fortnight away, Republican presidential frontrunners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz dispensed with months of niceties and locked horns in a primetime debate.
The duo held an extended back-and-forth over conservative values and Trump's allegation that Cruz, a hardline Texas Senator born in Canada, might be legally blocked from becoming president.
With the February 1 nomination ballot in Iowa coming into sharp focus, Cruz who is running a close second to Trump in the state, accused the controversial mogul of panicking.
"Back in September, my friend Donald said he had his lawyers look at this from every which way and there was no issue there," said Cruz.
"Now since September, the constitution hasn't changed.
But the poll numbers have," he added.
"Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa."