Donald Trump and Marco Rubio led New Hampshire polls going in to Saturday night's Republican debate, but characterizations made by fledgling candidates may have swayed favor in Ted Cruz's direction.

The GOP's eight debate of the elections cycle came less than a week after Cruz's comfortable win at the Iowa caucus and just three days before New Hampshire voters participate in the first-in-the-nation primary.

Rubio's third-place finish in Iowa - just one percentage point behind Trump - made him a punching bag for Chris Christie and Jeb Bush throughout the week, both who questioned whether he's experienced enough.

Christie attacks Rubio's record

Christie challenged Rubio's knack for repeating rehearsed statements, telling Americans that the first-term senator isn't ready to run the country; each of Rubio's responses reverted back to President Obama.

Rubio insinuated that electing a politician with the most experience would mean Joe Biden would be best qualified to win the presidency.

Christie replied by telling Rubio "you shouldn't compare yourself to Joe Biden, and you shouldn't compare yourself to what we're doing."

Christie called Rubio out for his role in the Gang of Eight bill and made distinctions between a governing a state and being named senator, saying a senator can sit home and "watch a Mets game" during a major emergency while the govern helps in a hands-on role.

A shaken Rubio then recalled New Jersey's downgraded credit rating while under Christie, which gave Christie an opportunity to circle back to his first point.

"I want the people at home to think about this. This is what Washington, D.C., does-the drive-by shot at the beginning with incorrect and incomplete information and then the memorized 25-second speech that is exactly what his advisers gave him," Christie said.

Trump booed over eminent domain

Asked about eminent domain, which allows the government to take private property for public use, Trump called it a necessity for building roads, schools, and pipes. He chided every candidate aside from Christie for published attack ads questioning his support of it.

Jeb Bush said Trump abuses eminent domain, and in one instance tried "to take the property of an elderly woman on the strip in Atlantic City."

The comment drew renowned boos aimed at Trump. He suggested that those booing were Bush's donors and special interest groups. "The reason they're not loving me is because I don't want their money," Trump said.

Cruz and Carson make amends

Cruz drew criticism this week for mailers his staffers and volunteers sent ahead of the Iowa caucus. They misinterpreted a CNN report that said Ben Carson was going to Florida instead of New Hampshire. Instead of specifying that Carson was only going to pick up a change of clothes, Cruz's campaign implied that the former neurosurgeon was dropping out.

Saturday morning, news broke that his campaign directly called caucus-goers and said Carson was suspending his campaign.

"I'm not going to use this opportunity to savage the reputation of Senator Cruz," Carson said, admitting he was disappointed Cruz's team thought so little of him.

"Unfortunately it did happen, it gives up a pretty good example of Washington ethics," he added. "That's not my ethics. My ethics is you do what's right."

Cruz apologized to Carson, defended his staff, and blamed CNN for reporting Carson's plan.

"They reported that on television," Cruz explained. "CNN's political anchors, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and Wolf Blitzer, said it was highly unusual and highly significant. My political team saw CNN report breaking news and they forwarded that news to our volunteers, it was being covered on live television."

Carson had the last word, saying a second message clarifying that he wasn't dropping out immediately followed CNN's initial report.

CNN issued a statement during the debate refuting Cruz's claims.

The New Hampshire primary

A CNN/WMUR poll released Friday had Trump garnering 29 percent of the vote; Rubio polled at 18 percent and Cruz at 13 percent.

About a third of likely Republican voters said they were still undecided, though most said they aren't leaning towards Trump. Still, 61 percent of participants said they still expect the real estate magnate to win the primary.