(CNN) The ironclad commitment each Republican presidential candidate gave to support the party's nominee -- no matter who that may be -- is no more.

Hillary Clinton launched her presidential bid on April 12 through a video message on social media. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state is considered the front-runner among possible Democratic candidates."Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion -- so you can do more than just get by -- you can get ahead. And stay ahead," she said in her announcement video. "Because when families are strong, America is strong. So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey."

Ohio Gov. John Kasich joined the Republican field July 21 as he formally announced his White House bid. "I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support ... because I have decided to run for president of the United States," Kasich told his kickoff rally at the Ohio State University.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich joined the Republican field July 21 as he formally announced his White House bid. "I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support ... because I have decided to run for president of the United States," Kasich told his kickoff rally at the Ohio State University.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has made a name for himself in the Senate, solidifying his brand as a conservative firebrand willing to take on the GOP's establishment. He announced he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination in a speech on March 23."These are all of our stories," Cruz told the audience at Liberty University in Virginia. "These are who we are as Americans. And yet for so many Americans, the promise of America seems more and more distant."

Businessman Donald Trump announced June 16 at his Trump Tower in New York City that he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination. This ends more than two decades of flirting with the idea of running for the White House."So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump told the crowd at his announcement.

Here are six takeaways from the town hall, which aired on CNN and was moderated by Anderson Cooper:

Backing away from the pledge

Initially designed to stymie the threat of a Trump independent run, the real-estate mogul's Republican foes have been hamstrung by the signed pledge they all gave to the Republican National Committee in September to back the winner of the party's nominating contest for months.

"I'm not in the habit of supporting someone who attacked my wife and attacked my family. I think that is going beyond the line," he said. "I'm not an easy person to tick off, but when you go after my wife, when you go after my daughters, that does it."

Cruz, however, didn't explicitly say he would oppose Trump's nomination.

So Trump let him off the hook.

He said Cruz looked "tormented" trying to answer Cooper's "very simple question."

JUST WATCHED Would Ted Cruz support Trump if he was the GOP nominee? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Would Ted Cruz support Trump if he was the GOP nominee? 01:43

"I don't want his support. I don't need his support. I want him to be comfortable," Trump said.

Kasich, too, backed off his pledge -- saying he shouldn't have raised his hand when the entire Republican field was asked at the first debate last year whether they'd back the eventual nominee. "Probably shouldn't have even answered that question, but it was the first debate, and what the heck," he said.

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He said he's been "disturbed by some of the things I have seen," without placing blame on any candidate by name.

"If the nominee is somebody that I think is really hurting the country and dividing the country, I can't stand behind them," Kasich said.

Asked whether Trump fit the bill as someone who is hurting the country, Kasich said that's up to voters, and wouldn't answer for himself. "That's too much below the belt," he said.

Trump ridicules reporter, defends aide

Trump handled the controversy over his campaign manager's arrest earlier Tuesday on a simple battery charge in his signature style -- defending the aide and attacking the accuser.

He came prepared for questions.

In his pocket, he carried print-outs of Fields' initial description. She'd said Lewandowski "grabbed me tightly by the arm and yanked me down. I almost fell to the ground, but was able to maintain my balance."

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He mocked Fields' description, saying Lewandowski had really just brushed past her and that she didn't come anywhere close to stumbling to the ground. "She says, 'Ohh, look at my arm,'" Trump said.

"She's not a baby," he added.

Trump said Fields had grabbed his arm, as well, in an effort to get his attention and ask a question after his news conference had already ended.

Asked if he'd press charges against her, Trump said: "I don't know. Maybe I should, right? Cause you know what, she was grabbing me."

Each time he defended Lewandowski -- saying he wouldn't fire his campaign manager -- Trump also pivoted to a theme: Loyalty.

"I'm a loyal person. I'm going to be loyal for the country. I'm going to be loyal for Wisconsin," Trump said.

Trump on wife attacks: 'I didn't start it'

Trump also refused to back down from a fight when Cooper asked him about the fight with Cruz that involves both of their wives.

"I didn't start it," Trump said.

"No it's not," Trump responded. "Exactly that thinking is the problem of this country. I didn't start this."

The dust-up started when an anti-Trump super PAC ran an ad aimed at Mormon women in Utah featuring an unclad Melania Trump modeling photo, warning that she'd be the first lady if Trump is elected.

Photos: Campaign slogans Photos: Campaign slogans A Ronald Reagan campaign button shows his 1980 slogan, "Let's Make America Great Again." Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Campaign slogans For his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump's slogan is "Make America Great Again," an echo of Reagan's. Here a supporter wears the slogan on a button. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Campaign slogans Hillary Clinton has used the slogan, "Hillary for America" and also had supporters display posters saying "Fighting for us." A member of the audience holds a campaign sign at the top of a set of bleachers as Clinton speaks in Iowa on January 30. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Campaign slogans Campaign buttons for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders highlight his "Feel the Bern" slogan. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Campaign slogans "I Like Ike" decal from the 1952 presidential campaign, showing a close-up portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the popular World War II general who went on to serve two terms as president. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Campaign slogans Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio signs autographs under his "A New American Century" slogan at a campaign rally February 5. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Campaign slogans Republican presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks to supporters during a rally on his "Jeb Can Fix It" tour on November 2, 2015. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Campaign slogans President Harry Truman's 1948 election campaign made the expression "Give em hell, Harry!" famous. Hide Caption 8 of 8

For that, Trump blamed Cruz. On Twitter, he warned Cruz to "be careful" or he'd "spill the beans" on his wife. Then, Trump retweeted an unflattering image of Heidi Cruz, alongside a more flattering photo of Melania Trump.

There's no evidence the super PAC, headed by Republican strategist Liz Mair, coordinated with Cruz. Doing so would have been illegal. But Trump said the two were in cahoots all the same, saying that he "would be willing to bet" Cruz wrote the ad.

So Trump had to respond in kind.

"I don't let things go so easily," Trump said.

Kasich stays above the fray

All eyes were on Kasich heading into the town hall to see whether he would go after Cruz.

The Texas senator and his campaign is raising the pressure on Kasich to drop out of the race. Cruz's main super PAC launched a tough attack ad on Kasich in Wisconsin , pumping $500,000 into a spot branding him a "liberal governor."

Kasich's top strategist, John Weaver, had hit back hard on Twitter, saying: "Cruz -- with 0 friends, 0 record, 0 vision, 0 chance -- decides to lie about @johnkasich. Desperate? Trump right on 1 thing: 'lying Ted.'"

JUST WATCHED Donald Trump on Heidi Cruz photo: 'I didn't start it' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Donald Trump on Heidi Cruz photo: 'I didn't start it' 01:20

But when Kasich got on the debate stage, his typical easygoing demeanor was on display. In contrast to Trump's performance earlier in the night, Kasich didn't hesitate to criticize his staff's hardball tactics.

Of Weaver's tweet, he said: "Sometimes, he gets a little tweet-happy, and I don't like that, OK? And I will have a word with him about it."

As for the criticism from Cruz, Kasich said, "That's OK, I can take it."

In a moment that got one of the loudest cheers from the audience all night, Kasich argued that the campaign's bitter, personal moments have set a bad example for children.

"If name-calling, bringing in spouses, ripping each other below the belt and wrestling in the mud is the new politics, we all need to stand against it. Our children are watching. This is America," he said. "I'm not going to go down there. ... I could screw up, but I hope not."

Cruz gets personal

Cruz's go-to option to win over women: his mother.

"I have grown up surrounded by strong women. My mom is someone that I admire immensely," he said when a questioner asked what he was going to do to convince women to support him.

It was a rare, revealing personal moment for a candidate who focuses more on demonstrating his rock-ribbed conservatism and policy prowess.

JUST WATCHED Would Ted Cruz support Trump if he was the GOP nominee? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Would Ted Cruz support Trump if he was the GOP nominee? 01:43

He said his mother's father "was a drunk, and he didn't think women should be educated." Nonetheless, she made her way to Rice University and worked for Shell -- on the way, refusing to learn how to type so that she wouldn't have "some man stop her and say, 'Sweetheart, would you type this for me?'"

He said she wanted to be able to answer with a clean conscience: "Look, I would love to help you out, but I don't know how to type. I guess you're going to have to use me as a computer programmer, instead."

Cruz also pointed to his wife, Heidi, a Goldman Sachs executive, and said he's been surrounded by strong women his entire life, and that he believes "every issue is a women's issue."

The Texas senator wrapped up his answer by pointing to his two daughters.

"I want to make sure that they have a world that they can live in where they have the opportunity to do anything," he said.

Trump, apologize?

It took Trump some time to answer when he was asked about the last time he apologized for anything.

"Oh, wow," he said, as the audience laughed.

He finally came up with a response: "I apologized to my mother years ago for using foul language. I apologize to my wife for not being presidential on occasion. She's always saying, 'Darling, be more presidential.'"

Photos: Donald Trump's rise Photos: Donald Trump's rise President-elect Donald Trump has been in the spotlight for years. From developing real estate and producing and starring in TV shows, he became a celebrity long before winning the White House. Hide Caption 1 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump at age 4. He was born in 1946 to Fred and Mary Trump in New York City. His father was a real estate developer. Hide Caption 2 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, left, in a family photo. He was the second-youngest of five children. Hide Caption 3 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, center, stands at attention during his senior year at the New York Military Academy in 1964. Hide Caption 4 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, center, wears a baseball uniform at the New York Military Academy in 1964. After he graduated from the boarding school, he went to college. He started at Fordham University before transferring and later graduating from the Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania's business school. Hide Caption 5 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump stands with Alfred Eisenpreis, New York's economic development administrator, in 1976 while they look at a sketch of a new 1,400-room renovation project of the Commodore Hotel. After graduating college in 1968, Trump worked with his father on developments in Queens and Brooklyn before purchasing or building multiple properties in New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Those properties included Trump Tower in New York and Trump Plaza and multiple casinos in Atlantic City. Hide Caption 6 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends an event to mark the start of construction of the New York Convention Center in 1979. Hide Caption 7 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump wears a hard hat at the Trump Tower construction site in New York in 1980. Hide Caption 8 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump was married to Ivana Zelnicek Trump from 1977 to 1990, when they divorced. They had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. Hide Caption 9 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise The Trump family, circa 1986. Hide Caption 10 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump uses his personal helicopter to get around New York in 1987. Hide Caption 11 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump stands in the atrium of the Trump Tower. Hide Caption 12 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends the opening of his new Atlantic City casino, the Taj Mahal, in 1989. Hide Caption 13 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump signs his second book, "Trump: Surviving at the Top," in 1990. Trump has published at least 16 other books, including "The Art of the Deal" and "The America We Deserve." Hide Caption 14 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump and singer Michael Jackson pose for a photo before traveling to visit Ryan White, a young child with AIDS, in 1990. Hide Caption 15 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump dips his second wife, Marla Maples, after the couple married in a private ceremony in New York in December 1993. The couple divorced in 1999 and had one daughter together, Tiffany. Hide Caption 16 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump putts a golf ball in his New York office in 1998. Hide Caption 17 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise An advertisement for the television show "The Apprentice" hangs at Trump Tower in 2004. The show launched in January of that year. In January 2008, the show returned as "Celebrity Apprentice." Hide Caption 18 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise A 12-inch talking Trump doll is on display at a toy store in New York in September 2004. Hide Caption 19 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends a news conference in 2005 that announced the establishment of Trump University. From 2005 until it closed in 2010, Trump University had about 10,000 people sign up for a program that promised success in real estate. Three separate lawsuits -- two class-action suits filed in California and one filed by New York's attorney general -- argued that the program was mired in fraud and deception. Trump's camp rejected the suits' claims as "baseless." And Trump has charged that the New York case against him is politically motivated. Hide Caption 20 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends the U.S. Open tennis tournament with his third wife, Melania Knauss-Trump, and their son, Barron, in 2006. Trump and Knauss married in 2005. Hide Caption 21 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump wrestles with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania in 2007. Trump has close ties with the WWE and its CEO, Vince McMahon. Hide Caption 22 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise For "The Apprentice," Trump was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2007. Hide Caption 23 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump appears on the set of "The Celebrity Apprentice" with two of his children -- Donald Jr. and Ivanka -- in 2009. Hide Caption 24 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump poses with Miss Universe contestants in 2011. Trump had been executive producer of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants since 1996. Hide Caption 25 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise In 2012, Trump announces his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Hide Caption 26 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump speaks in Sarasota, Florida, after accepting the Statesman of the Year Award at the Sarasota GOP dinner in August 2012. It was shortly before the Republican National Convention in nearby Tampa. Hide Caption 27 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump appears on stage with singer Nick Jonas and television personality Giuliana Rancic during the 2013 Miss USA pageant. Hide Caption 28 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise In June 2015, during a speech from Trump Tower, Trump announced that he was running for President. He said he would give up "The Apprentice" to run. Hide Caption 29 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump -- flanked by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, left, and Ted Cruz -- speaks during a CNN debate in Miami on March 10. Trump dominated the GOP primaries and emerged as the presumptive nominee in May. Hide Caption 30 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise The Trump family poses for a photo in New York in April. Hide Caption 31 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump speaks during a campaign event in Evansville, Indiana, on April 28. After Trump won the Indiana primary, his last two competitors dropped out of the GOP race. Hide Caption 32 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump delivers a speech at the Republican National Convention in July, accepting the party's nomination for President. "I have had a truly great life in business," he said. "But now, my sole and exclusive mission is to go to work for our country -- to go to work for you. It's time to deliver a victory for the American people." Hide Caption 33 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump faces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the first presidential debate, which took place in Hempstead, New York, in September. Hide Caption 34 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump apologizes in a video, posted to his Twitter account in October, for vulgar and sexually aggressive remarks he made a decade ago regarding women. "I said it, I was wrong and I apologize," Trump said, referring to lewd comments he made during a previously unaired taping of "Access Hollywood." Multiple Republican leaders rescinded their endorsements of Trump after the footage was released. Hide Caption 35 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump walks on stage with his family after he was declared the election winner on November 9. "Ours was not a campaign, but rather, an incredible and great movement," he told his supporters in New York. Hide Caption 36 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump is joined by his family as he is sworn in as President on January 20. Hide Caption 37 of 37

What really bothered Melania Trump , he said, was the time he'd repeated an audience member's vulgar description of Cruz.

Trump joked about the constant controversies surrounding his decisions to amplify the remarks of his supporters. Dismissing the Cruz remark, he said that "it was just a repeat, but that didn't work out too well."

"My biggest problems are repeats and retweets. I don't get in a problem with what I say -- it's when I repeat something. I think I'm gonna be careful," he said.

Cooper suggested that Trump could "learn from behavior and not retweet things."

Laughing, Trump said, "I know. That I agree. That I agree."