Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are squaring off in the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses on Monday, making their final pitch to a national audience before the 2024 nomination process kicks into high gear.
Quick Read
Key points from the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses:
- Final Pitch: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley made their final pitches to a national audience at the debate hosted by CNN at Drake University in Des Moines.
- Trump’s Absence: Former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, declined to participate in the debate, opting instead for a town hall with Fox News.
- Policy Discussions: The debate covered taxes, inflation, immigration, Ukraine, and Israel. Both candidates reiterated their policy positions while accusing each other of being untrustworthy.
- Mutual Accusations: DeSantis called Haley a “mealy-mouthed politician,” and Haley retorted that Republicans “can’t trust what Ron is saying.”
- Excluded Candidates: Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Asa Hutchinson did not meet CNN’s thresholds for participation. Christie announced his withdrawal from the race earlier in the evening.
- Iowa’s Importance: The Iowa caucuses are seen as crucial for DeSantis, who has invested heavily in the state. Polls show Trump with a significant lead in Iowa.
- Haley’s Focus on New Hampshire: Haley has concentrated her efforts on New Hampshire, which holds its primary soon after Iowa, with some polls showing her narrowing the gap with Trump.
- Challenges to Trump: Both Haley and DeSantis called on Trump to participate in the debate, with Haley accusing him of hiding and DeSantis suggesting Trump is scared to defend his record.
- Immigration Debate: DeSantis challenged Haley on her past comments about undocumented immigrants and the border wall, while Haley defended her record, emphasizing context.
- Support for Israel: The candidates reaffirmed their support for Israel but differed on approaches, including the two-state solution and U.S. aid.
- Campaign Spending Critique: Haley criticized DeSantis’s campaign spending, questioning his management skills and visibility in key states other than Iowa.
- Social Security Discussion: The debate touched on Social Security, with DeSantis opposing raising the retirement age and Haley advocating for changes for younger Americans.
- Tense Exchanges: The debate saw tense moments, especially around Social Security, reflecting the high stakes and competitive nature of the GOP nomination race.
The Associated Press has the story:
Highlights from Republican debate: DeSantis and Haley face off in Iowa
Newslooks- DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) —
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are squaring off in the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses on Monday, making their final pitch to a national audience before the 2024 nomination process kicks into high gear.
The debate is being hosted by CNN at Drake University in Des Moines, and live-streamed on CNN.com. Former President Donald Trump, the clear front-runner in the GOP presidential race, declined to appear on stage with his two rivals, and instead held a town hall with Fox News at the same time.
The first half of the debate featured questions about taxes, inflation, immigration, Ukraine and Israel, with both candidates reciting now-familiar policy positions while arguing that the other can’t be trusted. Both candidates accused each other of lying to voters and misrepresenting their record, with DeSantis calling Haley a “mealy mouthed politician,” and Haley saying that Republicans “can’t trust what Ron is saying.”
Haley, DeSantis and Trump were the only three candidates to qualify for the debate stage. Three candidates — former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson — did not meet CNN’s thresholds to appear. Christie announced earlier Wednesday evening that he was dropping out of the race and urged Republican voters to reject Trump.
The Iowa caucuses could prove to be a make-or-break contest for DeSantis, who has devoted much of his time and money to competing in the Hawkeye State. But Trump has enjoyed a commanding lead in the state, one which has widened since September, according to the latest CBS News polling from December. Fifty-eight percent of likely GOP caucus-goers said they would vote for Trump, while 22% supported DeSantis and 13% backed Haley.
Haley, meanwhile, has largely staked her chances on New Hampshire, which holds its first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. Some polls have shown her narrowing the gap with Trump in the Granite State, although the former president still enjoys a healthy lead.
Both Haley and DeSantis called on Trump to show up to the debate. Haley accused Trump of hiding, while the DeSantis campaign said Trump is “scared” to defend his record.
We’ll be adding the biggest highlights from the debate below as the night unfolds.
DeSantis and Haley trade barbs over truthfulness to kick off debate
The two candidates wasted little time before launching into critiques of one another on a stage that seemed empty compared to past debates, though both treaded lightly when it came to the former president, whose lead looms large over the contest.
DeSantis began by claiming that while he’s running to pursue voter issues, Haley is running to serve her donors.
“We don’t need another mealy mouthed politician who tells you what she thinks you want to hear, just to try to get your vote, then to get into office and to do her donors’ bidding,” DeSantis said.
After briefly highlighting her record and arguing that the country needs a leader with her experience, Haley quickly launched into fierce critiques of the Florida governor, saying his “campaign is exploding.” She accused him of going back on his policies and touted a website that she says features at least two dozen lies he’s told about her.
“Every time he lies, Drake University, don’t turn this into a drinking game, because you will be overserved by the end of the night,” Haley said.
DeSantis puts Haley on the defensive over immigration
Haley and DeSantis trade blows on immigration policy by CNN on YouTube
DeSantis forced Haley to clarify comments she’s made related to immigration, bringing up remarks she has made about undocumented immigrants and the border wall.
“Do not trust Nikki Haley with illegal immigration. That’s like having the fox guard the henhouse. She’s on tape at the Aspen Institute — she’ll say she didn’t say it — she was chastising conservatives saying it’s disrespectful to illegal aliens to say that they’re criminals,” DeSantis said.
Debate moderator Jake Tapper read Haley’s 2015 quote to her in which she said: “We don’t need to talk about them as criminals. They’re not. They’re families that want a better life and they’re desperate to get here.”
When asked whether she still feels that way, Haley said, “That doesn’t mean we should let them into our country.”
DeSantis also accused Haley of opposing construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2016, saying she ridiculed it.
Haley said DeSantis was leaving out context.
“I said, you can’t just build a wall. You have to do more than build a wall. It was having the wall and everything else. You can’t trust what Ron is saying,” she said.
Both candidates reiterate support for Israel, and Haley hits DeSantis for campaigning with “anti-Israel” congressman
When the moderators turned to the Israel-Hamas war, DeSantis was quick to criticize the Biden administration for “kneecapping” Israel, saying the country needs U.S. support “in word and in deed, in public and in private” and insisting that “they need to be able to finish the job.”
The Florida governor highlighted what he called a disagreement between Haley and himself on the issue, saying she supported a two-state solution when she was ambassador to the United Nations, while he argued that a two-state solution wouldn’t lead to a “lasting peace.” A two-state solution would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“Under no circumstances as president am I going to pressure Israel to risk their security to do a so-called two-state solution,” DeSantis said. “She was wrong when she embraced that and we’re right to say we trust Israel to make these decisions.”
In response, Haley said she had acknowledged during her time working with the U.N. that a two-state solution wasn’t possible because the two sides wouldn’t come to the table. And she reiterated that “right now, we have to make sure that Israel has the support it needs.”
Haley took the opportunity to criticize DeSantis for bringing “the most anti-Israel Republican” in Congress to campaign with him in Iowa, an apparent reference to Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who recently voted against a House resolution condemning anti-semitism.
“That’s your friend,” Haley said.
Haley hits DeSantis on campaign spending
Haley launched an attack on DeSantis’ ability to effectively lead the country, criticizing his campaign for burning through money while stagnating in the polls.
“Leadership is about getting things done. How did you blow through $150 million in your campaign and you were down in the polls?” she asked. “You are not a manager.”
She said his campaign has been “a revolving door” and cited reports that his strategists nearly came to blows.
“He spent more on private planes and commercials,” she said. “I flew commercial. I stayed in Residence Inns, and we went and saved our money. We made sure we spent it right, because you have to understand it’s not your money. It’s other people’s money and you have to know how to handle it. If he can’t handle the financial parts of a campaign, how is he going to handle the economy when it comes to the White House?”
She also mocked him for not putting more effort into campaigning in states other than Iowa.
“You’re invisible in New Hampshire. You’re invisible in South Carolina,” she said. “You’ve got $150 million, and you’ve gone down in the polls in Iowa. Why should we think you can manage or do anything in this country?”
DeSantis responded, “This is a great window into leadership, but she’s focused on a lot of political process stuff. Things that no voter cares about.”
Haley: “Ron’s lying because Ron’s losing”
‘You’re so desperate’: Haley and DeSantis exchange jabs over Social Security by CNN on YouTube
Tensions reached an apex when DeSantis and Haley sparred over Social Security. The moderators highlighted projections that the entitlement program will be unable to pay Americans full benefits in a decade without government action.
DeSantis pointed to the country’s “collapsing life expectancy,” arguing that it would be a “huge problem” to raise the retirement age and delay Social Security benefits.
“I would never raise the retirement age in the face of declining life expectancy,” DeSantis pledged when pressed.
Haley had a more sober outlook, saying the government must keep its promise to seniors, while she noted that “we also can’t put our head in the sand.” She argued that people like DeSantis who say they won’t touch Social Security will “leave it in bankruptcy.”
Haley advocated for changing the retirement age for younger Americans. And DeSantis took the opportunity to accuse her of putting foreign bureaucrats over seniors when it comes to allocating tax dollars, which Haley promptly pushed back on, prompting a broader confrontation.
“I think part of the problem with her candidacy is now that she’s getting scrutiny, she has this problem with ballistic podiatry — shooting herself in the foot every other day,” DeSantis said.
“He can call me whatever name and be demeaning as much as he wants, it doesn’t change the fact that Ron’s lying because Ron’s losing,” Haley quipped back. “Everybody in the country sees it for what it is.”
