Haley, DeSantis Attend 5th GOP Debate
Five days before the Republican primary for the 2024 presidential election kicks off, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took part in the party's fifth presidential debate in the state of Iowa....
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Facts
- Five days before the Republican primary for the 2024 presidential election kicks off, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took part in the party's fifth presidential debate in the state of Iowa.1
- CNN hosted the debate at Drake University in Des Moines, and DeSantis started off the night by saying that former Pres. Donald Trump is running to 'pursue his issues' and Haley is 'pursu[ing] her donors' issues,' declaring that he's running to fight for voters and 'turn this country around.'2
- Haley argued that the US 'need[s] a new generational leader,' citing her 'executive experience' as a two-term governor and her time at the United Nations. Haley accused DeSantis of being 'mad about the donors' because 'they used to be with him' while accusing the Florida governor of repeatedly lying.2
- Both DeSantis and Haley criticized Trump — who declined CNN's invitation to take part in the debate — for not sharing the stage with the candidates. DeSantis commented that the former president was not 'entitled to your vote,' and Haley claimed a second Trump term would 'be four more years of chaos.'3
- Instead of taking part in the debate, Trump chose to take part in a Fox News town hall — with the event also taking place in Des Moines. The town hall was Trump's first live appearance on Fox News since 2022.4
- Recent nationwide polling by Reuters/Ipsos — which contained a margin of error of plus or minus 3% and surveyed approximately 1.9K Republicans between Jan. 3-9 — places Trump's support at 49%, followed by 12% for Nikki Haley, 11% for Ron DeSantis, and 4% for entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.5
Sources: 1Associated Press (a), 2CNN (a), 3CNN (b), 4Associated Press (b) and 5reuters.com.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by New York Post. Haley was the clear winner of CNN's debate — oozing confidence and continually exposing an uncomfortable-looking DeSantis for his false claims. Although neither a final nail in the coffin for the Florida governor nor anywhere near enough for Haley to bridge the polling gap against Trump, the former South Carolina leader — who's likely to be propelled forward following Chris Christie's recent exit from the race — gave a strong and assured performance.
- Narrative B, as provided by Daily Mail. With a focus on the upcoming Iowa caucus dominating DeSantis' campaign strategy, the Florida governor produced a signature performance against Haley which will leave his supporters hopeful that this is just the beginning of a campaign revival. The last chance to convince a national audience before the public can begin the GOP nomination process, DeSantis may have secured himself as the clear alternative candidate to the Trump-dominated Republican support base.
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by The Epoch Times. While Haley and DeSantis traded vicious blows on the debate stage in a desperate attempt to prove themselves as the secondary Republican option, Trump calmly enjoyed a fruitful evening with Fox News. The former president continues to handsomely lead GOP support, and despite DeSantis and Haley insistently fighting for survival, the nomination race continues to be over before it ever began.
