Haley and DeSantis face off for five takeaways

Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley clashed in a tense debate Wednesday, days before the Iowa caucuses.

Donald Trump, the front-runner in the race for the party’s 2024 nomination, chose not to run again and held a Fox News town hall at the same time.

Iowa is the first state to decide who will run for the Republican Party in the general election against Democratic President Joe Biden in November.

Both DeSantis and Haley, trailing Trump in the Iowa polls, hope Monday’s strong second-place finish in the state will breathe new life into their campaigns.

Here’s what we learned when they faced off on stage in Des Moines.

Things started to heat up when the pair exchanged insults in their first responses.

DeSantis, 45, opened the proceedings by calling his opponent “another elder statesman who tells you what you want to hear.”

Haley responded, pointing out what she called DeSantis’ repeated “lies.”

“You’re going to find out a lot of Ron’s lies,” she said.

There have been four previous Republican debates, but this one hosted by CNN at Drake University resulted in the most direct attacks and angry exchanges.

Republicans in Iowa appeared to be hoping to kickstart the next phase of the race, giving both men a decisive blow before choosing their preferred presidential candidate on Monday. The theme of the night? Attack, attack attack.

The former president held an event with his supporters five kilometers away while the two candidates battled it out on stage.

The issue of his absence and his leadership in the election was surprisingly discussed. DeSantis accused the former president of “running to his problems” and ignoring the needs of American families.

He said Trump “spewed words” on social media and cast doubt on his ability to overcome the legal battles he faces.

Conversely, Haley reiterated that she does not believe Trump is a “fit president in the future.”

Both have been more vocal in their criticism of him than in previous debates, targeting his handling of issues ranging from the pandemic to border security and relations with China.

At his own event in Des Moines, Trump took aim at both candidates and spoke of their “overwhelming” support in Iowa.

In addition, her campaign sent several emails criticizing Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis on a number of issues during the race debate, including Ms. DeSantis’ “childish” foreign policy positions.

Border security and immigration have come up frequently, reflecting polls showing top concerns for Republican voters in Iowa and across the US.

DeSantis urged the crowd not to “trust” Haley on immigration.

“It’s like a fox raising chickens,” he said, referring to the term “illegal alien” as “respectable.”

Haley has often taken a more nuanced tone on the issue, addressing the root causes of migration in Central and South America and touting her identity as a former UN ambassador.

He said, however, that undocumented immigrants should be deported for “jumping the line.”

The war in Ukraine proved to be one of the most contentious issues of the night, with both candidates sparring with each other over their positions on the conflict.

Haley initially attacked DeSantis for supporting US funding to Ukraine, but later reversed her stance.

“No one knows what he believes,” she said.

“I will tell you why Ukraine is important. It is a freedom-loving country,” he said, adding that it is a “friend” of the United States and that US support “prevents war”.

In response, DeSantis called for an end to the war, saying “people like Nikki Haley are more concerned about the Ukrainian border than our southern border.”

The conflict over Ukraine reflects a wider divide in the Republican Party, divided over US foreign policy and continued aid to Ukraine.

The estimated 200 spectators at the arena in Des Moines were far from applauding, but DeSantis appeared to get his fair share of applause.

Some of his comments, including a moment when he described Ms. Haley as having a “ballistic podiatry” (in other words, shooting herself in the foot) problem, were well received in the room.

This is not surprising, as Iowa is considered more favorable to him than other states such as New Hampshire, where another Republican race will take place and where Nikki Haley is expected to do well.

Haley had some memorable moments and won applause as she described the riots in the capital on January 6, 2021 as a “terrible day”.

Afterward, his campaign team and supporters said they saw the event as a rousing victory heading into the New Hampshire primary.

“Tonight was a victory,” Texas congressman Will Hurd told the BBC. “More people Googled Nikki Haley than Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump. His momentum continues.”

But in a room away from the venue, in his private city hall, in front of a crowd of supporters, Trump experienced a strong backlash. His supporters chanted “We love you” throughout the event and he shook hands for more than 10 minutes.

If DeSantis and Haley want to mount a serious challenge to the former president, they will need to get some of that away from Ivens before Monday’s crucial caucuses.