Presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are scheduled to compete in a debate Wednesday night in Iowa, competing to unseat each other before the Jan. 15 caucuses.
The two alternatives to Donald Trump have clashed in recent weeks. Haley has risen in the polls to challenge DeSantis in Iowa, the first state in the nation where she sees a path forward to defeating the former president.
The White House hopeful is eligible to debate with Trump, but the 77-year-old GOP frontrunner will skip out to hold his own town hall with Fox News.
DeSantis strategy
DeSantis, 44, performed well in Iowa and promised he could win the state, even though polls show Trump averaging a 30-point lead, per RealClearPolitics.
Haley, 51, averages just 2% behind DeSantis in the Hawkeye State, so knocking him off in the debate would be a big boost to her campaign.
Her campaign has hinted at how the Florida governor will attack Haley, releasing an ad on Monday highlighting her recent missteps about how New Hampshire voters “corrected” the Iowa caucuses.
DeSantis will likely try to juxtapose his more traditional Iowa ground game approach with Haley’s “jokes” about Iowa voters and perhaps mention his famous moment where he failed to mention slavery as a cause of the Civil War.
Haley and DeSantis have had the chance to debate each other at four GOP debates, but this will be the first time they will debate. Reuters
He focused on Haley’s remarks in a conversation with reporters on Monday.
“With Nikki Haley, her flippant comments and insulting comments in New Hampshire saying that Iowans are going to be corrected by another state, you know, I think is very, very damaging, because I think it plays into this arrogance about people in the middle of the country who somehow , you know, they don’t count or they have to be corrected by someone else,” DeSantis said.
The DeSantis campaign has also previously attacked Haley by claiming she is aiming to be Trump’s Vice President, arguing that she is too liberal and pointing to her China ties — all attacks that could be resurrected on stage.
Haley’s plan of attack
The former UN ambassador will likely hold back at the debate and play more defensive until he has a chance to strike back, as he has at previous GOP debates.
Heading into the debate, Haley has stepped up her attacks on Trump and President Biden and has accused DeSantis of being “desperate” and “lying” about his record of liking Hillary Clinton.
Haley recently accused DeSantis of “lying” about his record of liking Hillary Clinton because she “lost.” JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Haley’s campaign has been pushing Trump to participate in the debate, suggesting they see an opportunity to challenge the former president directly.
“Nikki wins over voters every time they hear her vision for a strong and proud America. He’s tough, genuine and focused, and voters love him. With the debate down to just two, the time for Donald Trump to hide is almost over,” Haley spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas told The Post.
Haley was more coy than DeSantis in announcing specific goals in Iowa and said she wanted a “good showing” in the state, not necessarily a win. His supporter New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu predicted he would have a “strong moment”.
Her campaign has emphasized her polling numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire and has pointed to her “momentum” as evidence that she is the best alternative to Trump.
Haley has also knocked DeSantis for his failure to climb the polls and possibly show numbers at the debate.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
