What to know for the Haley-DeSantis Iowa debate

The Big Story 

GOP rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are set to take the CNN debate stage in Iowa Wednesday, with less than a week before the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

© AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Pressure is mounting for Haley and DeSantis to pull off a strong showing in Iowa. The rivals are set to face off Wednesday in the first debate — hosted by CNN — that is not sanctioned by the Republican National Committee. 

Here’s what you need to know ahead of CNN’s debate in Iowa. 

Who will be on stage:

Haley, DeSantis, and former President Trump were the only GOP candidates to qualify for the debate stage under CNN’s higher requirements. 

Trump is skipping Wednesday’s debate — declining to attend every presidential debate, so far — and will instead appear at a town hall hosted by Fox News in Iowa. That leaves Haley and DeSantis to take each other on. 

To qualify for the debate, contenders needed to poll at a minimum of 10 percent in three national or Iowa polls, including one approved CNN poll of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters.

Those qualifications knocked out former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.  

How to watch:

The network is scheduled to hold two presidential primary debates this month, with the first kicking off tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET in Des Moines, Iowa.  Both debates will air live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN Max. 

CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper will be moderating Wednesday’s debate.

Where Haley and DeSantis stand ahead of Iowa:

DeSantis has focused much of his campaign on the Hawkeye State, where he leads Haley with 17.5 percent support, according to polling Decision Desk HQ and The Hill. But Haley is narrowing the gap against the Florida governor, coming in at 16.9 percent in the latest poll. 

Trump still towers over his opponents with 52.3 percent support, but Haley and DeSantis are eyeing Iowa as their first opportunity to solidify their place as the top alternative to Trump in the race. 

Haley has had a few stumbles lately, including her comments about the Civil War and her attempts to address the remarks. The former U.N ambassador has also faced criticism after suggesting that New Hampshire voters would “correct” Iowa in the primary.

As The Hill’s Julia Manchester notes this morning, while Haley is looking to outperform in the Hawkeye State, the real test is likely to take place in New Hampshire and South Carolina. 

“If [Trump] does not break 50 percent, that’s going to be significant, and where Nikki comes in and how close is going to be critical,” New Hampshire-based GOP strategist Matthew Bartlett told Julia. 

Trump’s Fox News town hall:

Meanwhile, Trump is set to participate in a town hall with Fox News at the same time as CNN’s debate. Fox News scheduled town halls for Haley on Monday, DeSantis on Tuesday and caps it off with one on Wednesday with the former president. 

Trump has snubbed every GOP debate and held competing events at the same time, depriving his rivals of a key opportunity to go after the former president on the same stage. The dueling events have often created a split screen for voters, curbing viewership around the primary debates as a result.  

Yet, as The Hill’s Brett Samuels noted, that doesn’t mean that Trump’s campaign is ignoring Haley as she’s grown momentum in New Hampshire.

Both he and DeSantis have turned their firepower on the former U.N. ambassador, with Trump’s campaign slamming her as a “globalist” and deriding her as “Birdbrain” while DeSantis’s campaign has sought to seize on her comments over the Civil War and the idea that New Hampshire would “correct” Iowa. 

“I don’t see any world where we still need oxygen that Nikki Haley is asked to be the vice president,” Sean Spicer, a former Trump White House press secretary, told Brett. “I don’t think she wants it, I don’t think he wants her, and I think there’s a lot of other options that make a lot more sense.” 

“I think the reason they are doing what they are doing is … this all comes down to his margin of victory,” Spicer noted to Brett. “If Trump can win decisively in Iowa and New Hampshire, I think, for all intents and purposes, the race is over.” 

Welcome to The Hill’s Campaign Report, I’m Caroline Vakil. Each week we track the key stories you need to know to stay ahead of the 2024 election and who will set the agenda in Washington. 

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Essential Reads 

Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage:

Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers backs Trump

How to watch CNN’s Republican presidential debate in Iowa

‘He doesn’t give a damn about people:’ Biden campaign hits Trump comments on economy crashing

The Countdown 

Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:

•  6 days until the Iowa presidential caucuses

•  14 days until the New Hampshire presidential primary

•  301 days until the 2024 general election

On Our Watch 

© AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Former President Trump appeared in federal court Tuesday in Washington, D.C. as a panel of three judges weighed whether Trump could claim immunity privileges. Special counsel Jack Smith charged the former president last summer on several conspiracy charges for attempting to overturn the last presidential election results.  

As The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch, Zach Schonfeld and Ella Lee reported, Trump’s lawyers argued that because the Senate failed to convict him following the House’s impeachment trial, he could be tried, but the panel appeared to disagree with the Trump team’s defense. 

The case comes less than a week before the Iowa caucuses, where Trump firmly holds a lead in the Hawkeye State despite four separate indictments.  

Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley has shown more momentum in recent weeks in New Hampshire, though it has raised questions about whether she’ll be able to ultimately topple Trump there or later in the primary. 

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

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Full Story

Judges skeptical of Trump arguments for broad criminal immunity

A three-judge panel during a hearing Tuesday appeared broadly skeptical of former President Trump’s claims that he enjoys broad presidential immunity from prosecution on charges related to the 2020 presidential election. Trump’s lawyers took a firm position, arguing former presidents such as Trump can only face prosecution if they are first impeached and then convicted by the Senate. They have asked the court to toss …

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Around the Nation 

Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections:

• Nikki Haley picks up caucus endorsement from longtime Iowa Republican donor and fundraiser (Des Moines Register)

• Democratic presidential candidates focus on Biden in New Hampshire debate (WMUR)

What We’re Reading 

Election news we’ve flagged from other outlets:

• Say it ain’t snow. Iowa’s forecast is terrible and it’s impacting the campaign (Politico)

• Trump trades Iowa rallies for day in court in preview of campaign to come (The Washington Post)

Elsewhere Today 

Key stories on The Hill right now:

Trump team argues assassination of rivals is covered by presidential immunity 

Former President Trump’s legal team suggested Tuesday that even a president directing SEAL Team Six to kill a political opponent would be an action barred from prosecution given a former executive’s broad immunity to criminal prosecution. The hypothetical was presented to Trump attorney John Sauer who answered with a “qualified yes” … Read more

Austin’s undisclosed surgery was for prostate cancer, Pentagon says

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent surgery to combat prostate cancer, in an initial Dec. 22 hospital visit he kept secret from the White House, the Pentagon revealed Tuesday.   The cancer was detected during a routinely recommended health screening Austin had in early December, according to a statement from doctors … Read more

What People Think 

Opinions related to campaigns and elections submitted to The Hill:

• The calculus for Democrats is clear — Biden needs to step aside, now 

• Biden and Trump are right about each other — America should reject them both  

• Matthews: The 2024 election results could be challenged — no matter who wins 

You’re all caught up. See you next time!