Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will be the only individuals debating on stage Wednesday as the increasingly push their message and present themselves as a viable alternative to former President Donald J Trump.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley receives endorsement from the influential Koch Network for the 2024 race in a bid to best other Republican candidates.
Both Haley and DeSantis believe that a strong debate perforamnce in Iowa will lfit their campaigns before the Monday caucus, and analysts believe showing there would provide a needed boost in momentum in their campaigns for the GOP presidential nomination, reports AP.
Recently Nikki Haley, born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa to Indian immigrants and raised in South Carolina, was the youngest governor in the history of South Carolina and served as a UN ambassador, recently unleashed a series of faux pas by failing to mention slavery in describing the reason the south attempted to secede from the United States, which is historically recognized as the cause of the Civil War.
She also reportedly said that New Hampshire voters would have a chance to Correct whatever results emerged in Iowa. Donald Trump is still the overwhelming front runner in the GOP nomination for the presidency. Trump will skip the CNN debate and will appear on Fox News instead.
"Now she's in a situation where she's getting scrutiny, and it's almost like every day she answers questions, something happens where she's putting her foot in her mouth," DeSantis told reporters.
A poll conducted by CNN and the University of New Hampshire suggests Haley is closing in on Trump in that state. Nearly 40 percent of voters in the state chose Trump, while a third picked Haley.
A day after appearing to dismiss slavery as the cause of the Civil War, Haley would say "of course" slavery was the root cause. However, opponents have been keen to lean into the Civil War quip since she initially said it.
DeSantis' campaign would later post a clip on X with the comment, "DAY 9 of Nikki Haley trying to clean up her Civil War gaffe" and pointing to a quote from her response: "I had Black friends growing up." HNGN will continue to report on this issue as more details become available.
