Iowa Caucus 2024: DeSantis, Haley face off in debate showdown to emerge as Trump alternative

Republican presidential rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley will square off on Wednesday in their first head-to-head debate as they fight to emerge as the clear alternative to frontrunner Donald Trump in the race for the party's White House nomination.

DeSantis and Haley have little time left to halt Trump's march towards the nomination, with the former U.S. president holding sizeable leads in opinion polls just five days before voting begins in Iowa on Monday.

In their battle to become the lone challenger to Trump, Haley and DeSantis have been intensifying attacks on each other in recent days and are expected to unleash furious salvos in the CNN debate, which begins at 9 p.m. ET (0200 GMT).

Two polls released on Tuesday showed Haley cutting Trump's lead in the second state due to pick its Republican candidate, New Hampshire, where a primary will be held on Jan. 23. DeSantis is trailing in fourth place there, polling averages show, while he and Haley are essentially tied for second in Iowa.

Wednesday's prime-time debate in Des Moines will allow Haley, who served as United Nations ambassador under Trump, and DeSantis, the governor of Florida, to draw the sharpest contrasts between themselves yet after other candidates failed to qualify to join them on stage.