What To Watch for in Wednesday’s Republican Primary Debate

On Wednesday evening, Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will square off in a head-to-head debate in Des Moines, Iowa, as they battle to emerge as the clear alternative to front-runner and former President Donald Trump.

Key Details: The debate comes before the Iowa Caucuses, which will be held on Monday, January 15th, as the first-in-the-nation test for the Republican candidates. According to RealClearPolitics (Center bias), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley are statistically tied at 16%, with Trump leading at 52%. The event is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be hosted by CNN (Lean Left bias).

Key Quote: "The debate will be their last and best chance to tell Iowa caucus-goers why they deserve to be the alternative to former President Trump and why they should have a head-to-head shot at him," said Jimmy Centers, an Iowa-based Republican strategist unaffiliated with a campaign.

Ron DeSantis: DeSantis has focused on Iowa to keep his campaign alive over other early-voting states. He is expected to attack Haley for her recent comments regarding the cause of the Civil War and on issues such as recruiting Chinese businesses when she was governor of South Carolina.

Nikki Haley: Haley has been campaigning in Iowa on her hawkish foreign policy, which is at odds with DeSantis and Trump, who are more isolationist. She is expected to tout her vision for the country, attack Trump, and highlight general election polls from December, showing her easily beating President Joe Biden.

How the Media Covered it: Sources on the right often focused on how DeSantis will confront Haley, and sources on the left often focused on how Haley will keep the pressure on Trump.