5 Notable Moments From Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley's Fifth GOP Debate

These Are Some Top Moments From Nikki Haley And Ron DeSantis' Debate

In a showdown on the night of January 10, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis went head-to-head in their first one-on-one debate for the 2024 Republican primary. The debate, held at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, witnessed heated exchanges between the two contenders as they delved into discussions about their government records and various policy positions. Notably, former President Donald Trump, the sole additional qualifier for the debate, chose an alternative route by participating in a Fox News town hall. Here are five noteworthy highlights from the debate.

1. Haley Consistently Promoted The Website "DeSantis Lies"

In a counter move, Haley retaliated by alleging that DeSantis harbors jealousy towards her campaign's accomplishments and resorts to repeated dishonesty out of desperation. She then pointed towards a website her campaign established, ‘DeSantis Lies’. This platform is designed to compile what she asserts are DeSantis's major lies about both his and her records, as reported by The Hill. Haley emphatically urged voters to visit the website several times, emphasizing that there are at least two dozen lies that he has propagated about her. Meanwhile, the website says, “The more Ron DeSantis loses, the more he lies. Get the facts about Ron DeSantis’ latest lies about Nikki Haley’s record and his own."

2. Haley Criticizes DeSantis For His Management Of The Campaign

At the CNN Republican debate in Des Moines on Wednesday, the former U.N. Ambassador took a swipe at Florida Governor DeSantis regarding the condition of his campaign. According to The Hill, she said, "The best way to tell about a candidate is to see how they run their campaign. He has blown through 150 million dollars. I don’t even know how you do that.” She asserts that he's invested more funds in private planes than in commercials aimed at persuading Iowans to vote for him. "If you can’t manage a campaign, how are you going to manage a country?” she further stated. DeSantis, however, did not respond to her criticism.

3. DeSantis Questions Haley About Her Stance On The Gas Tax

The feud between DeSantis and Haley is a major focus. DeSantis launched a rapid series of criticisms against Haley right at the start of the debate, alleging her support for a gas tax increase in South Carolina. In response, Haley denied raising the tax. To this, DeSantis said, "You tried. You're on video." In a counter move, Haley urged viewers to visit the website DeSantisLies.com to counteract his assertions about her, according to NBC News. She further stated, “So I can tell you that we killed the gas tax multiple times. But what we said is if you want to raise the gas tax, you have to reduce the income tax by five times that amount." 

4. Haley And DeSantis Provide Their Perspectives On Trump's Immunity Claims

Continuing the discussion, both contenders were prompted to share their opinions on whether Trump possesses the qualities necessary to be President once more. Additionally, they provided their stance on the arguments put forth by Trump's legal team, asserting "presidential immunity" and seeking protection from prosecution for charges linked to the 2020 election. “That’s ridiculous. That’s ridiculous. We need to use some common sense. You can’t go and kill a political rival and then claim immunity from a president,” Haley said. DeSantis, according to Time Magazine, expressed his disagreement with Trump's assertion of presidential immunity.

5. Haley And DeSantis Trade Criticisms Regarding Israel And Foreign Policy

Haley and DeSantis highlighted significant disparities in their foreign policy perspectives, particularly on issues such as Ukraine's reaction to Russia's invasion, according to ABC News. "Nobody knows what he believes, because when President [Barack] Obama was in office, he supported foreign aid to Ukraine. Now he's copying Trump and trying to act like he doesn't want to support Ukraine," Haley said while speaking about DeSantis. In one of her critiques against him, she aimed DeSantis for campaigning in Iowa with the most anti-Israel Republican. She said, “But it’s really rich that Ron is going to act like he suddenly cares for Israel when he brought the person to Iowa, that’s the most anti-Israel Republican."