(Des Moines, IA) — Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis squared off in the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses as Donald Trump held his own town hall in the state. In a debate hosted by CNN in Des Moines, Haley and DeSantis took a number of jabs at one another as they battle to become the top alternative to Trump. The two candidates sparred over foreign policy, abortion and the crisis at the southern border, and called out the former president for refusing to participate in any of the debates. Haley said another Trump presidency would be “four more years of chaos.”
The debate came just hours after Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dropped out of the race and pleaded with voters not to support Trump. Former President Trump, in his own town hall even last night, says he is “not exactly worried” about Nikki Haley receiving a boost in the GOP polls following the exit of Chris Christie. During the town hall event on Fox News, Trump said that he has won New Hampshire twice, and thinks he will continue to do well in the state.
He added that the bigger story wasn’t even Christie dropping out of the race, but the hot mic incident that captured the former New Jersey Governor saying he thought Haley would get “smoked” in the race.
The Iowa caucuses are set for Monday.