ABC News announced Tuesday that it will cancel the upcoming Republican presidential debate after Nikki Haley decided not to participate unless former President Donald Trump does.
That left Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the only candidate who agreed to participate in Thursday’s debate.
“We’ve had five big debates in this campaign. Unfortunately, Donald Trump has avoided them all. He has nowhere to hide. The next debate I have will be between Donald Trump or Joe Biden. I can’t wait,” Haley said.
Haley’s statement came the day after the Iowa caucuses, where Trump won big over Haley and DeSantis. DeSantis finished second in Iowa, leaving Haley in third place.
Haley’s decision also casts doubt on another debate in New Hampshire that was scheduled to be broadcast on CNN on Sunday.
DeSantis said on social media platform X that Haley is afraid of the debate because she doesn’t want to answer difficult questions. According to him, Haley wants to become Trump’s vice president.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung on Tuesday called Haley a “desperate globalist who wants higher taxes, open borders and Chinese dominance of the United States.”
“That’s why the only people who will vote for him will be Democrats who try to interfere in the Republican primaries,” argued Steven Cheung.
2024-01-17 03:26:00
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