Haley and Desantis heavily criticized each other at the Republican debate

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron Desantis tried to portray themselves as better alternatives to Donald Trump during the Republican debate.

However, instead of focusing on the former president, they attacked each other.

In the first few minutes of the debate, Desantis and Haley called each other liars and insulted their opponent’s accomplishments and character.

“What makes us think you can run anything or get anything done in this country?” – Haley questioned.

Desantis accused Haley of being controlled by big donors and taking fickle positions on conservative issues.

“We don’t need another sweet-voiced politician who just tells you what she thinks you want to hear just to get your vote, and then once in office, does the bidding of her donors,” Desantis said of Haley.

The central role the U.S. is playing in the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas has been a clear watershed between Haley and Desantis.

Haley has vigorously defended sending aid to Ukraine and Israel.

Desantis accused her of being more concerned about Ukraine’s border than the U.S. southern border.

“You can take the ambassador out of the U.N., but you can’t take the U.N. out of the ambassador,” Desantis said sarcastically. Haley is a former U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations.

“This is about preventing war,” she said. – It can only be done by focusing on national security, not by telling the American people the lie that they have to choose one thing. That is wrong.”

“She supports the $106 billion appropriation that they’re trying to get through Congress,” Desantis commented on Haley’s position, referring to the requested foreign aid package.

“They spent tens of billions of dollars to pay the salaries of Ukrainian government bureaucrats. They paid pensions to Ukrainian pensioners at the expense of your taxes,” Desantis added.

“First of all, I never said we should pay Ukrainians salaries or benefits or anything else,” Haley parried. – I did not support the aid package. I support sending equipment called ammunition to Ukraine. I think it’s critical that we be honest and say we need to focus on national security.”

The debate came just hours after former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Wednesday ended his run for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

Christie made the decision after he failed to garner support for a campaign based on criticizing the policies and character of race leader Donald Trump.

There is little time left for candidates to establish themselves as an alternative to Donald Trump: a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found the former president has the support of 49 percent of Republicans, well ahead of second-place Haley (12 percent).

The Republican nominating primaries will be held in Iowa on Monday.

In the race to become Trump’s main rival, Haley and Desantis have stepped up their mutual criticism in recent days.

Two polls released Tuesday showed Haley closing the gap to Trump in the second state to choose its Republican nominee, New Hampshire, where the primary will be held Jan. 23. Desantis is in fourth place there, polling averages show, while she and Haley are virtually tied in Iowa.

Desantis, running his campaign, is banking on convincing results in Iowa. He has traveled to all 99 counties in that state and is appealing to evangelical Christian voters, who make up a large voting bloc here.

Haley is seeking to attract voters in Iowa with his more pragmatic approach to issues such as abortion, as well as his foreign policy positions that contrast with the rather isolationist views of Trump and Desantis.

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