Who won the debate? Haley struggled to surpass DeSantis, analysts say
With the Iowa caucuses just days away, two of the remaining Republican presidential candidates — Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley — clashed on the debate stage Wednesday night over the economy, foreign policy and their performance in their states, Florida and South Carolina.
The fifth debate this primary season was again notable for the absence of former President Donald J. Trump, the Republican front-runner who opted to hold a Fox News-sponsored town hall event at the same time his rivals faced off. There was also talk of a shrinking field, as Chris Christie announced hours before the debate that he would withdraw from the race. That put pressure on Ms. Haley to deliver a strong performance to cement her position as Trump’s leading alternative, while Mr. DeSantis had to shake up his sputtering campaign to keep a foothold in the race.
Political analysts and pundits noted that Mr Trump continued to benefit from staying away from direct involvement with his Republican rivals, with some suggesting he delivered a surprisingly “convincing” performance at his event across town , while the tenor of the conversation between Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley often became caustic and personal as they tiptoed around questions about Mr. Trump’s character. Although Ms. Haley avoided any significant stumbles, few thought she had succeeded in defeating Mr. DeSantis.
Here is an example of the response.
“Trump’s decision not to indulge in and validate the debate was a smart move in itself, but letting them tear each other apart is a nice side benefit.” said Liam Donovan, a former member of the National Republican Senate Committee staff. “The small lines and digs may please their supporters, but it’s really hard to imagine that any of this will be attractive to people trying to make a decision.”
“If DeSantis had been this good in the early primary debates, he would be in a much stronger position today,” he said. Frank Luntz, focus group moderator, pollster and communications strategist who worked for Republican candidates. “I’ve been critical of him, but he’s on fire tonight.”
“In terms of what was at stake tonight in the debates about Haley and DeSantis, I felt stylistically that Ron DeSantis has become a better debater,” said Rachel Maddow, the MSNBC host. “It went from first gear to second gear. I think Nikki Haley has stayed exactly the way she was.
“Haley seized the opening left by Christie, emphatically calling out Trump’s cowardice for ducking debates, and not backing down from the abortion ban the base wants,” he said. Jesse Lee, former spokesperson for the National Economic Council in the Biden administration. “DeSantis is still terrified of giving any reason to vote for him over Trump.”
“DeSantis came out ahead in terms of points, I think,” said Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator on CNN and former aide to President George W. Bush, referring to Ms. Haley’s regular references to her DeSantis fact-checking website. “Haley made a crater with this website gimmick. Weird enough to blunt her momentum? We’ll see, but DeSantis needed a good night in Iowa and he got it.
“Switching between CNN and Fox and there’s just no comparison,” said Megyn Kelly, host of the Megyn Kelly radio show and former Fox News host. “Trump on TV is absolutely convincing. He’s funny, interesting and he was very ‘on’ tonight.”
“Tour-de-force performance tonight from Trump at his Iowa town hall, hosted by Fox,” he said Paul Sperry, a conservative writer and columnist for the New York Post. “I haven’t seen the president so convincing and clear in a long time.”
“Trump handed Joe Biden a gift when he repeatedly said Roe was overturned only because of him,” said Alexandra LaManna, a former White House spokeswoman who focused on reproductive rights in the Biden administration, referring to Mr. Trump’s comments during the Fox News town hall. “The Biden campaign will undoubtedly ensure that voters see this clip of Trump bragging about stripping America’s freedoms between now and November.”
“Everyone seems to be accusing the other of being secretly corrupted by the Chinese,” said Michael Pillsbury, a top Chinese adviser to the Trump administration. “My impression is that they did not and could not attack Trump on China policy, so he won.”
“Even as deficits surpass $2 trillion on the way to $3 trillion, both candidates are promising more tax cuts and only small savings over the next decade.” said Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the right-wing think tank the Manhattan Institute. “It’s pandering to voters by avoiding almost all the tough choices that will be necessary to avoid a debt crisis.”
“It’s not Hepburn and Spencer, but DeSantis/Haley is the rom-com we deserve,” said Caitlin Flanagan, an author and social critic, likening the bickering between the candidates to a bad romantic comedy.
Alyce McFadden reporting contributed.