Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are set to face off in the first one-on-one debate of the 2024 election cycle, while former President Donald Trump participates in a town hall at the same time.
The competing Wednesday night events in Iowa come just five days before the state’s leadoff presidential caucuses and as the candidates are issuing last-minute appeals to voters to turn out for the Jan. 15 contest, which could be the coldest caucus night ever.
The Haley-DeSantis event will be CNN’s first debate of the election season. Fox News will host Trump on Wednesday night after holding town halls with Haley and DeSantis earlier in the week.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy didn’t meet the qualifications for the debate and said he would be participating in a podcast hosted by Tim Pool instead.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who also didn’t qualify, is planning to announce that he’s leaving the presidential race during an event in New Hampshire on Wednesday before the debate, according to an AP source.
How to watch the fifth GOP presidential debate
The debate will start at 6 p.m. Pacific time Wednesday. It’s being moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
CNN is carrying the debate live on its broadcast network, as well as on CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN Max. It’s the first debate of the 2024 election cycle that CNN is hosting.
The setting for the fifth GOP debate is Des Moines’ Drake University, which has played host to presidential debates in each of the four-year cycles since 2007.
The debate comes just five days before the Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 voting calendar.
Instead of joining his rivals, former President Donald Trump is participating in a town hall on Fox News, airing at the same time and taking place about 2 miles from the debate site.
Haley and DeSantis were both scheduled to take part in their own Fox News town halls earlier this week in Des Moines. The…
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