The next Republican primary debate is scheduled for Jan. 10 on CNN. It's the last chance for candidates to make their case to voters before the Iowa caucus, so it's an important opportunity.
Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie will likely fail to qualify, which leaves Nikki Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) as the only two candidates on stage for the debate. But the debate is in danger of not taking place because Haley hasn't committed to participating, according to Axios.
"This debate is the first one not sponsored by the Republican National Committee, which last week decided to pause all debates and allow candidates to attend non-sanctioned forums," writes Axios' Alex Thompson.
Why isn't Haley willing to commit? She claims it's because Donald Trump won't debate.
"Since the RNC pulled out of the debates, many new offers have come in," her spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas told Axios. "We look forward to debating in Iowa and continuing to show voters why Nikki is the best candidate to retire Joe Biden and save our country. That debate should include Donald Trump."
Haley has been running around trying to make the case that Trump should take to the debate stage — something he committed to avoiding.
"When it comes to President Trump as well, I think he's going to have to get on a debate stage here in Iowa because you're fighting for Iowans' votes," she said to KTIV last week. "I think he's got to sit there and do the groundwork."
"You can't have an election and not appear on a debate stage in front of the people who are going to be voting for you," she added.
Related: What's Going on With Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley?
Has it not dawned on Haley that Trump hasn't taken part in any GOP debates? Why is she tilting at this windmill? Could it be that there are other reasons why Haley doesn't want to commit to this debate? She has a habit of avoiding tough questions and challenges to her record.
As of this writing, Haley has appeared at 32 events in Iowa, but her last press gaggle was at the Iowa State Fair in August. (Oddly enough, she answered the first question at that gaggle by accusing the media of being "Trump-obsessed," which is rich from a woman who is hung up on using him as an excuse to not debate.) She also hasn't taken questions from reporters after speeches and forums, and she tends to avoid the media after the debates.
Of course, at the Jan. 10 debate, the only questions she would face would come from the moderators, which begs the question of whether she's scared to face DeSantis one-on-one. The DeSantis camp seems to think that's the case.
"After that loss [in the most recent debate], it is no wonder why Haley has failed to confirm she will join Ron DeSantis on the debate stage in Iowa and New Hampshire next month," DeSantis spokesperson Bryan Griffin said to Axios. Others are wondering the same thing.
If you want to be the GOP nominee you’ve got to prove your ability to step onto the debate stage and deliver. Over the last two weeks, @RonDeSantis has soundly defeated liberals Gavin Newsom and Nikki Haley. Is that why Haley won’t commit to debating him again in IA and NH? https://t.co/PTGG4gWXwr
— David Polyansky (@DavidPolyansky) December 12, 2023
These are valid questions that Haley should answer, but given her track record for dodging the tough questions, we probably shouldn't expect her to answer them. It's a shame that she won't commit to debating DeSantis; it could easily be the best and most informative debate yet.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member