Name: Haley, DeSantis to Appear in Back-to-Back Town Halls in Iowa
Uploaded: 2024-01-05T21:47:29.000Z
Description: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will take part in back-to-back town-hall-style meetings in Iowa on Jan. 4, just 11 days before the Iowa caucuses, the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest.

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

China’s Broken Promises Loom Over New Trade Deals

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

Californians React as Trump Calls for Gas Tax Suspension

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

Federal Agencies Announce ‘Summer Surge’ of Law Enforcement into DC Ahead of 250th Anniversary

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Trump Administration Reports Zero Border Releases

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

US to Host 1st Ever World Cup Final Halftime Show, Featuring Shakira, Madonna

Savannah Pointer is a politics reporter for The Epoch Times. She can be reached at savannah.pointer@epochtimes.us

Savannah Hulsey Pointer

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's National Security Correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

Health News

Texas Children's Hospital to Open First-Ever Detransition Clinic Under Deal With DOJ

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Citizens Honor Police for Their Service and Sacrifice

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

Trump ‘Projecting American Influence and Leadership’ on Iran Issue in Beijing: China Expert

Chris Bob is a reporter for NTD and a host of "Profiles of Service." He is also a small business owner. Chris graduated from Union College with a concentration in politics and religion in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Chris Bob

Senate Panel Advances Crypto Regulation Bill

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Lawmakers Weigh ‘Sanctuary’ Polices After Woman’s Death in Virginia

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will take part in back-to-back town-hall-style meetings in Iowa on Jan. 4, just 11 days before the Iowa caucuses, the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest.

The event, organized by CNN, features the two Republicans who have mounted the strongest challenge to former President Donald Trump, who continues to lead most national and Iowa polls by a wide margin.

As the GOP frontrunner, President Trump has so far refused to participate in Republican debates and has appeared in only a few events that featured multiple candidates in succession.
<h2>Taking on Trump</h2>
On the political trail, Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley have campaigned primarily against President Joe Biden rather than their Republican opponents. That has shifted recently as the GOP field has narrowed and caucusgoers are finalizing their choice between the top three or four candidates. Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley are likely to use this event to distance themselves from one another and from President Trump.

Mr. DeSantis did just that at a Dec. 12 event, contrasting his policies as governor with those of President Trump, particularly concerning the border crisis, inflation, the pandemic, and abortion.

"If Trump had built the border wall, it would have been very difficult for Biden to bring in all those many people," Mr. DeSantis said of the border crisis.

Regarding the pandemic and inflation, he said, “Shutting down the country was a huge mistake, printing trillions and trillions of dollars was a huge mistake.”

Ms. Haley has also attempted to position herself against the former president without directly criticizing his policies or character.

"It's not about fitness. I think he's fit to be president. It's 'Should he be president?' I don't think he should be president," Ms. Haley said in a televised <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/abc-nikki-haley-opens-trump-israel/story?id=105523630">interview</a> on Dec. 9. "I thought he was the right president at the right time.

"We've got to look at the issues that we're dealing with, coming forward with new solutions, not focusing on negativity and baggage of the past,” she said.

“I don't think he's the right person to be president.”

At a campaign stop in Carroll, Iowa, on Dec. 19, Ms. Haley said, “I think that his policies were good. But if you look at what's happening now, the part that bothers me is our national security is at risk. And what's he doing? He's praising dictators.”
<h2>The Race for 2nd</h2>
An average of recent national polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight on Jan. 3 shows President Trump with 62 percent support compared with Mr. Desantis at 12 percent, Ms. Haley at 11 percent, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 5 percent.

In Iowa, the former president enjoys a formidable but smaller lead at 50 percent compared with Mr. DeSantis at 18 percent, Ms. Haley at 16 percent, and Mr. Ramaswamy at 6 percent.

Ms. Haley’s support has been rising, however, especially in New Hampshire, where the presidential primary will take place on Jan. 23

A Dec. 21 <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/%E2%80%9Chttps://americanresearchgroup.com/%E2%80%9D">poll</a> conducted by American Research Group showed her narrowing the gap, with 33 percent support for President Trump and 29 percent for Ms. Haley. An earlier poll showed Ms. Haley trailing the former president by 15 points.

Commenting on the earlier poll, Ms. Haley <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1736911771380724044">wrote</a> on X, “Two days ago, Donald Trump denied our surge in New Hampshire existed. Now, he’s running a negative ad against me. Someone’s getting nervous."

Mr. DeSantis, for his part, has been dismissive of poll results, claiming that they are inaccurate.

"The voters actually make these decisions, not pundits or pollsters. I'm sick of hearing about these polls,” Mr. DeSantis said during the Dec. 6 Republican debate in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
<h2>Town Hall Pitfalls</h2>
Unlike a staged debate, the town hall format allows candidates an opportunity to interact with voters without interruption from other candidates. The downside is that unanticipated questions can catch a candidate off guard, as happened to Ms. Haley in Berlin, New Hampshire, on Dec. 27.

When asked to identify the cause of the Civil War, Ms. Haley fumbled for an answer, landing on the role of government and “the freedoms of what people could and couldn’t do.” The candidate made no mention of slavery and seemed at a loss when the questioner pointed that out.

After being roundly criticized for her response, Ms. Haley amended her remarks in a radio interview, saying, “Of course the Civil War was about slavery.”

Mr. DeSantis, too, has awkwardly responded to a town hall question. During a June 27 event in Hollis, New Hampshire, a teenager asked him whether President Trump had “violated the peaceful transfer of power,” referring to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Mr. DeSantis appeared to dodge the question, giving a roundabout answer that concluded with, “We cannot be looking backwards and be mired in the past.”
<h2>The Format</h2>
On Jan. 4, the candidates will appear consecutively on the same stage before the same audience of likely Republican caucusgoers at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. DeSantis will take the floor at 9 p.m. ET; Ms. Haley will follow at 10 p.m. ET.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins will moderate the town hall with Mr. DeSantis, and Erin Burnett will moderate the forum with Ms. Haley. Both candidates will field questions from the moderators and from the audience.

The audience was selected by the network’s editorial team in coordination with community groups, faith-based organizations, and local Republican groups. Attendees are expected to represent a variety of conservative viewpoints.

Audience questions will be generated by the attendees themselves but selected by the network to ensure coverage of a range of topics.

The event will be streamed live on CNN Max and, for pay TV subscribers, on CNN.com, CNN connected TV, and mobile apps.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/haley-desantis-appear-in-back-to-back-town-halls-5555189">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Latest

Videos

Politics

04_Top Stories

Premium Picks

Latest Clips

DeSantis

Management

2024 Elections

Lawrence Wilson covers politics for The Epoch Times.

Lawrence Wilson

Haley

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.