Haley blasts DeSantis over state of campaign: ‘How can you manage a country?’

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley hit Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state of his campaign at the CNN Republican debate in Des Moines on Wednesday. 

“The best way to tell about a candidate is to see how they run their campaign,” Haley said. “He has blown through 150 million dollars,” she added, referring to DeSantis. “I don’t even know how you do that.”

“He has nothing to show for it. He’s spent more money on private planes than he has on commercials trying to get Iowans to vote for him. If you can’t manage a campaign, how are you going to manage a country?” Haley said to applause. 

Haley and DeSantis spent most of Wednesday’s debate hitting each other over policy and lobbing insults. In his opening remarks, DeSantis referred to Haley as a “mealy-mouthed politician.” DeSantis also painted Haley as a “corporatist” Republican, who is beholden to donors. 

The debate comes less than a week before the Iowa caucuses. The forum is also the first time Haley and DeSantis have debated one-on-one this campaign cycle. Haley and DeSantis are seeking to take on former President Trump in the race for the Republican nomination, but so far, neither of them has been able to cut into his lead. The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Trump with a 53-point lead nationally and a 36-point lead in Iowa. 

Trump participated in a Fox News town hall in Des Moines at the same time as the CNN debate.