DeSantis, Haley qualify for CNN Iowa debate; Trump set for town hall counterprogramming

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley qualified for CNN’s GOP primary debate in Iowa next week, while former President Trump is set to counterprogram the event with a Fox News-hosted town hall. 

CNN reported Tuesday that DeSantis, Haley and Trump qualified for the network’s first GOP debate, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 10 in Des Moines, Iowa, though Trump is set to instead participate in a Fox News town hall starting at the same time, the latest instance of the former president snubbing a GOP presidential primary debate. 

Meanwhile, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy failed to meet CNN’s qualifications for the debate, which includes polling at 10 percent in three national or Iowa polls, including one CNN Iowa GOP poll.  

Ramaswamy slammed CNN in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday, ahead of the network’s announcement of those who had qualified for the debate, criticizing a handful of its anchors and commentators and previewing the GOP debate as “the most boring in modern history.”  

He said he would be holding a counterprogramming event instead with conservative media personality Tim Pool.  

Both the DeSantis and Haley campaigns blasted Trump’s decision to avoid attending the CNN debate on Tuesday.

“We understand Donald Trump is scared to get on the stage because he’d have to finally explain why he didn’t build the wall, added nearly $8 trillion to the debt, and turned the country over to Fauci,” Andrew Romeo, communicators director for the DeSantis campaign, said in a statement on X. 

“But even Gavin Newsom had the courage to stand on the stage to debate his own failed record against Ron Desantis. If it would make the debate more inviting,  we would gladly agree to make it a seated format where the former president would be more comfortable,” he added.

Meanwhile, Haley called on Trump to “show up” in her own post on X.

“With only three candidates qualifying for the CNN debate, it’s time for Donald Trump to show up. As the debate stage continues to shrink, it’s getting harder for Donald Trump to hide,” she said.

The development comes as Haley has seen momentum in New Hampshire, though Trump still leads her in the Granite State. While DeSantis has poured most of his attention into Iowa, he’s struggled to close the gap against Trump.  

–Updated at 2:37 p.m.