ABC News was set to host the next debate between some GOP primary opponents, but the network has now canceled the event after former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley dropped a big announcement on Tuesday.
Haley, who came in third place far behind former President Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, said she won’t be doing any more debates unless they are with him or President Joe Biden.
“We’ve had five great debates in this campaign. Unfortunately, Donald Trump has ducked all of them,” Haley said in a statement, per the Daily Wire. “He has nowhere left to hide. The next debate I have will either be with Donald Trump or with Joe Biden. I look forward to it.”
Trump emerged as the clear victor in Iowa, securing 51% of the vote. DeSantis came in second with 21%, while Haley secured the third spot with 19%.
On the X platform, DeSantis expressed a dim view of Haley backing out of the next debate.
“Nikki Haley is afraid to debate because she doesn’t want to answer the tough questions such as how she got rich off Boeing after giving them millions in taxpayer handouts as governor of South Carolina,” DeSantis wrote.
“The reality is that she is not running for the nomination, she’s running to be Trump’s VP. I won’t snub New Hampshire voters like both Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, and plan to honor my commitments. I look forward to debating two empty podiums in the Granite State this week,” he added.
But Haley has refuted that, saying she’s in it to win, not be Trump’s back-up.
“I’m not interested in being vice president,” she recently told CBS News. “I’m running to be president, and I’m running to win, and we will.”
Business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who came out of nowhere to outlast many of the GOP primary contenders, called it quits after he lost Monday, but quickly endorsed the 45th president.
“It is true that we did not achieve the surprise that we wanted to deliver tonight,” Ramaswamy said. “As of this moment, we are going to suspend this presidential campaign. Earlier tonight, I called Donald Trump to tell him that I congratulated him on his victory. And now, going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency.”
