CNN is set to host two Republican debates in the final lead-up to the Iowa caucus starting January 15. Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are set to debate each other Wednesday night, while the Republican front-runner Donald Trump has once again avoided the debate stage for a Fox News Town Hall.
The debate will take place at Drake University in Des Moines at 9 PM EST. Moderating the debate will be CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Additionally, the debate will be livestreamed on all of CNN’s platforms including CNN International, CNN Español, CNN Max, and CNN.com.
Despite Trump holding the lead, Haley has risen to be an unexpected challenger to Desantis, who many were certain to be the second runner-up in the race.
In a recent CNN New Hampshire polling, Haley bumped up by 12 percent compared to a previous November poll. Currently, Haley has gained the favor of 32% of Republican primary voters. Trump still holds the lead at 39% followed by Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 12%, Vivek Ramaswamy with 8% and DeSantis with a measly 5%.
While Christie and Ramaswamy didn’t qualify for the debate, both haven’t shown signs of halting their presence within the public eye. Particularly Ramaswamy will make a brief appearance in a livestream alongside right-wing podcaster Tim Pool. Additionally, an ad by Ramaswamy will be played during an ad break of the debate.
