On January 10, the CNN-hosted Republican Primary debate in Des Moines, Iowa, will feature only Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, as Donald Trump maintains his tradition of abstaining from debates. Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie did not qualify due to low polling numbers, with CNN’s criteria requiring a minimum of 10% in three separate national and/or Iowa polls.
Expressing frustration on X, Ramaswamy criticized CNN for fact-checking conspiracy theories presented in a recent town-hall event. Despite his eligibility, he declared a boycott of the debate and accused CNN of rejecting polls accepted by the Republican National Committee for candidate qualification.
Labeling the upcoming debate as “fake” and “the most boring in modern history,” Ramaswamy announced plans to host his own Town hall with right-wing commentator Tim Pool on the same night in Des Moines. Concurrently, former President Donald Trump will counterprogram with a town-hall event on Fox News.
DeSantis and Haley, the only two qualifying candidates, criticized Trump for his decision to skip the debate. Haley stated, “With only three candidates qualifying, it’s time for Donald Trump to show up. With the debate stage diminishing, Donald Trump finds it increasingly challenging to avoid scrutiny.”
