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Days ahead of the Iowa caucuses, top Republican hopefuls, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and former Florida Ron deSantis, came to a debate duel that saw fiery exchanges. It is highly likely that either Haley or DeSantis will go on to challenge former President Donald Trump, who is leading opinion polls.

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis faced-off in a CNN debate on Wednesday in Des Moines. DeSantis called Haley a “mealy mouthed politician” even as the Indian-origin said that her rival’s “campaign was exploding”.

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are aiming to position themselves as the primary alternative to Trump and their attacks on each other were intense.

NIKKI HALEY VS RON DESANTIS DEBATE IN DES MOINES

The debate opened with a surprising twist as DeSantis and Haley largely avoided directly criticising Donald Trump, who remains a dominant face in Republican politics.

Instead, they turned their verbal attacks on each other, with accusations of dishonesty and challenges to their respective records.

Ron DeSantis, during his time as governor of Florida, deliberately emphasised his achievements in furthering conservative causes. He cast doubt on Haley’s ability to lead during her time as governor, claiming that she “failed to get things done” and painting her as a talker who didn’t actually do anything. He called Haley a “mealy mouthed politician” as well.

Nikki Haley, who left the governor’s office in 2017 and then became Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, took a more forward-looking approach.

She criticised DeSantis’ campaign spending, saying that he has “blown through $150 million” and that he has “nothing to show for it.” She also questioned his judgement, saying that he “can’t manage a campaign” and that he “can’t manage a country.”

Nikki Haley further emphasises, “Ron lies at least a couple of dozen so far that he’s done. So what we’re going to do is rather than have him go and tell you all these lies, you can go to DesantisLies.com and look at all of those”.

HALEY, DESANTIS DESIST FROM ATTACKING TRUMP

Even with the ferocity of their attacks on one another, neither candidate openly criticised Trump.

This calculated action is in line with the fact that Trump continues to have strong support from the Republican voters and that direct criticism may drive away important voters.

Without getting into specific policy differences, DeSantis and Haley both voiced disappointment at Trump’s absence from the discussion, highlighting his importance in Republican politics instead.

With Trump retaining a formidable lead in the polls, the possibility of both DeSantis and Haley running for vice-president looms large.

While DeSantis has publicly stated his disinterest in serving as Trump’s vice president, Haley has kept the door open.