Trading attacks at a rapid clip, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis largely ignored the existence of the Republican front-runner, who basked in his solo event before a friendly crowd.
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The debate on Wednesday night between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley was the smallest stage of the Republican primary race to date, reflecting the rapid winnowing of the field. Again, Donald J. Trump was absent.
Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis traded attacks on a debate stage on Wednesday night as Donald J. Trump basked in the applause of a friendly audience on a different television network, dueling appearances that showcased how the Republican primary race increasingly feels like a contest for second place.
At Drake University in Iowa, Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley engaged in two hours of verbal combat in which they showed more determination to relentlessly score points against each other than present a cohesive vision for the American people — or attack the dominant front-runner, Mr. Trump.
At times, it seemed as if Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley thought the winner would be determined by whoever spoke the most words per minute, racing through attacks at such speed they were all but indecipherable.
With a platform all his own, Mr. Trump appeared to keep marching toward the party’s nomination. He even broke the news of the night — in a way that revealed just how much he’s looking past his supposed rivals — when he said that he had made his decision on a running mate, though he did not give a name.
It was the smallest stage of the Republican primary to date, reflecting the rapid winnowing of the field. Just hours before the candidates faced off, Chris Christie dropped out of the race.
Here are five takeaways from the last debate night before voting begins:
The winner of the Haley-DeSantis collision: Trump.
Ms. Haley cast Mr. DeSantis as a desperate and failing candidate who was lying because he was losing. He cast her as a liberal in conservative clothing who couldn’t be trusted on core values for the right.
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Source: nytimes.com
