Clash of Titans: Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis Face Off in 4th GOP Debate

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis debated in the latest Republican presidential debate as they both seek to claim the mantle of the main challenger to former President Donald Trump. The two main contenders traded barbs over issues like transgender rights, bringing Chinese businesses to the U.S. and the wars in Israel and Ukraine. The ex-UN ambassador accused DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy of ganging up on her with frat boy-style insults. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie criticized the other candidates for failing to even mention Trump for the debate’s first 17 minutes. For the fourth straight debate, Ramaswamy showed off the sharpest tongue, trashing Haley as a corporate stooge and a neo-conservative who supports foreign wars. Trump, who has skipped all four debates, is leading all the other candidates in the polls. The de facto leader of the GOP has lobbed insults at DeSantis and Haley throughout the campaign while they regularly pass up chances to criticize him. Haley has risen in recent polling into a virtual tie with DeSantis in many polls and recently won the support of the Koch network of conservative megadonors. DeSantis, meanwhile, has been dogged by a months-long slump in the polls and questions about his campaign and the political action committee spending the most to support him.