Haley, DeSantis debate Wednesday; Trump’s at town hall down the street at the same time

Republicans will hold their fifth presidential debate of the 2024 election Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa, days before the state holds its Republican caucus and cast the first votes to choose a nominee in the 2024 presidential election.

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The debate will feature only two candidates – Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former governor of South Carolina and Ron DeSantis, the current governor of Florida.

Former President Donald Trump, who has not participated in any of the Republican primary debates, will skip this one, as well.

Trump will appear at a Fox News town hall at the same time. The town hall will be held about two miles away from the debate stage.

It will be Trump’s first live appearance on Fox News in nearly two years, according to The New York Times.

Fox anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will moderate the event. Baier told the Deseret News that Trump would only do the town hall if it was at the same time as the Republican debate.

“It was the Trump campaign’s demand,” Baier said. “We offered a number of different times. That was their stipulation.”

Neither former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie nor businessman Vivek Ramaswamy qualified for the debate.

The debate will air at 9 p.m. EST from Drake University. It will be moderated by CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

The town hall will also air at 9 p.m. EST. It will be broadcast on Fox.

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