Nikki Haley is targeted in the fourth Republican debate by her rivals. They all trail Trump
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nikki Haley was targeted Wednesday from the opening moments of the fourth debate for Republican presidential hopefuls as time runs out for the shrinking field to shake up a race dominated by former President Donald Trump.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis accused Haley of backing down from media criticism and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suggested that the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor was too close to corporate interests as she gets new attention from donors. Responded Haley, “They’re just jealous.”
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Three of the four candidates onstage didn’t mention Trump, the overwhelming GOP front-runner, in the debate’s opening minutes. Aside from Christie, the candidates have spent more time in debates going after each other than taking aim at Trump, reflecting the view of many GOP power players that there are diminishing returns in attacking the former president given his popularity among Republicans.
The candidates were at the University of Alabama for their last scheduled meeting before the Iowa caucuses kick off the presidential nominating season next month. Trump, who has staged public appearances to compete for attention during the three prior GOP debates, made plans to spend the evening at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida.
Chris Christie stayed mostly silent during the opening of the debate. When he got the floor, the former New Jersey governor unloaded on them for being “too timid” to mention Trump at all, saying they were acting “as if the race is between the four of us.”
“The truth needs to be told,” he said. “This is a guy who just said this past week that he wants to use the Department of Justice to go after his enemies when he gets there. There is no bigger issue in this race than Donald Trump.”
Haley is gaining new interest from voters and donors but still remains well behind Trump in national and early-state polls. DeSantis touted his own willingness to pick high-profile fights with his critics and criticized Haley in his opening comments, reflecting the rivalry between the two candidates’ camps reflected in television ads going after the other side.
“She caves every time the left comes after her, every time the media comes after her,” DeSantis said, touting his own willingness to pick high-profile fights with his critics.
They also tussled over China, long an animating issue for conservatives worried about Beijing’s influence. Later in the debate, Haley credited Trump for taking a hard line with Beijing on trade but said he was too passive on other fronts, including allowing China to capture American technology for its own military use and purchase American farmland.
