Key Insights from CNN's Town Hall Discussions with DeSantis and Haley
Two 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls challenge the notion of Trump's invincibility, highlighting their own electability DeSantis' transformation, gun control debates following Iowa shooting, and Haley's revisited stance on the Civil War are discussed, along with DeSantis' softened abortion stance
With the Iowa caucuses less than two weeks away, two 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls worked to persuade voters that former President Donald Trump is not guaranteed to secure the nomination, and to demonstrate their own viability as candidates.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley cautioned Iowa Republican voters on Thursday night that choosing Trump again could lead to a loss for their party in the November presidential election.
DeSantis wanted to present a more personable side of himself. He started off by giving CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins a jersey of University of Iowa womens basketball star Caitlin Clark and jokingly made a playful remark about Collins mixing up their names over the weekend.
"I just wanted to give you this as a keepsake and, respectfully, if the game's on the line and we need a buzzer beater, I'm going with Clark over Collins," he told Collins.
He also took a bold stance on new policies, expressing his support for a "flat tax" that would eliminate deductions and exemptions in favor of a single national income tax rate, and proposed the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service.
Meanwhile, Haley aimed to prove her readiness and toughness in handling challenging issues. She emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility, advocated for providing Israel with the necessary support to combat Hamas, and detailed her actions in removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse grounds during her time as governor.
The two also made their cases that Trumps legal battles could hurt the partys efforts to defeat President Joe Biden in the general election.
Here are six takeaways from their CNN town halls:
The candidates set expectations
Polls show Trump with a clear lead in Iowa. But DeSantis and Haley both insisted they will compete to win the state until the last possible moment.
"Do not allow the media or the pundits to influence your decision. Vote for the candidate you believe will make the best president of the United States," DeSantis emphasized, highlighting his visits to all 99 of Iowa's counties.
Haley's chances of securing the GOP nomination are largely perceived to rely on the results of the New Hampshire primary on January 23.
While campaigning in New Hampshire on Wednesday, she humorously remarked, "You know how to do this. You know Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it."
However, she made it clear to the voters on Thursday night that her comment was a joke and did not downplay her chances in Iowa.
DeSantis and Haley take on Trump
"I will continue to fight until the very end, even on the final day in Iowa," she declared. "I'm not just campaigning in one state. I'm fighting in every state. Because I believe that everyone is worth fighting for."
Former President Donald Trump greets the crowd at a campaign rally Saturday Dec. 16, 2023, in Durham, N.H.
Reba Saldanha/AP
Both DeSantis and Haley made the case that nominating Trump for a third consecutive time is a risk Republican voters should not take.
Both were cautious not to criticize Trump over the details of the indictments he faces in federal court as well as in Georgia and New York. However, they depicted him as a candidate whose personal conflicts would spell disaster for the GOP.
"Chaos seems to always be around him. We cannot afford to have a country in disarray and a world in turmoil for another four years of chaos. Our survival depends on avoiding it," Haley said.
She said he used to tell Trump that he is "his own worst enemy."
"We have a country to save, and that means no more drama. No more taking things personally," the former UN ambassador she said.
DeSantis has often expressed dismay over the indictments, claiming that they have bolstered the former president's political standing by galvanizing Republican supporters who see the legal proceedings as politically driven. However, he cautioned Iowa voters on Thursday night that the upcoming trials Trump is facing could weaken his position against Biden.
"Just because something may be advantageous in the primary doesn't necessarily mean it's advantageous in the general election," DeSantis remarked.
"Were putting the future of the Republican Party, and the future of the nation, perhaps, in the hands of 12 jurors in heavily Democrat DC," he said.
DeSantis evolution
Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis takes part in a CNN Republican Town Hall, hosted by CNN's Kaitlan Collins at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, January 4.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
The DeSantis who appeared at the town hall on Thursday night was noticeably different from the one seen earlier in the 2024 Republican primary. He kicked off the event by presenting Collins with a basketball jersey and used colloquial expressions like "willy nilly" and "appreciate ya."
He refrained from immediately addressing the social issues he usually discusses, such as transgender healthcare bans and abortion. According to the Florida governor, while Trump focused on issues important to him and Haley catered to her donors, DeSantis focused on the average voter - "you." DeSantis also expressed a newfound eagerness to caution against Trump as a nominee, stating, "The Democrats want Trump to be the candidate."
DeSantis sought to appeal not only to the most activist Republican voters, but also to a wider audience. This represented a significant departure from DeSantis' previous appearances, which critics had criticized as overly stiff and unrelatable.
Candidates discuss guns hours after Iowa shooting
The town hall on Thursday followed a school shooting in Perry, Iowa, where a middle school student was killed and five others injured. DeSantis was questioned on how he planned to tackle gun violence in schools while still preserving gun rights in the wake of the attack. In response, DeSantis pointed to the gun reforms implemented by his predecessor, GOP Gov. Rick Scott, following the Parkland, Florida shooting in February 2018, where 17 people were killed by a gunman.
"We've implemented various measures such as school resource officers, assistance with hardening, and identification of students displaying concerning behavior," DeSantis stated. "We are gathering more details about the incident in Perry, but it appears that this student had significant, serious issues."
Residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday, January 4.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
In March 2018, the Florida legislation raised the age limit for purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21 and extended the waiting period to three days. When asked about his stance on ending the waiting period, DeSantis expressed support for instant background checks, a proposal currently supported by a Florida state senator.
"You shouldnt have to be on a mandatory waiting period," DeSantis said. "Instant checks will do the job."
Haley also focused her answer on mental health and security.
"We must address the cancer of mental health," she emphasized. She also pointed out the insufficient number of mental health therapists, treatment centers for mental health and addiction, as well as the issue of insurance coverage for treatment. Additionally, Haley advocated for securing schools in a similar manner to airports and courthouses.
Haley, a concealed weapons permit holder, stated that she does not advocate for limiting people's ability to protect themselves with guns when asked about her support for gun restrictions. She suggested that focusing on improving mental health services and addressing the root causes of violence would lead to a reduction in shootings, rather than just implementing quick-fix measures like banning certain types of guns.
Haley revisits her Civil War answer
Members of the audience watch Nikki Haley speak during CNNs Republican town hall on Thursday.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Haley's campaign took a hit last week when she failed to mention slavery as a cause of the Civil War. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of her GOP rivals, suggested that she omitted slavery out of fear of offending people. When asked about the reaction to her comments, Haley simply reiterated that she thought mentioning slavery was already understood.
"I should have immediately referenced slavery, but when you grow up in South Carolina, you're learning about it as early as second and third grade," she stated. "I was trying to move beyond slavery and focus on the lessons we could take with us into the future. That was a mistake."
Erin Burnett of CNN asked Haley to talk about the conversations surrounding slavery during her upbringing, and also brought up Haley's personal experiences with racism. In previous interviews and her memoir, Haley has recounted various racist encounters that she and her immigrant parents from India faced upon settling in their rural South Carolina community.
"We faced our own obstacles," she recalled. "I can still remember being teased on the playground and coming home. My mom would always say, 'Your role isn't to highlight your differences, but to showcase your similarities.'"
She also talked about how she handled two critical moments during her time as governor - the deadly police shooting of Walter Scott and the White supremacist attack at Emanuel AME Church. Following Scott's shooting, Haley sanctioned legislation for police body cameras. And after the church attack, she called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds.
Haley recognized the potential for "riots and protests" to arise in South Carolina after the Emanuel AME Church shooting. She understood that the flag held different meanings for different people - half saw it as a "heritage and tradition" while half saw it as "slavery and hate." Rather than judging either side, she aimed to encourage the people to see the best in themselves and move forward.
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'Painful': Van Jones on Nikki Haley's attempt to clean up Civil War comments
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DeSantis uses softer tone on abortion
DeSantis faced difficult and persistent questions about his positions on abortion - a departure from debates in which the issue has been largely glossed over.
DeSantis maintained his anti-abortion stance but adopted a more moderate approach when discussing how the government enforces the bans, including those he has approved. He avoided direct answers when questioned about the burden placed on women to access the exceptions to Florida's six-week prohibition. Despite his responses, they are likely to be used against him in a future general election campaign. The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the widespread efforts in various states to criminalize the procedure have been met with strong opposition from both sides of the political spectrum. (Haley, who has voiced her position at greater length, was not questioned about it in this context.)
DeSantis criticized Trump from a conservative standpoint, expressing doubt that the former president genuinely opposes abortion. He claimed that Trump's stance on the issue contradicts his initial presidential campaign promises, specifically noting the impact on pro-life voters in Iowa.
