The GOP primary shifts from the debate stage to the courtroom once more

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are aggressively competing in the Republican presidential primary, while Donald Trump is focused on battling the courts and the rule of law. As the 2024 election drama unfolds before the Iowa caucuses, the ex-president will make another unconventional move by appearing in court for the second time this week.

CNN Republican Presidential Debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024, saw the participation of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The event was captured by Will Lanzoni for CNN.

Will Lanzoni/CNN

Takeaways from CNNs Iowa debate with DeSantis and Haley

After the Wednesday night CNN debate between the former South Carolina governor and Florida's governor, the focus will shift to their efforts in Iowa on Thursday. Meanwhile, former President Trump will be in a Manhattan courtroom for closing arguments in a civil fraud trial, facing a formidable adversary in Judge Arthur Engoron. The judge has put a crimp in Trump's plans, refusing to allow him to make a statement due to his failure to agree to the judge's conditions.

Trump has reinvented the primary campaign

Trump is shuttling between court appearances on the east coast and the first-in-the-nation caucus state. On Tuesday, he appeared at an appeals court hearing in Washington, where his team is seeking a delay for his federal 2020 election interference trial, hoping to push it beyond the November election. He has rallies scheduled in western Iowa this weekend as the final countdown to caucuses approaches, with the aim of dominating enough to swiftly end the primary contest and take the fight to President Joe Biden.

Trumps ability to leverage his four criminal indictments has been the key factor in the Republican primary race, overshadowing the efforts of other candidates like Haley and DeSantis during debates, town halls, and rallies. His unprecedented behavior in office and beyond is posing a significant challenge to the country's political and legal institutions, but it's a testament to Trump's political skill that he continues to hold sway over the party he reshaped despite being embroiled in scandals that would have ended the careers of most politicians.

Trump's strategy was reflected in how he capitalized on his mug shot taken at a Georgia jail after being booked in another case of election interference in the crucial swing state. This energized what had initially been a lackluster campaign for a second term, strengthened his connection with anti-establishment GOP voters, and posed a political dilemma for his rivals who are still grappling with how to criticize the former president's actions without alienating his supporters and sympathizers.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the most vocal critic of the ex-president's conduct, successfully addressed the first part of that challenge but at the expense of the second part. Christie has since dropped out of the race, potentially benefiting Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary following the caucuses.

Haley, especially, and DeSantis test a new tone toward Trump

Throughout the entire campaign, Haley and DeSantis have failed to effectively leverage Trump's major potential general election weaknesses - such as the possibility of being a convicted felon by November and his attempt to retain power after losing in 2020.

However, both candidates attempted to exploit Trump's legal troubles during the Iowa debate, albeit cautiously.

Haley, who has been more forceful throughout the campaign, spoke on the issue of Trump's legal challenges and made a statement that may go against the beliefs of many Trump supporters. She stated, "That election. Trump lost it. Biden won that election." She also expressed her disagreement with Trump's characterization of January 6th as a "beautiful day," calling it terrible and emphasizing that Trump must be held accountable for the events of that day. While Haley has previously referred to the ex-president's actions more diplomatically, she now acknowledges the need to move on from his chaotic efforts to overturn the election.

During the debate, both candidates were asked to address a claim made by Trump's lawyers in the Washington appeals court on Tuesday. This claim suggested that the former president was immune from prosecution for any actions taken while in office, including election meddling. In a significant moment in the hearing, one of the three judges prompted Trump's attorney to state that a president could only be prosecuted for such actions if they were impeached and convicted by Congress first. "That's absurd," Haley stated during the debate. "You can't commit a crime and then claim immunity."

DeSantis used the question to warn that Trump could be vulnerable in a general election due to legal troubles. The Florida governor believes Trump will lose his appeal in a federal election interference case and face a "stacked DC jury of all Democrats." He cautioned that this could detract from GOP efforts to make the election a referendum on "the failures of Joe Biden." Christie, on the other hand, criticized GOP candidates for being hesitant to challenge Trump, and expressed frustration at the focus on campaign strategies rather than going after the front-runner.

Christie stated that he would prefer to lose while being honest, rather than winning through deceit. The campaign highlighted the fact that there is not a broad support for a Republican candidate who is willing to openly address Trump's legal issues and the potential threat to democracy if he is re-elected in November. Despite some Republican figures being hesitant to challenge Trump, they may be making a shrewd strategic decision.

Why then are they running at all if they are unable to utilize every potential political attack against Trump, the strongest front-runner in any contested presidential primary race in living memory?