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UPDATE: ABC News and WMUR-TV have canceled plans for a Republican debate on Thursday, after Nikki Haley said that she would only participate if former President Donald Trump also did.
“Our intent was to host a debate coming out of the Iowa caucuses, but we always knew that would be contingent on the candidates and the outcome of the race,” an ABC News spokesperson said. “As a result, while our robust election coverage will continue, ABC News and WMUR-TV will not be moving forward with Thursday’s Republican presidential primary debate in New Hampshire.”
PREVIOUSLY: Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is signaling that she won’t participate in the next two planned GOP debates unless Donald Trump does.
Her comment this morning raises new doubts over whether the New Hampshire gatherings — including an ABC News event on Thursday and a CNN debate on Sunday — will happen at all. Trump has declined to participate in any of the events this cycle, and his lopsided win in Iowa on Monday showed that he has paid little price for the snubbing.
In a statement, Haley said, “We’ve had five great debates in this campaign. Unfortunately, Donald Trump has ducked all of them. He has nowhere left to hide. The next debate I do will either with Donald Trump or with Joe Biden. I look forward to it.”
Haley finished third in Iowa, behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. But at her caucus night event on Monday, she tried to frame the race as a two-person competition between her and Trump. Before the Iowa caucuses, some New Hampshire polling had shown her moving to within single digits of Trump in the state, which holds its primary on Jan. 23. DeSantis trails in the New Hampshire race but he has agreed to participate in the two debates.
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ABC News and WMUR-TV are planning their debate for Thursday; CNN has one scheduled for Sunday.
During his victory speech on Monday night, Trump didn’t bash his rivals, but offered some faint praise to them. But in encouraging people to “come together,” the message was obvious that he wanted the party to unite behind him and focus on the November election and Joe Biden.
