Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to field questions from Iowa voters in a CNN town hall Tuesday night, less than five weeks before the state’s January 15 caucuses kick off the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest.
DeSantis is seeking to close his huge polling gap with the party’s front-runner, former President Joe Biden — and also distance himself from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has in recent weeks challenged DeSantis’ status as the party’s clear alternative to the former president.
DeSantis will take the stage at 9 p.m. ET from Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, for the town hall moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper.
The town hall will stream live on CNN Max and for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps. It will also be available on demand beginning Wednesday to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps and Cable Operator Platforms.
Here are four things to watch:
Though Trump has overshadowed the entire 2024 GOP primary contest, the race-within-the-race to emerge as the party’s lone Trump alternative has dominated the party’s debates, forums and early-state television airwaves.
That race-within-the-race is increasingly down to DeSantis and Haley — and the Florida governor and his super PACs have ramped up their attacks on the former South Carolina governor in recent days.
In last week’s debate, the Florida governor waited all of 30 seconds into his first answer before he took aim at Haley, pulling her into a dispute over which bathrooms transgender people should be able to use.
In pictures: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
The pro-DeSantis super PAC Fight Right on Monday launched a new 30-second ad in Iowa media markets accusing her of flip-flopping on several issues and warning voters, “You can’t…
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