Summary

  • Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have traded insults at the CNN debate ahead of the Iowa caucuses

  • The two candidates are hoping to eat into frontrunner Donald Trump's big lead in the polls ahead of the first true test with voters

  • The former President once again opted not to participate in the debate and instead appeared at a Fox News town hall event

  • Haley and DeSantis both criticised Trump's record but dodged a question about his character

  • On Monday, Republican members in Iowa will be the first in the US to vote for their preferred presidential candidate

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay and Brajesh Upadhyay

  1. Chris Christie drops out of race

    Christie drops out and vows to fight against Trump

    We’ve had some extra drama ahead of the debate courtesy of Chris Christie’s sudden announcement that he’s ending his presidential bid.

    Speaking at a New Hampshire town hall, the former New Jersey governor said he saw no path for him to win the Republican nomination.

    Christie was polling at 2% in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, and his campaign never gained any real momentum.

    He has been the most vocal critic of Donald Trump among the Republican presidential candidates and used previous debates to attack the former president’s policies and his character.

    And in his speech mere hours ago, Christie said he may not be in the race but “I promise to make sure that Trump will never be president again”.

    Christie’s withdrawal ahead of the Iowa caucuses further increases the focus on the two candidates on the debate stage tonight - Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.

    In Iowa, they are polling second and third behind Trump and need a strong showing to gain momentum in the race.

  2. The quiet before the (snow) storm

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    Reporting from Des Moines, Iowa

    Outside the Des Moines Republican debate

    I've just arrived at Drake University in Des Moines, where Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will debate in just a few hours.

    It's so far fairly quiet. The only people here are reporters, setting up cameras and doing live TV hits ahead of the event.

    If it weren't for the endless TV commercials and local media coverage, it would be hard to tell anything is happening in Des Moines.

    This afternoon, the streets of the city were largely deserted. Many people stayed home amid the snows earlier today, and businesses across the city were shut.

    But things will get busier.

    "Things will be extremely hectic these days," a woman plowing snow told us. "Just watch."

    And the wintery weather is ramping up too, with temperatures as low as -10F (-25C) forecast in the coming days.

  3. And then there were two

    Brandon Livesay
    US reporter

    Nikki Haley (L) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the fourth debate in AlabamaGetty Images

    We had eight candidates in the first Republican debate. Now we have two.

    Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the UN, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

    Donald Trump easily qualified to enter the debate and has an enormous lead in polls, but he has shown zero interest in debating other Republicans.Instead,

    Trump will hold a town hall broadcast on Fox News at the same time as the CNN debate.

    To qualify, candidates had to receive at least 10% in three separate national and/or Iowa polls of Republican caucusgoers.

    This left wildcard candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on the outside looking in. Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson also failed to qualify, and just moments ago Christie announced he was withdrawing from the race entirely.

    It kicks off at 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT). Stick with us as we bring you the latest reaction to Christie's withdrawal and preview tonight's events.