CNN will no longer host a Republican primary debate in New Hampshire because just one qualified candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, accepted the network’s invitation to appear onstage.
The debate was scheduled to be held at New England College on Sunday, two days before the Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary. While former president Donald Trump — the primary’s front-runner since the race kicked off — has declined to participate in any of the GOP debates, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley had participated in all previous debates. After the Iowa caucuses, in which she finished third behind Trump and DeSantis, Haley declined not only CNN’s invitation to debate but one from ABC News, which was scheduled to host a debate on Thursday from the Granite State.
Of her decision to not participate in ABC News’s debate, Haley said she won’t join any further debates unless they include Trump or President Biden. A debate with Biden onstage would not take place until the general election season.
“We’ve had five great debates in this campaign,” Haley said in a statement Tuesday morning. “Unfortunately, Donald Trump has ducked all of them. He has nowhere left to hide.”
Instead, Haley will participate in a CNN town hall Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern time. DeSantis, the only Republican who committed to both New Hampshire debates before their cancellation, participated in one on Tuesday.
Last week, Haley expressed frustration about having debates without Trump onstage and said she would wait until the Iowa caucuses to decide about participating in New Hampshire debates.
On Tuesday, DeSantis tweeted that Haley was too “afraid to participate in the remaining debates.”
“I won’t snub New Hampshire voters like both Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, and plan to honor my commitments. I look forward to debating two empty podiums in the Granite State this week,” he added.