Midwest
Trump wasn't there to defend himself, but comes away relatively unscathed in DeSantis-Haley Iowa debate
DES MOINES, Iowa – It was a slugfest.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, sharing the debate stage in Iowa five days before the state’s caucuses kick off the Republican presidential nominating calendar, spent much of their two-hour showdown Wednesday night attacking each other and disagreeing on policy.
That allowed the absent front-runner in the GOP race – former President Donald Trump – to emerge relatively unscathed in a debate that was held a couple of hours after another contender – former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, suspended his campaign.
Trump, who skipped a Republican debate for the fifth straight time since last summer, was a few miles away in downtown Des Moines, taking part in a Fox News town hall.
WHAT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID AT A FOX NEWS TOWN HALL IN IOWA
Former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, right, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, appearing at a Republican presidential nomination debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The verbal fireworks ignited moments into the debate, with DeSantis charging that Haley was a “mealymouthed politician who just tells you what she thinks you want to hear just to try to get your vote.”
Haley immediate hit back, labeling DeSantis a liar.
“What we’re going to do is rather than have him go and tell you all these lies, you can go to DeSantislies.com and look at all of those,” Haley argued, in the first of numerous references to a new campaign website.
And she warned the audience at the debate – which took place at Iowa’s Drake University – “don’t turn this into a drinking game. You will be overserved.”
After DeSantis claimed that “Haley’s running to pursue her donors’ issues. I’m running to pursue your issues and your family’s issues,” she returned fire, arguing DeSantis “is only mad about the donors because the donors used to be with him, but they’re no longer with him now.”
And Haley charged that DeSantis’ “campaign is exploding.”
DeSantis, who touted a campaign website of his own full of opposition research clips of Haley, knocked her for suffering from “ballistic podiatry” as he pointed to her recent gaffes on the campaign trail.
He also targeted Haley over her record as South Carolina governor, from gas taxes to groceries, while she took aim at DeSantis for votes he took as a congressman from Florida.
CHRISTIE TAKES AIM AT HALEY AS THE FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR DROPS OUT OF THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE
DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected to a second term as Florida governor 14 months ago, was once the clear alternative to Trump in the Republican White House race. He was solidly in second place behind Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner as he makes his third straight presidential bid.
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis participates in a Republican Presidential Primary Debate at Drake University on January 10, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
But after a series of campaign setbacks over the summer and autumn, DeSantis saw his support in the polls erode.
Haley grabbed momentum during the autumn, thanks to well-regarded debate performances. And in recent weeks she caught up with DeSantis for second place in the polls in Iowa and in national surveys.
Haley also surpassed DeSantis and surged to second place and narrowed the gap with Trump in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary — just eight days after Iowa’s caucuses.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor, participates in a Republican Presidential Primary Debate at Drake University on January 10, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Haley and DeSantis battled over key issues, from the war in Ukraine and the bloodshed in the Middle East to border security, immigration, and raising the Social Security eligibility age.
DeSantis charged Haley was a globalist, saying “you can take the ambassador out of the United Nations, but you can’t take the United Nations out of the ambassador,
In a sharp exchange on immigration, DeSantis accusing Haley of being soft on securing the border. Haley returned fire, arguing “you can’t trust what Ron is saying.”
While DeSantis and Haley spent plenty of time targeting each other, they did step up their attacks on Trump, with both of them criticizing Trump for not showing up at the debate and knocking the former president on policy.
DeSantis slammed Trump for failing to “drain the swamp” and to finish building the border wall with Mexico, and slammed him on the issue of abortion.
Former President Donald Trump, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a Fox News town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Haley targeted Trump for the exploding national debt and not taking a tougher stance against China.
She also aimed to frame the race as a two-candidate contest between her and the former president, stressing “I wish Donald Trump was up here on this stage. He is the one that I’m running against.”
Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns and statewide contests in Iowa, was in the debate hall on Wednesday night.
Kochel told Fox News that DeSantis and Haley are “both getting a little bolder in going after” Trump.
“There are two campaigns going on in Iowa right now. One is Trump vs. his expectations and the other one is Haley vs. DeSantis to see who gets the right to take on Trump one-on-one,” Kochel emphasized.
Kochel, who remains neutral in the GOP nomination race, noted that Haley and DeSantis “both want a shot at Trump and the other one’s in the way.”
“She certainly got her licks in. She came across as more polished,” he argued. But he added that DeSantis “knew what he wanted to do tonight.”
And Kochel didn’t see much downside for Trump – who is sitting on a massive lead in the latest Iowa polls – in skipping the debate.
“His people don’t care. They’re with him no matter what,” he said. And he noted that DeSantis and Haley are “in the semi-finals. Trump has a bye week.”
Not on the debate stage because he fell short of the qualifying thresholds was multi-millionaire entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
But Ramaswamy did appear, in a direct-to-camera TV ad that aired on Iowa TV during a commercial break where he urged viewers to “turn this sh– off.”
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court
North Dakota
Louis Michel Poeltl, Grand Forks, Chapter 13
Kaylen Rae Stanleyu, formerly known as Kaylen Bahl, Fargo, Chapter 7
Michelle Vasicek, formerly doing business as Luna Wolf Sales, Fargo, Chapter 7
Justin David Scheidt, Bismarck, Chapter 7
Barrett Van Wagner, Dickinson, Chapter 7
Carolyn Williams, Bismarck, Chapter 7
John Todd Ukkelberg, West Fargo, Chapter 7
Natasha Anne Lafrenz, Bismarck, Chapter 7
Daniel Peter Binstock Jr., Bismarck, Chapter 7
Rodney Nelson, Reeder, Chapter 7
Shawn Solberg, Dickinson, Chapter 7
Kansas Aime Yankton, also known as Kansas Cavanaugh, Devils Lakes, Chapter 7
Erica Lynn Truhlicka, Fargo, Chapter 7
Stephanie Renee Hagerott, formerly known as Renee Hehn, Bismarck, Chapter 7
Nathan Thomas Schneider, Lignite, Chapter 7
Daniel Scott Diehl, Dickinson, Chapter 7
Wayne Rynart Courchene, Williston, Chapter 13
David Emil Raymond, Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Krista Renee Reed, West Fargo, Chapter 7
Travis Cecil Tharp, Williston, Chapter 7
Tyrell Michael Ledoux, Bismarck, Chapter 7
William Joseph Horneman, Merrill, Wis., Chapter 13
Kaleb James Brockman, Gwinner, Chapter 7
Edgardo Luis Torres-Rivera, Williston, Chapter 7
Minnesota
Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.
Alexander Rudkowski, New York Mills, Chapter 7
Brandon Nash and Kayla Lynne Korn, Alexandria, Chapter 7
Ronald G. and Cindy Jo Schmitz, formerly known as Cindy Mills, formerly doing business as Crystal Rock Healing, Pelican Rapids, Chapter 7
Michael James Jordan, formerly known as Michael James Block-Jordan, and Christina Rose Jordan, Wadena, Chapter 7
Darren Michael McClure, Alexandria, Chapter 7
Steven Madrid Torres, Perham, Chapter 7
Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.
Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.
Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.
Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – A suspicious package prompted a precautionary evacuation in Keystone Friday evening before authorities determined the scene was safe.
According to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 7:30 p.m. July 3 to a report of a suspicious package in the parking lot of a business in Keystone.
Based on information available at the scene, deputies evacuated the immediate area as a precaution while the package was investigated.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation Bomb Squad responded and safely evaluated the package. After technicians determined there was no threat, the area was reopened.
The sheriff’s office thanked those who were evacuated for their patience and cooperation during the incident.
Responding agencies included the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Pennington County Search and Rescue.
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