Haley pressures Trump over CNN debate: Time to ‘show up’

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley called out former President Trump for not participating in debates ahead of the Iowa caucuses, seeking to pressure the GOP front-runner to appear at an event hosted by CNN this month.

Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor, argued in a social media post Tuesday that it was getting “harder” for Trump to “hide,” given only three people qualified for the latest debate, the fewest so far.

“With only three candidates qualifying for the CNN debate, it’s time for Donald Trump to show up,” Haley posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “As the debate stage continues to shrink, it’s getting harder for Donald Trump to hide.”

CNN announced Tuesday that Trump, Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had met its criteria for the Jan. 10 debate. The network announced the debate last month, but only DeSantis and Haley have signaled plans to participate.

Haley, who had several strong debate performances that helped boost her support among voters, has called out Trump before for not participating in debates.

Trump, who skipped each of the previous four GOP primary debates, is set to participate in a town hall airing on Fox News on the same night of the Des Moines, Iowa, debate hosted by CNN next week.

The town hall will also take place in Des Moines and will “focus on the leading issues facing voters ahead of the Iowa Caucus,” Fox said.

Trump has cited his significant lead over rivals in polls as a reason for not participating in debates before the first GOP voting contest in Iowa on Jan. 15.