A second network cancelled a GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire, indicating there will not be another on-stage clash between candidates before the state’s primary next week.
Following ABC News nixing its Thursday event, CNN eschewed plans for a debate on Sunday as two of the top three remaining candidates, former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, are holding out on participation.
“CNN is no longer moving forward with a New Hampshire Republican Presidential Primary Debate, as only one qualifying candidate accepted our invitation to take the stage,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday, according to The Wrap. “We will continue to pursue other opportunities as the campaign season progresses through 2024, including candidate Town Halls.”
A separate announcement said CNN anchor Jake Tapper will host a town hall event with Haley from New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, on Thursday. The cable news network held a town hall with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire on Tuesday.
Five Republican presidential debates have taken place this election cycle, with the most recent being held in Iowa last week featuring a head-to-head matchup between Haley and DeSantis. Trump, the frontrunner in the polls and the winner of the Iowa caucuses, has declined to participate in any primary debates so far.
DeSantis, who narrowly beat out Haley for second place in Iowa, indicated he was eager to get back on the debate stage and took aim at his GOP rivals.
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“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,” DeSantis said in a post to X on Tuesday.
Haley released a statement on Tuesday that took aim at Trump, saying he “ducked all” the debates.
“He has nowhere left to hide,” Haley added. “The next debate I do will either be with Donald Trump or with [President] Joe Biden. I look forward to it.”
Biden’s long-shot challengers have been left to debate by themselves in New Hampshire as the incumbent and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) eschewed the state in favor of putting South Carolina first on the party’s election calendar.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who chose to run as an independent in a break with the Democratic Party, is already looking to qualify for the general election debates later in the year.