The Biggest Winners and Losers of the Fifth GOP Debate

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley went head-to-head Wednesday night in the fifth 2024 GOP primary debate, just five days before Iowa caucus voters cast their ballots.

The two GOP presidential hopefuls fielded questions on domestic taxes to foreign policy during the two-hour forum hosted by CNN at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. The night was unsurprisingly filled with plenty of jabs back and forth, and was again missing the front-runner of the 2024 Republican race, former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis and Haley did reach a few points of agreement throughout the night, highlighting Republicans' focus on issues like border security, the war between Israel and Hamas and lowering the cost of living. But both candidates also repeatedly sparred on each other's records in government, and both faced accusations of lying during their answers throughout the night.

"Tonight's one-on-one debate between Haley and DeSantis produced several memorable and spirited exchanges," Aaron Kall, political commentator and director of University of Michigan's debate program, told Newsweek. "Both candidates attacked either much more than the previous four total debates combined."

Kall added, however, that "No one delivered a knockout punch or unanimous debate victory, so the race will likely remain idle through the first several early states."

Winner: Working Families

Both DeSantis and Haley on Wednesday vowed to lower the cost of living for the average American, although the two fought over each other's records on tax policies. Haley once again pointed a finger at both Republicans and Democrats for adding to the national debt limit, and vowed to home in on unspent COVID funding and instances of tax fraud once in office.

DeSantis attempted to sympathize with voters over the lost "American Dream," and promised that working-class families would only pay federal taxes once they reached a certain income threshold. Meanwhile, under his plan, billionaires were promised the same tax rate as the middle class.

Haley also bashed DeSantis' policies in Florida, condemning residents' high property insurance rates and calling his state a "hot spot for inflation." DeSantis claimed that Haley increased taxes while in office in South Carolina on items like groceries and tax, which the former governor adamantly denied.

Loser: Trump

Neither candidate said that they believed Trump was the right choice for 2024. Haley repeated that while she believes her former boss "was the right president at the right time," his way of governing does not meet the sign of the times, calling on Trump throughout the night to participate in the primary debates and defend his "record."

"I don't have vengeance, I don't have vendettas," she added, speaking of Trump's governing style.

DeSantis again hit on Trump's missed promises, such as failing to build the wall along the U.S. southern border or his vow to "drain the swamp." While answering questions about why voters should choose him over Trump, the Florida governor also knocked Haley, claiming that while she is running "to do her donors' bidding," Trump is running for his own agenda.

"You need somebody that's going to be in there and fight for you," DeSantis told voters.

Winner: Border Security

DeSantis and Haley took a tough stance on immigration issues, a hot topic for Republicans while GOP lawmakers in Congress are fighting for reformed border policies. The Florida governor again promised to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S., and claimed that Mexico's government would be forced to pay for it. Haley, meanwhile, said that the only way to curb immigration is by deporting migrants who cross illegally.

"You have to deport them," Haley said. "And the reason you have to deport them is because they are jumping the line."

Winner: Israel

While Haley and DeSantis clashed on how to handle the war in Ukraine, neither expressed interest in backing down on America's military support for Israel's fight against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Some hard-right members of Congress have called for the U.S. to pull back on aid to Israel in an effort to curb government spending. But DeSantis said that America's job is to stay as a strong ally of Israel, adding that the U.S. needs to "trust" Israel's military to handle the conflict in Gaza. Haley didn't disagree, saying that her administration would get three things done: give Israel what it wants for its fight, eliminate Hamas and ensure that the hostages in Hamas' control are returned home safely.

Support for Israel has proven to be a contested Democratic talking point and has the potential to pose an issue for President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, with many progressive members of the president's party pushing him to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Loser: Iran

Another point of agreement on Wednesday was that Iran is the real aggressor behind the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with both DeSantis and Haley promising to take a hard approach on U.S. policies with Tehran.

"Anyone with half a brain knows Iran is behind this," DeSantis said from the stage, referring to Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel.

Militant groups like Hamas have been backed by the Iranian government for years, and Tehran has been vocal about its support for Palestinians in light of Israel's aggression in the Gaza Strip. Haley went as far as to say Wednesday that there would be "no Hamas without Iran," and reiterated her support for Israel in light of the current conflict.

"We need to be clear-eyed," Haley said. "The last thing we need to do is to tell Israel what to do. The only thing we should be doing is supporting them and eliminating Hamas."

"It is not that Israel needs America," she added. "America needs Israel. They are the tip of the spear when it comes to this Islamic terrorism and we need to make sure that we have their backs in that process."

Loser: Disney

Both DeSantis and Haley agreed that Disney has gone completely "woke," although the Florida governor faced some backlash for his war against his state's largest employer.

DeSantis' feud with Disney started in 2022 after the company spoke out against the governor's "Don't Say Gay" bill. While fielding questions Wednesday, DeSantis defended his ongoing legal battles against Disney, adding that he believes the government needs to "stand up for the people and not bow down to woke corporations."

Haley agreed that Disney has been woke "for a long time," but pushed against DeSantis' decision to fight against a company just because he disagrees with its political stance, adding that the government shouldn't "bully our businesses."

"We don't need government fighting against our private industries," she added.

Winner: Haley's Abortion Stance

Haley may have helped her campaign Wednesday night by taking a less harsh approach than some of her GOP colleagues on the issue of abortion. The former governor repeated from the stage that while she is "unapologetically pro-life," she believes that Republicans have approached the issue with judgment.

She also bashed Democrats for "injecting fear" into mothers over the topic of abortion, and highlighted her role as the only woman in the Republican presidential race, saying, "These fellas don't know how to talk about abortion."

Abortion has been a winning issue for Democrats since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, including upsetting Republicans in several state and local elections this past November. According to a NewsNation Decision Desk HQ poll released in December, roughly 53 percent of American voters believe the GOP is too restrictive on abortion. The survey, as reported by The Hill, also found that nearly one-third of Republican voters agreed with that sentiment.

DeSantis, who in April 2023 signed the Heartbeat Protection Act in Florida that prohibits abortion procedures after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, has said that he would support a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Loser: Liars

Both candidates accused the other of lying during their answers throughout the night, although Haley took it one step further, repeatedly advertising her campaign's fact-checking website, DeSantisLies.com.

The website includes a list of attacks DeSantis has directed at Haley that the former South Carolina governor claims are a complete lie, such as her record on taxes, energy and foreign policy issues.

DeSantis, meanwhile accused Haley of backtracking on several of her past remarks during her answers Wednesday night, saying that labeling attacks as "lies" were just a "tactic."

"DeSantis has done a good job to blunt Haley's debate momentum during the last few months, including tonight," Kall told Newsweek. "She's benefited the most overall from the debate series, but at times appeared defensive and personally offended. A thicker political skin may be needed for a direct contest or debate with Trump."

"'DeSantisLies.com' was a major loser from tonight's debate," Kall continued. "It will certainly be relentlessly mocked by social media as it received more than a dozen mentions. This served as a nervous tick that was name-checked anytime Haley came under tremendous pressure."

Update 1/10/24, 11:58 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.