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Former U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Nikki Haley, then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in the Oval Office of the White House on in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9, 2018.

Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images

WASHINGTON — Nikki Haley said she would not participate in any further primary debates unless front-runner Donald Trump is on stage.

The former president won a landslide victory Monday in the Iowa Caucus, the first contest of the 2024 presidential nomination. Haley placed third in Iowa, with 19.1% of the vote.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis accused Haley of not wanting to answer “tough questions” on topics such as her alleged dealings with aircraft manufacturer Boeing while she was governor of South Carolina.

“The reality is that she is not running for the nomination, she’s running to be Trump’s VP,” DeSantis posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday. “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.”

The next GOP primary debate is scheduled for Thursday, days before the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23. Polls have Haley running just behind Trump in the state, some polls by as little as 7 points.

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