Republican contenders Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have intensified their criticisms of former President Donald Trump as they compete for the GOP nomination in Iowa. In back-to-back town halls hosted by CNN, both candidates sought to distinguish themselves from Trump by highlighting his perceived shortcomings on issues such as abortion, campaign promises, and electability.

The shift towards more aggressive attacks on Trump represents a new approach for DeSantis and Haley, who are racing against time to gain traction and prevent Trump from securing the nomination. While their focus was primarily on undercutting Trump's appeal to Republican primary voters, they paid less attention to each other during the town halls.

According to Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, the primary challenge for DeSantis and Haley lies in capturing the attention of voters in a state where Trump maintains a significant lead. Polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ show Trump leading by 30 points in Iowa and holding a nationwide lead of 50 points.

Despite Trump's dominance in the polls, most of his rivals have been reluctant to directly confront him. In previous debates, criticism was largely aimed at Trump's decision to skip GOP debates. However, Haley had already begun to deliver stronger attacks, referencing the "chaos" she claims follows Trump and would continue in a second term.

During the town hall events, both DeSantis and Haley unleashed some of their harshest criticisms yet on Trump. DeSantis accused Trump of inconsistency on policy issues, particularly slamming him for failing to deliver on his promise to end birthright citizenship. He also accused Trump of "flip-flopping" on abortion, pointing to Trump's labeling of the six-week abortion ban that DeSantis signed as governor of Florida as a "terrible mistake."

Haley, on the other hand, emphasized that Trump was the right president for the right time but argued that chaos followed him. She positioned herself as the strongest candidate to face President Biden in the November election, citing polls that suggest a hypothetical Trump-Biden matchup would be close.

While neither DeSantis nor Haley has directly criticized Trump's conduct in response to his four indictments, they suggested that the charges could harm his chances in a general election.

Republican strategists anticipate that DeSantis and Haley will continue their sharp attacks as voting gets underway. However, they expressed the view that the candidates should have adopted this approach earlier, rather than waiting until just over a week before the first votes. Some believe that DeSantis, who has devoted significant resources to Iowa, sees the state as his "last stand."

Despite polling at almost 20 percent in Iowa, edging out Haley for second place, DeSantis has mostly been in single digits in New Hampshire. Observers suggest that Haley is in a stronger position, having gained momentum in the state. If she can secure second place in Iowa and win New Hampshire, some argue that a legitimate race against Trump could emerge.

The strategy of avoiding direct confrontation with Trump, in fear of alienating his supporters, has been criticized by Republican strategists such as Brian Seitchik. They argue that Trump's firm grip on the party necessitates a more confrontational approach. Seitchik contends that if the candidates entered the race with the intention of winning, they should have taken on Trump from the beginning.

As the race intensifies, DeSantis and Haley's attacks on Trump are fueling the battle for the GOP nomination. With Iowa as a critical battleground, the candidates are making their final pushes to gain an edge over the front-runner. Only time will tell if their efforts will be enough to overcome Trump's substantial lead.