In her campaign efforts leading up to the Iowa caucuses, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley revived some of the debate-stage critiques she previously directed towards Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Haley addressed supporters in Altoona and Ankeny while also planning to meet with voters in Cedar Rapids on Thursday night.

During her speech in Ankeny, Haley referred to a new website called DeSantisLies.com, a platform where she and DeSantis have accused each other of lying and misrepresenting their records. Haley expressed her frustration with the ongoing disputes, stating, "There's a lot of lies and everything going on…I finally just put it on a website, because I'm like, it's just too big a thing… Let's focus on what we're going to do to stop this drama, and to focus on what we need to do for the solutions."

However, some attendees expressed their disappointment with Haley's latest debate performance, opining that it deviated from the above-the-fray style she had maintained until now. Sam Wells from West Des Moines stated, "I think she did OK, but I think she relied too much on DeSantisLies.com… And she got caught into the name-calling that she has stayed away from, that's attracted her to a lot of people."

Phyllis Johnson, a retiree from West Des Moines, shared the same sentiment, believing that the back-and-forth between Haley and DeSantis hurt both candidates. Despite this, Johnson remained enthusiastic about caucusing for Haley, as she believed the country was heading in the wrong direction and saw Haley as a potential solution to bring people together.

Earlier in the day, Ron DeSantis also addressed the renewable fuels group, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the interests of hardworking and patriotic individuals he had encountered during his on-the-ground campaign experience.

Amidst their campaign efforts, both Haley and DeSantis found themselves overshadowed by former President Donald Trump, who dominated the news cycle due to his ongoing civil fraud trial in New York. Trump's remarks in court and his appearance at a Fox News town hall drew significantly more viewers compared to the head-to-head debate between Haley and DeSantis.

With the Iowa caucuses just days away, all candidates are intensifying their campaigns, vying for support in this crucial early stage of the Republican presidential nomination race.