DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The fifth Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election season will also be its first head-to-head matchup. The debate kicks off Wednesday, 9 p.m. Eastern time at Drake University and comes just five days before Iowa’s leadoff presidential caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley are the only candidates taking part in the debate in Iowa. President Donald Trump, widely considered the GOP field’s front-runner, will again be skipping the event. Other previous debate participants, including conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, didn’t make the cut.
