"Analyzing the Winner of the 2024 Iowa Republican Presidential Debate"

In the Republican presidential debate in Iowa, rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley attacked each other while going easy on frontrunner Donald Trump, with DeSantis calling Haley a "mealy-mouthed" politician and Haley accusing DeSantis of lying. DeSantis showed a more aggressive side, clashing with Haley over Ukraine and being criticized by her on the issue of abortion. Despite their exchanges, Trump's absence from the debate did not impact his standing in national opinion polls, as he continues to lead over both Haley and DeSantis.