"Republican Debate Scrapped as Trump and Haley Decline, DeSantis Presses for Alternative"

CNN has canceled the second Republican primary debate before the New Hampshire primaries due to a lack of participation, with only Ron DeSantis accepting the invitation. Instead, CNN will hold candidate town halls with DeSantis and Nikki Haley. This decision follows the cancellation of another debate by WMUR and ABC News, as DeSantis was the only candidate to agree to participate. Former President Donald Trump has not participated in any of the five GOP debates during the campaign cycle, prompting criticism from Nikki Haley.