My commentary was picked in a piece by Alan Rappeport for the New York Times on the Iowa GOP presidential debate.

Political analysts and pundits observed that the Mr. Trump continued to benefit from staying away from direct engagement with his Republican rivals, with some suggesting that he had delivered a surprisingly “cogent” performance at his event across town, while the tenor of the conversation between Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley often grew caustic and personal as they tiptoed around questions about Mr. Trump’s character. While Ms. Haley avoided any notable stumbles, few thought that she had managed to get the better of Mr. DeSantis.

Here’s a sampling of the reaction.

“Trump decision not to indulge and validate the debate exercise was a shrewd move in its own right, but leaving them to tear each other apart is a nice fringe benefit,” said Liam Donovan, a former member of the staff of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “The little lines and digs might please their backers but it’s really tough to imagine any of this appealing to folks looking to make a decision.”

Read the full piece here.

I spoke to Jonathan Nicholson for his Huffington Post piece on the dynamics of the House GOP, and fallout from the topline spending deal announced by Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Chuck Schumer.

Liam Donovan, a principal with lobbying firm Bracewell LLP, said Johnson is keenly aware of the dynamics in his conference and trying not to antagonize any wing of it. Similarly, he said, Republicans are weary of the image of chaos projected by the speaker battle and have no desire to repeat it.

“Public posturing aside, that should provide the equilibrium necessary to survive coming weeks and months unscathed,” he said.

“Not because the rump that hijacked the chamber in October was sated, chastened, or learned any particular lessons, but because you still can’t put it past them and therefore take nothing for granted,” he said.

Read the full piece here.

I spoke to POLITICO‘s Alex Isenstadt for his story on the fallout from Nikki Haley’s recent misstep on the New Hampshire campaign trail.

“The answer itself doesn’t have to be a huge problem,” said Liam Donovan, a former National Republican Senatorial Committee official. “But the media response tells you the free ride is over, and she’s in for her first taste of adversity.”

The controversy has given particular oxygen to Christie, who in recent weeks has faced questions about whether he will remain in the race. The former New Jersey governor is polling third in some recent New Hampshire surveys, and many top Republicans in the Granite State say he is potentially siphoning off support that could otherwise go to Haley. Christie has insisted he won’t drop out of the race — he released a direct-to-camera ad this week in which he said as much — but the firestorm could give him added incentive to stay in.

“The problem for Haley is that her path to the nomination already amounts to an early state Triple Lindy, and anything that stands to stunt her rise — or, perhaps worse, breathe new life into somebody like Chris Christie — is something she can ill afford,” said Donovan.

…

The lasting effect of the controversy, and the extent to which it registers with voters, is unclear. Her remarks came during a slow week between Christmas and New Year’s Day when, Donovan said, “most normal people have better things to do than follow political news.”

But the dearth of other news this week also focused the media more intently on Haley’s remarks and her attempt to clean them up.

Read the full piece here.