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.