What We're Watching
Trump to skip debate and star in town hall
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign event, in Clinton, Iowa, U.S., January 6, 2024.
REUTERS/Cheney Orr
Move over, DC, the political hub of the US is in the midwest this week.
Wednesday night is the final GOP debate before primary voting kicks off in Iowa on Friday. The pressure is on for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who are hoping to put a dent in Trump’s resounding lead. The two were the only candidates to qualify under the host network CNN’s higher requirements, which knocked out former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump is skipping Wednesday’s debate, as he has the past four, and will instead host a town hall in Iowa, televised on Fox News.
Trump, whose legal troubles have him eager to clinch the nomination as quickly as possible, is looking to earn a decisive win in Iowa. He has ratcheted up attacks on opponents over the last week, particularly against Haley. The question is whether she and DeSantis, who have resisted turning on the former president, will now fire back against Trump on the debate stage.Global conflict was at a record high in 2025, will 2026 be more peaceful? Ian Bremmer talks with CNN’s Clarissa Ward and Comfort Ero of the International Crisis Group on the GZERO World Podcast.
Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi isn’t necessarily known as the greatest friend of Muslim people, yet his own government is now seeking to build bridges with Afghanistan’s Islamist leaders, the Taliban.
The European Union just pulled off something that, a year ago, seemed politically impossible: it froze $247 billion in Russian central bank assets indefinitely, stripping the Kremlin of one of its most reliable pressure points.