CHARLESTON, S.C. — The verdict is in! From Drudge to the New York Post to the New York Times, voters and experts say Nikki Haley won the fifth Republican presidential debate last night.
81,000-plus people (and counting) voted in last night's Drudge Report debate poll, and 65% say Nikki Haley won.
There was no debate about who came out on top in Wednesday night's head-to-head showdown between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Of the five veteran politics watchers surveyed by The Post, four said Haley was the clear winner.
Republican consultant Bill O'Riley said Haley, 51, had "a great night" at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, continuing her run of "consistently crisp" debate performances.
"She was sharp, informed, and compelling throughout the night," he added. "Her use of 'DeSantisLies.com' was a smart rhetorical tactic by her campaign. Few will actually go to the website, but viewers heard that message over and over again. She drove it home."
Nikki Haley, Haley Campaign Press Release - Who Won The Debate? Survey Says... Nikki Haley! Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/369870