Debates in New Hampshire have been canceled due to lack of commitment from the candidates

Both Republican presidential debates scheduled for Monday ahead of the New Hampshire primary have now been canceled. ABC News and WMUR-TV canceled a Thursday debate due to a lack of candidate participation.

“It was our intention to host a debate from the Iowa caucuses, but we always knew this would depend on the candidates and the outcome of the race,” an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement. “As a result, while our robust election coverage will continue, ABC News and WMUR-TV will not be moving forward with Thursday’s Republican presidential primary debate in New Hampshire.”

Shortly after the announcement, CNN followed suit, scrapping a second GOP debate scheduled for Sunday and instead opting for a town hall on Thursday with presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

“CNN is no longer moving forward with a Republican Presidential Primary Debate in New Hampshire because only one eligible candidate accepted our information to take the stage,” a network spokesperson said. “We will continue to pursue other opportunities as the campaign season progresses through 2024.”

SEE MORE: Nikki Haley turns focus to New Hampshire after finishing third in Iowa

Both cancellations came after Haley said Tuesday that she would not participate in another GOP debate unless Trump — who has skipped all previous five events — showed up.

“We’ve had five great debates during this campaign,” Haley said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Donald Trump has dodged them all. He has nowhere to hide anymore. The next debate I do will be with Donald Trump or Joe Biden. I look forward.”

Her announcement came a day after the Iowa caucuses, in which Trump blew both Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis out of the water by a wide margin of victory. Haley finished third, slightly behind DeSantis, but now appears to be focusing her campaign on the party’s frontrunner ahead of Monday’s New Hampshire primary.

SEE MORE: GOP candidates now gearing up for the New Hampshire primary

Haley’s decision not to debate could also be a response to the most recent GOP debate last week in Iowa, when she ran against DeSantis but did not put in a strong performance, ultimately finishing 2.1% behind the Florida governor. during Monday’s caucuses. In response, DeSantis has accused her campaign of eyeing a vice presidential nomination instead of a presidential nomination.

“Haley is afraid to debate because she doesn’t want to answer tough questions, like how she got rich from Boeing after giving them millions in taxpayer dollars as governor of South Carolina,” DeSantis said. in a statement. “The reality is that she is not running for the nomination, but she wants to be Trump’s vice president.”