the Republican presidential field continues to## shrink and the remaining candidates# are maki Lisa Desjardins reports on the# candidates and their messages.

NIKKI HALEY (R), Presidential Candidate:# We have campaigned in Iowa for 11 months.

GOV.

RON DESANTIS (R-FL), Presidential# Candidate: Probably a little Fl oridians usually don't go LISA DESJARDINS: The GOP hopefuls on a# last campaign sprint in the NIKKI HALEY: So, on the 15th, on# Monday, it's going to be so cold.

(LAUGHTER) (LAUGHTER) GOV.

RON DESANTIS: I actually do have# a winter coat, believe it to go over the suit.

And it's pretty nice.# And I left the winte so they're now doing an operation to# be able to get that winter coat up.

LISA DESJARDINS: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and## former South Carolina Governor Nikk NIKKI HALEY: Bless his heart.

DeSantislies.com.

LISA DESJARDINS: Trading bar GOV.

RON DESANTIS: We don't need# another mealymouthed politician who## just tells you what she thinks you want to hear.

LISA DESJARDINS: The only two candidates# on stage, at to argue about who is the alternative to# the party's front-runner, Donald Trump.

GOV.

RON DESANTIS: Leadership is about getting# things done.

Stop making excuses.

Make it happen.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) through $150 million in your campaign and you# were down in the (CROSSTALK) instructive.

I think this is ve (CROSSTALK) LISA DESJARDINS: The two# sparred on n from funding for Ukraine's defense against Russia.

NIKKI HALEY: This is about keeping Americans# safe.

This is ab GOV.

RON DESANTIS: You can take the# ambassador out of the United Nations,## but you can't take the United# Nations out of the ambassa (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) LISA DESJARDINS: To abortion.

GOV.

RON DES stop talking about throwing women in# jail, that's a the language of the left to try to attack# pro-lifers.

So I think that that is wrong.

NIKKI HALEY: These fellows don't know# how to talk about abortion.

I have said## over and over again the Democrats# put fear in women on abortion,## and Republicans have used judgment.

This is too# personal of an issue to put fear o LISA DESJARDINS: Both candidates# mostly pulled their punches on Trump,## sidestepping questions about whether# he has the character to be pres But Haley gave her most pointed criticism yet on# one issue, Trump's handling of the 2020 NIKKI HALEY: That election, Trump lost it.# Biden won that election.

I think what happened## on January 6 was a terrible day.

And I think# President Trump will have to answer for it.

LISA DESJARDINS: DeSantis pivoted, not questioning# Trump's actions, but saying he is vulnerable.

GOV.

RON DESANTIS: If Trump is the nominee,# it's going to be about January 6, legal issues,## criminal trials.

The Democrats and# the media would love to run with that.

FMR.

GOV.

CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), Former# Presidential Candidate: Good evening.## LISA DESJARDINS: The mild attacks were# ev Trump's sharpest GOP critic, former# New Jersey Governor Chris Christie,# who had not qualified for the debate,# ended his presidential campaign.

FMR.

GOV.

CHRIS CHRISTIE: I'm going to make sure# that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be## president of the United States again.

And that's# more important than my own personal ambition.

(APPLAUSE) from Christie's departure.

But in a frank# assessment caught in a Christie made clear his doubts# that neither DeSantis... FMR.

GOV.

CHRIS CHRISTIE:# DeSantis called me, petrified.

LISA DESJARDINS: ... nor Haley# are capable of taking on Trump.

FMR.

GOV.

CHRIS CHRISTIE:# She's going to get smoked,## and you and I both know LISA DESJARDINS: Trump, who# skipped his fifth debate i again aimed to be seen as in his own category.

BRET BAIER, FOX News Anchor: Welcome# to Des Moines, Iowa.

Good evenin LISA DESJARDINS: With a commanding 30 point lead,## Trump participated in a solo town hall# on FOX News, answering question fr voters and walking back some recent# comments that have drawn criticism.

DONALD TRUMP, Former President of the United# States (R) and Current U.S. Presid LISA DESJARDINS: He once again# took credit for overturning Roe## v. Wade after appointing three# justices to the Supr DONALD TRUMP: I'm proud to have done it.

LISA DESJARDINS: While saying so-called fetal heartbeat bans, like# the one signed by DeSantis in Florida.

DONALD TRUMP: If you talk five or six# weeks, a lot of women don't know they're## pregnant in five or six weeks.

I want# to get somet We still have to win elections, and# they have used this -- you know,## we have some great Republicans and they're# great on the issue.

And you would love them## on the issue.

And a lot of them have just# been decimated in the election, decimated.

LISA DESJARDINS: As the field narrows, the# remaining candidates have just a few short## days to convince any undecided Iowans.

And after# last night's fiery debate, t subzero temperatures as they work to get their# supporters to show up on a frigid Monday night.

GEOFF BENNETT: And Lisa joins us now from Iowa.

Lisa, it's good to see you.

I know# yo while you have been on the ground# there.

What's your sense this race is and if Chris Christie's# exit from LISA DESJARDINS: I will say, talking to the# campaigns, there is a sense that Chris Christie## could have an impact, perhaps on Nikki Haley,# which is what we expected, but not here in Iowa.

Chris Christie really hasn't been# competing in this state.

So there's## a lot of consideration about what# would happen next in New Ha where he does have significant numbers.

And# speaking to an official from the Trump ca they're trying to dismiss the idea# that Christie is a big help for Haley.

And here's how they put it.

They say Chris# Christie's voters, to them, who won't vote as Republicans in New Hampshire# anyway.

Of course, it's in their interest to## say that, but clearly they're paying# attention to this departure.

Clearly,## it comes at a moment where Nikki Haley could use# a boost to show not only can she get into second## place, but that she can compete with President# Trump, former President Trump, and his lead.

Now, as for things here in Iowa, it also is a# story about Nikki Haley.

Speaking to a couple of## campaign officials here, from their internal# polling, it matches what we saw today in a## Suffolk poll that shows Nikki Haley in second# place and by more than the margin of error.

Now, at the same time, Ron DeSantis is# crisscrossing this state like no other.

He## has a slew of events.

His supporters think he can# make up that distance because of his organization.## They think they will get their people out# here on Monday night better than anyone.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Lisa, looking# at the snowcapped roofs behind you,## I'm reminded that Monday is expected# to be the coldest Iowa c Are the campaigns worried about# whether that will affect turnout?

LISA DESJARDINS: There is a concern about that.

It will be a test of enthusiasm as I speak to you, it is a balmy 24 degrees# and going down.

And this will by far be the## warmest day that we have from here until Monday.# There also will be a snowfall all day tomorrow.

These folks in Iowa, of course, they know what# to do with this.

The idea is that the snow## will be cleared from parking lots.

Voters# will be able to attend the caucuses.

But## campaigns are making some kind of -- using# some resources to try and make sure that,## in difficult places, they# can get their voters there.

It will be a test of the# campaigns' enthusias by the way, of Iowans' enthusiasm for# this process, as the nation at Iowa to decide if it should continue to# have this role for the Republican Party.

GEOFF BENNETT: That's Lisa Desjardins# reporting on the ground in Iowa tonight for us.

Lisa, thanks so much.