DeSantis beats Haley in debate - but Trump is still the overwhelming frontrunner

Heading into that contest, two of the Republican field took to the debate stage last night on CNN.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, went toe-to-toe last night, with American voters delivering a pretty clear verdict.

A snap poll conducted after the CNN debate, conducted by JL Partners, found a majority of viewers backing Ron DeSantis as the winner.

Some 55 per cent of those surveyed backed DeSantis, compared to just 31 per cent who backed Haley.

Both are jostling to emerge as the main challenger to Donald Trump. That is a tough prospect, given Trump is still hitting way over 50 per cent of the vote in national US polls, sometimes even recording support from over 60 per cent of Republicans.

Trump is also currently polling ahead of Joe Biden in the key battleground states, as a rematch between the pair looks increasingly likely.

To stand any chance of gaining traction, DeSantis and Haley need good early showings. That is easier said than done.

Looking ahead to Iowa, Trump is polling 50 per cent with DeSantis and Haley both under 20 per cent each.

The New Hampshire primary is next, also taking place this month. Trump is leading there too, though both he and Nikki Haley are recording support in the 30s percentage-wise.

The withdrawal from the race of the anti-Trump Chris Christie, who was polling around 10 per cent in New Hampshire, could help Haley and DeSantis.

But following on from the head-to-head challenger debate, it appears DeSantis could be best placed to challenge Trump. Whether he can actually do so or not is another issue entirely.