Five Republican presidential candidates are on the stage tonight in Miami for a third debate ahead of the 2024 primary.
Follow along here with the USA TODAY Fact Check Team as we dig into candidates’ claims and add context on expected campaign themes, including the war between Israel and Hamas, the war in Ukraine, the trials of former President Donald Trump, election fraud, the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and more. This file will be updated throughout the debate.
The candidates who qualified are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.
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Third Republican debate live updates: Here’s how to watch 5 GOP hopefuls face off in Miami
Nikki Haley claim: Ron DeSantis banned fracking in Florida
This is false. Ron DeSantis spoke out against offshore drilling and fracking in his first campaign for Florida governor in 2018, with an archive of his campaign website showing his opposition to both procedures. And DeSantis signed an executive order just days into his first term encouraging state agencies to oppose fracking.
However, none of DeSantis’s actions banned fracking. DeSantis was elected on the same ballot as a constitutional amendment that banned offshore drilling in Florida.
Haley accused DeSantis of banning fracking after he rebutted her claims that he had opposed the procedure….
