Welcome to the beat. I'm Ari Melba with you live from New York, where the iconic tree at our Rockefeller Senator headquarters is still up tonight, a timeline we've been tracking with our guests who told us they usually have their family Christmas trees down by now. That's what Renato said. But we tell you something. This post-holiday period is also known in politics as the campaign homestretch. We are three days out from the start of the 2024 race in Iowa.

We're seeing the candidates talk taxes, abortion, and some late-breaking criticism of Donald Trump.

Let's cut taxes on the middle class and simplify those brackets.

Donald Trump's running for his issues.

Haley's running on the donor's issues. I'm running on your issues. Ron doesn't defeat Biden. Trump is head to head with Biden.

Monday matters. Your voice matters. I trust you. I think there's two America first candidates in this race, Donald Trump and myself.

Donald Trump was president for four years.

He did not make a dent in the administrative state.

I know why you're excited. No more commercials after four days.

Haley referring to the multi-multimmillion dollar on slot of ads that's been greeting

Iowans. She made a joke. DeSantis has become a joke. Don't believe a thing Nikki Haley says.

Ron DeSantis, losing in line. Haley even opposed Trump's wall. Haley disparages the caucuses and

insults you.

Now, the intense wrangling between those two candidates reflects a bet about this Republican

electorate. The bet is that supporters of former President Trump are pretty decided.

But any anti-Trump vote is more up for grabs. With new dynamics, as Governor Christie dropped

out this week and the party's

anti-Trump wing, which does exist, is eyeing now Haley as a possible alternative to Trump

that they could rally around. There are reports of the ever-effemeral momentum going her way.

There is a hope that a strong eye will finish for her could propel her in the next

several states and at least pause or slow this narrative or reality of the GOP treating Trump as a kind of

heir apparent before he's been actually tested in actual voting races around the country, which is what a

...