WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) needled former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for not taking questions at every campaign event, days before the 2024 Republican primary‘s opening nominating contest.

DeSantis, who will debate Haley one on one for the first time on Wednesday before Iowa’s Jan. 15 caucuses, made the criticism as he contended the former governor of South Carolina is not dealing well with the added media coverage.

“She had a period where media was fluffing her,” DeSantis told reporters Tuesday. “Now she’s in a situation where she’s getting scrutiny and it’s like almost every day she answers questions, something happens where she’s putting her foot in her mouth.”

DeSantis compared Haley to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, asserting untested primary candidates underperform in general elections. Clinton lost that cycle to former President Donald Trump.

“The minute it would be her vs. a Democrat, it’s all going to be against her,” he said. “Republican voters know that and I think she’s shown she just can’t handle the scrutiny and can’t defend her record. That’s why she rarely answers questions. I guess she’s not even answering voters’ questions anymore.”

Haley has recently changed her campaign event format so she does not always have time to take questions from the audience, though the Washington Examiner attended a Des Moines Rotary Club breakfast with her last week where she did.

The attack is a preview of Wednesday’s debate, which is poised to become personal as DeSantis repeated his complaints Haley does not have “core convictions” and operates in “pale pastels,” as opposed to “bold colors.” He also undercut her electoral record in the Palmetto State.

DeSantis, who is “looking forward” to his head-to-head showdown with Haley, added he is determined to persuade Republicans who are “not the ride or die” Trump supporters to caucus for him next week as Haley closes in on him for second place.

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“I know the information flow is not just going to be served up to them by a media trying to paint me well,” he said. “I get that. I mean, that’s fine. So I’ve got to take these opportunities, whether it’s the grassroots, whether it’s these debates and all that, you know, whether it’s advertising, to get the job done. So that’s what we’re gonna do.”