Highlights of Last Night’s Democratic Debate
The Democratic debate on Tuesday night marked the first few events; it was the largest number of candidates on stage in any primary debate and the first to devote time to discussing women’s reproductive rights. It was also the first debate in which nearly every candidate agreed with Elizabeth Warren, the clear new leader in the race.
In case you missed the three-hour debate, the evening included discussions on Ukraine and Medicare, as well as awkward conversations about candidate ages and friendship with Republicans. Below are some of the highlights of the night, including the altercation between Pete Buttigieg and Beto O’Rourke over gun control and Warren, everyone else.
Joe Biden defended his son over ties with Ukraine
When asked why his son could do foreign business when he was vice president – while President Trump faces his own criticism for ties to Ukraine – Biden defended his son in response, in which he referred to the first president of our country. “My son’s statement speaks for itself. I think it’s important that we focused on why it is so important to remove this person from office … Look, the fact that George Washington was worried when he gave a speech the first time after he was elected president, we needed to worry about that foreign interference in our elections was America’s greatest threat. ” HM.
Meanwhile, Biden also made it clear that he shouldn’t get caught in the crossfire either. “I have never discussed a single thing with my son about anything related to Ukraine,” Biden said. “Nobody indicated that I … My son made a decision. I am proud of his judgment. I’m proud of what he said. And let’s focus on that. “
Warren kind of explained how she’s going to pay for Medicare.
Warren faced several battles that night, the first of which involved a debate about how she would pay for Medicare as president. When asked if this would mean higher taxes for the middle class, Warren was not clear-cut. She argued that spending for the middle class would go down without answering the question about taxes.
Both Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar confronted Warren over her response. Buttigieg called her plan “a trillion dollar hole,” and Klobuchar was a little more outspoken. “At least Bernie is honest here and says how he is going to pay for it and that taxes will be raised,” she said. “And I’m sorry Elizabeth, but you didn’t say that, and I think we owe it to the American people to let them know where we’re going to ship the bill.”
O’Rourke defended mandatory buyback; Buttigieg wanted an explanation
The ban on the sale of assault weapons was largely shared by most candidates in their arms control policies as president; However, many candidates disagreed as to whether the buyback of assault weapons from existing owners should be mandatory or voluntary. O’Rourke defended his previous position on mandatory buyback (” Heck, we’ll take your AR-15 “), but did not explain how he got people to give up their weapons.
Buttigieg confronts O’Rourke over a giant hole in his plan. “Look, Congressman, you just made it clear that you don’t know how this will actually take guns off the streets,” he told O’Rourke. “If you can develop a plan further, I think we can discuss it.” Former representative of Texas. tried to defend himself by saying they should “listen to the Americans” and not limit themselves to polls, but Buttigieg echoed his earlier skepticism. “The problem is not with the polls. The problem [sic] is politics. And I don’t need lessons of courage, political or personal. “
Warren and Biden fought over a loan
Towards the end of the three-hour debate, it became clear that the focus was on our top three candidates: Biden, Warren, and Sanders. When asked if the “change” proposed by Warren and Sanders would attract the type of voters needed to defeat Trump, Biden definitely called Warren a “fuzzy campaign.” Warren defended herself, citing the consumer agency she helped set up in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and how “she did something.”
Biden interrupted. “I agreed with her excellent work, I went to her word and got your votes. I got votes for this bill. I convinced people to vote for this. So let’s figure it out, too. “
And in perhaps the most memorable moment of the night, Warren made it clear that she was indeed helped. “I am deeply grateful to President Obama,” she replied, “who fought so hard to get this agency into law. And I am deeply grateful to every person who fought for this and helped to make it into law ”.
Honorable mentions
Sanders (while CNN moderator Erin Burnett interrupted to discuss the candidates’ health): “I’m healthy. I feel great.”
Andrew Young (discussing the need to separate technology companies): “There is an absolute overkill in technology, and in some cases when they give up part of their business, this is the right move … There is a reason why no one uses Bing today. “