Democratic debate: Warren takes hits from all sides as Trump impeachment remains top focus
Democrats spar in the largest presidential primary debate in American history
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Your support makes all the difference.Twelve Democrats hoping to take on Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election took the stage tonight for the largest primary debate in American history -- just as the candidates are finally taking off their gloves.
The candidates who met the Democratic National Committee's polling and fundraising requirements to join Tuesday's night debate -- the first since an impeachment inquiry was launched into Mr Trump -- included former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, California Senator Kamala Harris, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, former House Secretary Julián Castro and billionaire Tom Steyer.
Ms Warren repeatedly came under attack during the debate as rivals accused the Massachusetts senator of ducking questions about the cost of Medicare for All and her signature “wealth tax” plan.
The pile-on was the clearest sign yet that Ms Warren has a new status in the crowded Democratic primary: a front-runner in the contest to take on Mr Trump next year.
The night’s confrontations were mostly fought on familiar terrain for Democrats, who have spent months sparring over the future of health care with moderates pressing for a measured approach while Ms Warren and Mr Sanders call for a dramatic, government-funded overhaul of the insurance market.
But unlike Mr Sanders, Ms Warren refused to say whether she would raise taxes on the middle class to pay for Medicare for All — a stance that’s increasingly difficult to maintain given her more prominent status.
Her rivals seized on the opportunity to pounce.
“I appreciate Elizabeth’s work but, again, the difference between a plan and a pipe dream is something you can actually get done,” said Ms Klobuchar.
Mr Buttigieg added: “We heard it tonight. A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question that didn’t get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.”
The political landscape has changed with Mr Trump facing an impeachment inquiry in the House focused on his quest to get Ukraine to dig up unflattering details about Mr Biden, another front-runner among the Democrats hoping to succeed him.
The debate also served as Mr Sanders’ return to the campaign trail following a heart attack earlier this month. The Vermont senator declared, “I’m feeling great.” and hinted at a rally on Saturday in which prominent freshman Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will reportedly endorse his presidential candidacy.
Additional reporting by Associated Press. Check out live updates as they came in below.
That's all for The Independent's live reporting from the Democratic debates.
The Trumpster is out of bed and playing games with language again.
Never encountered "charade" used as a collective noun before.
The Washington Post thinks it knows what Gordon Sondland will tell the impeachment inquiry on Thursday.
Clark Mindock has more on the key takeaways from Hunter Biden's big moment.
The snappy cat in the bow tie is George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, who is giving a deposition to the impeachment inquiry today in defiance of the White House. He is said to be an expert on Ukraine and served as deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Kiev between 2015 and 2018.
Kent fought on behalf of then-ambassador Marie Yovanovitch in March this year when false allegations were first made against her that ultimately led to her removal from the position in May.
His own time in Ukraine also coincided with the tenures of Viktor Shokin and Yuriy Lutsenko as prosecutors general: the first the man whose removal Joe Biden allegedly sought back in 2016, the latter allegedly the subject of regular appeals for dirt from Giuliani.
This piece on how Trump's children have lined their pockets in government while attempting to make the case for Biden conflicts of interest is well worth your time.
The Democratic Coalition has launched its first TV promo on behalf of the impeachment inquiry, calling on senators to put country over party and presenting the key events of the last month in suitably dramatic, blockbuster fashion.
Trump is attempting to capitalise on what he regards as Biden Jr's "really bad" performance on Good Morning America but can't help coming across as sweaty and desperate.
Still no condemnation from the man himself of that disturbing alt-right Kingsman meme from yesterday, one can't help but notice.
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have both unveiled ambitious anti-establishment plans ahead of the debate tonight in Ohio.
Warren is taking aim at the influence of "big money" in politics in her latest plan, which sees her turning down donations from powerful PACs and large corporations. She is already refusing contributions of larger than $200 (£157) from Big Pharma and fossil fuel firms and will now extend that rule to apply to the tech giants of Silicon Valley.
“Money slithers through every part of our political system, corrupting democracy and taking power away from the people. Big companies and billionaires spend millions to push Congress to adopt or block legislation. If they fail, they turn to lobbying federal agencies that are issuing regulations,” said Warren. “I’m proud to be running a grassroots-funded campaign for president, and I hope my fellow candidates for the Democratic nomination will do the same.”
Her plan would make it illegal for PACs to contribute to federal candidates, close a loophole allowing foreign-owned or funded companies to donate to campaigns and ban donations and political spending from being considered in the selection of an ambassador (a dig at men like Portland hotelier Gordon Sondland, who gave $1m - or £785,000 - to Trump's inauguartion push before being made US envoy to the EU).
To boost transparency, Warren would order presidential campaigns to disclose all donors and fundraisers who are given official titles, including national or regional finance committees and bundlers, modernise campaign finance laws to reveal funding behind political advertisements online and require every organisation that makes an election-related expenditure to disclose their large donors.
Sanders is meanwhile coming after corporate America with a new tax plan.
“For more than 40 years, the largest and most profitable corporations in America have rigged the tax code and our economy to redistribute wealth and income to the richest and most powerful people in this country,” Sanders said in a statement. “The American people are saying enough is enough.”
He called for the restoring of the tax rate to a pre-Trump 35 per cent from the current 21 per cent, blocking tax havens and a new measure requiring corporations to give their employees stock until the businesses are at least one-fifth employee-owned with 45 per cent of board members elected.
Warren is still well behind Biden nationally among Democratic voters in the latest Morning Consult poll ahead of tonight's debate.
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