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.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Donald Trump that he would “never declare a ceasefire" in northeastern Syria, and that he was not afraid of sanctions leveled against his government after launching a major offense against US allied forces in the region.
Read more here:
The Wall Street Journal reports that a grand jury has issued a subpoena related to Manhattan federal prosecutors' investigation into Rudy Giuliani.
The grand jury is seeking documents from former Texas congressman Pete Sessions "related to Mr. Giuliani's business dealings with Ukraine and his involvement in efforts to oust the U.S. ambassador in Kyiv, as well as any interactions between Mr. Sessions, Mr. Giuliani and four of Mr. Giuliani's associates who were indicted last week on campaign-finance and conspiracy accounts."
Read more here.
Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff are hosting a press conference right now in which they are providing updates on the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. Stay tuned for updates.
Nancy Pelosi has announced there will not be a vote within the US House of Representatives for impeachment at this time.
Story to come...
The House speaker has not ruled out holding a vote on impeachment, suggesting she could do so in the future.
Here's The Independent's Andrew Buncombe with more on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to not yet hold a vote on the president's impeachment:
“We’re not here to call bluffs,” Nancy Pelosi said when asked why she wouldn’t hold a vote on impeachment after the White House said it would not comply with congressional subpoenas. “This is deadly serious.”
Donald Trump is reportedly leaving out a notable figure in House leadership from a conversation at the White House on Wednesday surrounding his latest decision to pull troops out of northeastern Syria. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, did not receive an invitation to the scheduled talks, according to CNN:
It appears that at least part of the conversations Nancy Pelosi expects to have with Donald Trump as Democrats continue their impeachment inquiry against the president surrounds USMCA, the trade deal the House has yet to enact that includes Canada and Mexico. There is no telling how those talks could play out as the impeachment probe intensifies, however.
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