Presidential candidates Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker drew a mix of appreciation and skepticism when they slipped into speaking Spanish during the first Democratic candidates’ debate. Some called it a welcome gesture of inclusion to the millions of Spanish speakers living in the United States, while others saw it as pandering to a growing voting bloc.
But if O’Rourke and Booker flexed their language skills in an effort to make sure Spanish speakers understood them, they didn’t need to worry: The Spanish language network Telemundo is already providing Spanish translations throughout the two debates. (Thursday night’s debate was almost entirely in English: Only South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg spoke briefly in Spanish, after one of the debate moderators greeted him in Spanish.)