Seven candidates appeared at Loyola Marymount University on Thursday evening for the final Democratic debate of 2019. Here are six memorable quotes and moments from the debate.
Wine Caves vs. Wind Caves
Pete Buttigieg was a magnet for criticism this time out, as several candidates on the stage went after him over his ties to big donors, exemplified by the private fundraising event he held at an exclusive winery in Napa.
Elizabeth Warren started it off when she quipped that “Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States.”
Though Warren’s point had nothing to do with his personal income, Buttigieg attempted to shift the conversation in that direction when he shot back that “I am the only person who is on this stage who is not a millionaire or a billionaire. This is the problem with issuing purity tests you yourself cannot pass. … Senator, your net worth is 100 times mine.”
Things got tense for a couple of minutes as Warren and Buttigieg sparred over fundraising, until Amy Klobuchar chimed in to defuse things. “I have never even been to a wine cave. But I have been to a wind cave,” she quipped.
Wine Cave 2020 #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/Q7tjf36wq2
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) December 20, 2019
Wind Cave, South Dakota, vs Wine Cave, Buttigieg pic.twitter.com/WkHwjwzSOw
— Bill Grueskin (@BGrueskin) December 20, 2019
Later even Andrew Yang got in on it, hyping his proposed national basic income by saying it would allow more people in politics “so they wouldn’t have to go shake the money tree at the wine cave.”
Andrew Yang Calls Out Lack of Diversity
“It’s both an honor and a disappointment to be the only person of color on this stage,” Yang said. “I miss Kamala [Harris], I miss Cory [Booker] — though I think Cory will be back.”
“Do you know what you need to donate to political campaigns? Disposable income,” he continued. “I guarantee if we had a freedom dividend, … I would not be the only candidate of color on this stage tonight.”
It’s both an honor and disappointment to be the lone candidate of color on this debate stage tonight. #DemDebate #YangGang pic.twitter.com/QmvtyqLKfG
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) December 20, 2019
Elizabeth Warren Shuts Down Moderator’s Question About Age
Politico’s Tim Alberta asked Warren to talk about being the oldest president if she were to be inaugurated.
“I’d also be the youngest woman ever inaugurated,” Warren clapped back.
“I’d also be the youngest woman ever inaugurated.” –@ewarren 💥 #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/kSpThcLcjQ
— Team Warren (@TeamWarren) December 20, 2019
Tom Steyer Doesn’t Hold Back Against “Racist” Trump’s Immigration Policies
“This president is not against immigration. He is against immigration by non-white people,” Steyer said. “We have a racist president who is trying to divide us.”
This president is not against immigration. He's against immigration by non-white people. This is a racial argument by a racist president who's trying to divide us #DemDebate
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) December 20, 2019
Bernie Sanders Calls for a Bigger Picture Look at Climate Change
Moderator Tim Alberta asked candidates if they would support a government-funded program that would relocate families impacted by climate change.
“Tim, in all due respect, your question misses the mark,” the Vermont senator said to Alberta. “It is not an issue of relocating people in towns. The issue now is whether we save the planet for our children and our grandchildren.”
Rejoining the Paris Agreement ain't enough.
The issue now is whether we save the planet for our children and grandchildren.
We need a Green New Deal. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/UFtTkH2z2w
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 20, 2019
Joe Biden Says He’ll Try Working With Republicans Despite Their Attacks on His Family
Biden responded to a question about how he would work with Republicans and said he refused to “accept the notion” that Democrats and Republicans could not cooperate again.
If anyone has reason to be angry with the Republicans and not want to cooperate it's me, the way they've attacked me, my son, my family. I have no love. But the fact is we have to be able to get things done and when we can't convince them, we go out and beat them. #DemDebate
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 20, 2019
