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After Rebuking Trump, Democratic Candidates Attack One Another After Rebuking Trump, Democratic Candidates Attack One Another
(32 minutes later)
LOS ANGELES — The Democratic presidential candidates voiced strong support for the impeachment of President Trump in the sixth primary debate on Thursday night, but all of them seemed to accept the likelihood that he would remain in office after a looming trial in the Republican-controlled Senate and endure as their rival in the general election. LOS ANGELES — Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., was repeatedly pushed onto the defensive in the sixth Democratic presidential debate on Thursday night, as several of his rivals challenged his political ascent by bluntly questioning his fund-raising practices and credentials for the presidency in a contentious and deeply substantive forum.
For the second consecutive debate, the top Democratic contenders began by training their fire on Mr. Trump rather than on one another, describing him as an out-of-control president with little regard for the norms of his office or the rule of law. Mr. Buttigieg has risen rapidly in the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire in recent months, after his persistent attacks on Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and her support for single-payer health care. For many weeks, Mr. Buttigieg, a municipal official who at 37 would be the youngest president in history, escaped corresponding criticism from his fellow Democrats.
But as the debate neared its halfway point, the tensions that have been building for weeks between Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., over campaign funding and transparency reached a boiling point, playing out in a strikingly sharp and at times personal exchange. That changed here in Los Angeles on Thursday evening in a debate that unfolded in the shadow of President Trump’s impeachment. Ms. Warren struck back at Mr. Buttigieg for his courting of wealthy donors at private fund-raisers — including a recent event at a so-called wine cave — and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota expressed clear skepticism of Mr. Buttigieg’s electoral track record and public accomplishments. Taken together, it amounted to the most strenuous challenge so far to a relative political newcomer who has captivated many voters with his soaring rhetoric and intellectual mien.
Ms. Klobuchar, a three-term senator, rebuked Mr. Buttigieg most pointedly for dismissing the value of experience in Washington. She gilded her attack with praise for other candidates, hailing Ms. Warren for designing a new financial regulatory agency, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. for directing vast resources to cancer research and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont for championing veterans.
“While you dismiss committee hearings, I think this experience works,” Ms. Klobuchar told Mr. Buttigieg, noting that despite his claims to electoral strength, he lost campaigns for state treasurer in Indiana and for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.
Mr. Buttigieg parried the criticism from all directions, accusing Ms. Warren of seeking to impose “purity tests” for a fund-raising model — eschewing elite donors — that she did not follow as a Senate candidate. He also invoked his experience in the military as proof of his seasoning, and cited his identity as a gay man who campaigned for office in “Mike Pence’s Indiana” as proof of his political mettle.
But his candidacy appeared to enter a new stage over the course of the evening, as his image as an articulate political wunderkind faced a rigorous test that is unlikely to ease up anytime soon. Even Andrew Yang, the former tech executive who has been a good-natured presence in every debate so far, got in a light jab at Mr. Buttigieg by alluding to candidates who must “shake the money tree in the wine cave.”
The Democratic primary battle as a whole seemed to be at a transition point on Thursday, as seven candidates, the smallest field so far, engaged for about two and a half hours in exchanges that were spirited and often funny — providing a wide-ranging debate over matters of global diplomacy, economic prosperity and presidential impeachment. Four top-tier candidates remain in the race, with Mr. Biden leading in the national polls, followed by Mr. Sanders and Ms. Warren, and Mr. Buttigieg surging in the earliest primary and caucus states.
Less than two months before the Iowa caucuses, the race remains highly fluid, with considerable room for movement not just among the top few candidates but among the underdogs as well. Mr. Buttigieg has become such a target for his rivals because of his growing strength especially in Iowa, a state that most of the candidates onstage have been counting on as a springboard to help them overtake Mr. Biden nationally.
Mr. Buttigieg was not the only candidate who became a focal point for criticism. Late in the evening, Mr. Sanders delivered perhaps his most concerted attack of any debate, challenging Mr. Biden over his support for the Iraq war and for his opposition to “Medicare for all”-style health care. For much of the evening, however, Mr. Biden seemed to recede from the foreground as other candidates battled around him — though when he did speak, he delivered his smoothest remarks from a debate stage to date this cycle.
For the second consecutive month, the Democrats debated amid highly public impeachment proceedings against Mr. Trump. And for the second consecutive month, the gravity of impeachment appeared at times to restrain the candidates or to soften their remarks. For all their sharp arguments, the candidates uniformly reserved their harshest attacks for Mr. Trump, and several of the Democrats repeatedly interjected to plead for a mood of civility and cooperation within the party.
Every candidate voiced support for the House Democrats who voted on Wednesday to impeach Mr. Trump. But without exception, the rivals also seemed to anticipate Mr. Trump’s acquittal in the Republican-controlled Senate; when asked how they would persuade the country to support Mr. Trump’s ouster, the leading Democrats all explained instead how they would approach the task of defeating him in November.
Mr. Buttigieg nudged voters’ attention to the general election, arguing, “No matter what happens in the Senate, it is up to us in 2020.”
A sterner voice of skepticism came from Mr. Yang, the former tech executive mounting an underdog campaign, who described impeachment as a distraction from more important economic issues. Suggesting Mr. Trump’s acquittal in the Senate was a foregone conclusion, Mr. Yang likened it to “a ballgame where you know what the score is going to be.”
Democrats, he said, should focus instead on offering a “new positive vision for the country.”
Yet for all of the unity against Mr. Trump, the contest was also punctuated by heated arguments that highlighted clear philosophical and ideological differences within the party. Most notably, the tensions that had been building for weeks between Ms. Warren and Mr. Buttigieg over campaign funding and transparency reached a boiling point, playing out in a strikingly sharp and at times personal exchange.
“So the mayor just recently had a fund-raiser that was held in a wine cave full of crystals,” Ms. Warren said, adding that “billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States.”“So the mayor just recently had a fund-raiser that was held in a wine cave full of crystals,” Ms. Warren said, adding that “billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States.”
Mr. Buttigieg protested: “You know, according to Forbes magazine, I’m literally the only person on this stage who is not a millionaire or a billionaire. So, this is important. This is the problem with issuing purity tests you cannot yourself pass.”Mr. Buttigieg protested: “You know, according to Forbes magazine, I’m literally the only person on this stage who is not a millionaire or a billionaire. So, this is important. This is the problem with issuing purity tests you cannot yourself pass.”
“Senator,” he added, “Your net worth is 100 times mine.”“Senator,” he added, “Your net worth is 100 times mine.”
“I do not sell access to my time,” Ms. Warren rebuked him.“I do not sell access to my time,” Ms. Warren rebuked him.
Their exchange was curtailed by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Sensing an opening to cast herself as above the fray and focused on party unity, she jumped in with some humor. Their exchange was curtailed by Ms. Klobuchar. Sensing an opening to cast herself as above the fray and focused on party unity, she jumped in with some humor.
“I did not come here to listen to this argument,” she said. “I came here to make a case for progress. And I have never even been to a wine cave. I have been to the wind cave in South Dakota.”“I did not come here to listen to this argument,” she said. “I came here to make a case for progress. And I have never even been to a wine cave. I have been to the wind cave in South Dakota.”
The ideological clash between Mr. Buttigieg and Ms. Warren continued over which Americans should qualify for free college. Mr. Buttigieg said that “if you’re in that lucky top 10 percent, I still wish you well, don’t get me wrong, I just want you to go ahead and pay your own tuition.”The ideological clash between Mr. Buttigieg and Ms. Warren continued over which Americans should qualify for free college. Mr. Buttigieg said that “if you’re in that lucky top 10 percent, I still wish you well, don’t get me wrong, I just want you to go ahead and pay your own tuition.”
“I very much agree with Senator Warren on raising more tax revenue from millionaires and billionaires,” Mr. Buttigieg said. “I just don’t agree on the part about spending it on millionaires and billionaires when it comes to their college tuition.” “I very much agree with Senator Warren on raising more tax revenue from millionaires and billionaires,” Mr. Buttigieg added. “I just don’t agree on the part about spending it on millionaires and billionaires when it comes to their college tuition.”
Ms. Warren, who supports free tuition at public colleges and canceling most student debt, was ready with a quick rejoinder: “The mayor wants billionaires to pay one tuition for their own kids. I want a billionaire to pay enough to cover tuition for all of our kids.” Ms. Warren, who supports free tuition at public colleges and canceling most student loan debt, was ready with a quick rejoinder: “The mayor wants billionaires to pay one tuition for their own kids. I want a billionaire to pay enough to cover tuition for all of our kids.”
Fault lines also emerged quickly on matters of the economy, with two candidates — Ms. Klobuchar and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont — diverging on the merits of Mr. Trump’s new trade deal with Mexico and Canada, which the House approved only hours earlier. And in the first stage of the debate, there were hints of friction over proposals by Mr. Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren to create broad new college tuition benefits and to impose new taxes on the country’s largest private fortunes. Fault lines emerged throughout the debate on matters of the economy, with two candidates — Ms. Klobuchar and Mr. Sanders — diverging on the merits of Mr. Trump’s new trade deal with Mexico and Canada, which the House approved only hours earlier.
The debate at Loyola Marymount University here in Los Angeles seemed to inaugurate a new phase in the campaign, with only seven candidates onstage and a deeper airing of substantive differences on the issues. Four top-tier candidates remain in the race, with former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. leading in the national polls, followed by Mr. Sanders and Ms. Warren, and Mr. Buttigieg, surging in the earliest primary and caucus states. But less than two months before Iowa, the race remains highly fluid, with considerable remove for movement not just among the top few candidates but among the underdogs as well. Mr. Trump provided a backdrop for the forum, and not only because of his newly embattled status and his anticipated victory on trade. In a series of exchanges, on issues such as climate change, press freedom and American relations with China and Israel, the candidates held him up as the embodiment of all they would not do with the presidency.
Mr. Trump provided a backdrop for the forum, and not only because of his newly embattled status and his anticipated victory on trade. In a series of richly substantive exchanges, on issues such as climate change, press freedom and American relations with China and Israel, the candidates held him up as the embodiment of all they would not do with the presidency.
The Democrats were particularly unsparing with regard to the president’s foreign policy record, calling him an ally to tyrants and a figure of fun on the international stage. Ms. Klobuchar alluded to Mr. Trump’s tempestuous departure from a recent NATO summit after a video surfaced of several foreign leaders joking about him. “He is so thin-skinned that he walked, he quit,” she said, adding, “America doesn’t quit.”The Democrats were particularly unsparing with regard to the president’s foreign policy record, calling him an ally to tyrants and a figure of fun on the international stage. Ms. Klobuchar alluded to Mr. Trump’s tempestuous departure from a recent NATO summit after a video surfaced of several foreign leaders joking about him. “He is so thin-skinned that he walked, he quit,” she said, adding, “America doesn’t quit.”
Several of the leading candidates vowed to take a more coordinated and forceful approach to dealing with China, including on human rights. Mr. Biden said he would seek to levy United Nations sanctions against the Chinese government for rounding up Muslim Uighurs in camps, while Mr. Buttigieg said he was open to the possibility of boycotting the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.Several of the leading candidates vowed to take a more coordinated and forceful approach to dealing with China, including on human rights. Mr. Biden said he would seek to levy United Nations sanctions against the Chinese government for rounding up Muslim Uighurs in camps, while Mr. Buttigieg said he was open to the possibility of boycotting the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
“We’re not looking for a war,” Mr. Biden said, “but we’ve got to make clear: We are a Pacific power and we are not going to walk away.”“We’re not looking for a war,” Mr. Biden said, “but we’ve got to make clear: We are a Pacific power and we are not going to walk away.”
If the candidates were united in heaping opprobrium on Mr. Trump a day after he was impeached by the House, few offered fresh arguments in favor of impeachment. Prodded by a moderator to explain how they would persuade a larger share of the country to support removing the president from office, the leading candidates mainly pivoted to the themes of their stump speeches.
Mr. Biden said it was high time to “restore the integrity of the presidency,” while Mr. Sanders castigated Mr. Trump for having “sold out the working families of this country” and Ms. Warren branded him “the most corrupt president in living history.” The candidates, explicitly or by implication, all suggested they would be best equipped to make that case against him next fall.
In each case, however, the candidates seemed to anticipate a general election battle with Mr. Trump as a foregone conclusion, evincing little optimism that he could be removed from office in the impeachment process. Mr. Buttigieg nudged voters’ attention to the general election, arguing, “No matter what happens in the Senate, it is up to us in 2020.” A note of caution on the subject was sounded by Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund investor who has been self-funding his campaign. The United States needs Chinese cooperation on a range of urgent issues, including climate change, Mr. Steyer said, proposing to “work with them as a frenemy.”
A lonely voice of skepticism came from Mr. Yang, the former tech executive mounting an underdog campaign, who described impeachment as a distraction from more important economic issues. Suggesting Mr. Trump’s acquittal in the Senate was a foregone conclusion, Mr. Yang likened it to “a ballgame where you know what the score is going to be.” The composition of the debate stage itself was up for debate. When a moderator noted that Mr. Yang was the only member of a minority group on the stage, Mr. Yang described that distinction as “both an honor and disappointment.”
Democrats, he said, should focus instead on offering a “new positive vision for the country.”
Economic and trade issues took on a more prominent role in the discussion. Just minutes into the debate, a question about trade highlighted tension.
Mr. Sanders said that he would not support the trade agreement that the House of Representatives passed on Thursday, calling it a “modest improvement over what we have right now” but arguing that it would not do enough to support workers and farmers. He also appeared to take an oblique swipe at Mr. Biden’s past support of measures like the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Ms. Klobuchar, a moderate, immediately seized on a chance to draw a contrast with Mr. Sanders, saying she would support the new trade agreement, which she called a “much better deal” for “farmers in the Midwest” and others who have struggled under strained international trade relations.
They did not clash directly in the first minutes of the debate, but Ms. Warren and Mr. Buttigieg quickly sketched out two sharply divergent approaches to improving the economy and addressing inequality.
“Oh, they’re just wrong!” Ms. Warren bristled when asked about concerns regarding her tax plans, going on to defend her wealth tax proposal, which would affect the richest Americans to help pay for significantly expanding the social safety net.
Soon after, Mr. Buttigieg took a thinly veiled swipe at that approach, emphasizing the importance of “promises that we can keep without the kind of taxation that economists tell us could hurt the economy.”
“We’ve got to break out of the Washington mind set that measures the bigness of an idea by the trillions of dollars it adds to the budget or the boldness of an idea by how many Americans it can antagonize,” he said.
In a pointed answer early in the evening, the businessman Andrew Yang lamented the racial homogeneity of the rest of the debaters onstage. When a moderator noted that Mr. Yang was the only member of a minority group among the candidates, Mr. Yang described that distinction as “both an honor and disappointment.” He suggested that the economic distress of black and Latino voters made it harder for them to thrive in politics or to donate to political candidates.
“I miss Kamala and I miss Cory, though I think Cory will be back,” Mr. Yang said, referring to Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who failed to qualify for the debate, and Senator Kamala Harris of California, who recently withdrew from the race.“I miss Kamala and I miss Cory, though I think Cory will be back,” Mr. Yang said, referring to Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who failed to qualify for the debate, and Senator Kamala Harris of California, who recently withdrew from the race.
Notably absent from the first hour of the debate was a discussion of health care, which has been the most divisive issue in the Democratic primary contest. In previous debates the topic had dominated the early stages, as the more progressive candidates championed their sweeping single-payer “Medicare for all” proposals, and the more centrist candidates dismissed that approach, casting it as one that would deprive Americans of choice in their health care options. But on Thursday, the issue was sidelined in favor of discussion over climate change, foreign policy and the economy. If the lack of racial diversity onstage was a source of embarrassment to some Democrats, the subject of gender came up repeatedly, thanks in part to former President Barack Obama. A moderator prompted Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders to respond to Mr. Obama’s recent comments that the world would be better off run by women, rather than by “old men, not getting out of the way.” Mr. Biden responded lightly, “I’m going to guess he wasn’t talking about me.”
As the penultimate televised debate before the Iowa caucuses, the forum on Thursday had the makings of an important moment in the campaign. But gender is likely to be a central dynamic in the final phases of the race. When Ms. Warren was asked to address the reality that she, like Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders, would be the oldest president ever inaugurated, her reply drew loud applause: “I’d also be the youngest woman ever inaugurated.”
In the run-up, candidates seemed to be girding themselves for a contentious encounter, with Ms. Warren and Mr. Buttigieg clashing repeatedly over matters of transparency and campaign finance, and Mr. Sanders’s campaign appearing to signal a more pugnacious attitude toward both Mr. Biden and Ms. Warren.
And allies of Ms. Klobuchar, a persistent underdog who may be on the rise in Iowa, viewed the debate as a particularly important opportunity for her to stand out among a smaller field of finalists. She is set to kick off a 27-county tour of Iowa, the leadoff caucus state, on Friday.
As with every previous debate, Mr. Biden entered the evening as a steady front-runner in the Democratic race. More than any other candidate, he has tried to use the impeachment process as a way of impressing upon voters the political peril of the moment, hoping to shift their attention away from complex policy arguments and toward basic assessments of the candidates’ electability.