How to Watch and Stream the First Democratic Debate of 2020

Tuesday’s debate will only feature six candidates, the smallest field to date

Bernie Sanders Joe Biden Elizabeth Warren Pete Buttigieg Debate
Photo credit: Getty Images

The first Democratic debate of 2020 — and seventh overall — will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The two-hour debate begins at 9 p.m. EST and is hosted by the Des Moines Register and CNN.

It will be broadcast live on CNN, CNN en Espanol and CNN International. Cord-cutters can stream the debate on CNN.com and DesMoinesRegister.com.

The field will be the smallest to date, with only six candidates on stage at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa: Former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, billionaire Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Businessman Andrew Yang, who appeared in the December debate, reached the donor requirement for the January debate but not the polling threshold (5 percent in at least four national or early-state surveys approved, or 7 percent in two early-state polls).

The debate will be held one day after New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker suspended his bid. Booker failed to qualify for the December debate.

President Trump’s ongoing impeachment trial will surely be a topic of discussion, as Klobuchar, Sanders, and Warren will vote in the Senate trial. Foreign policy is also expected to be covered, as tensions with Iran escalating after Trump ordered the assassination of military leader Qassem Soleimani.

More importantly, it will be the last debate before Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest in the Democratic presidential primary process in 2020. The caucus takes place Monday, Feb. 3.

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