Ten Democratic candidates appeared on stage in Atlanta, Georgia, for the fifth Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday evening.
Wednesday’s debate, a year out to the month from the 2020 presidential election, was the first since the start of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. It also comes as, somehow, the pool of Democratic candidates appears to still be expanding, though no new faces made it onstage this time.
At the debate was former Vice President Joe Biden, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, billionaire Tom Steyer, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
Here are six highlights from Wednesday’s debate.
1. Kamala Harris and Tulsi Gabbard go head-to-head over Gabbard’s record
Gabbard was asked by a moderator what she saw as the “rot” in the Democratic party — a term she has used to describe Hillary Clinton.
“Our Democratic party is unfortunately not the party of, by, and for the people. It is a party that has been and continues to be influenced by the foreign-policy establishment represented by Hillary Clinton, the military-industrial complex and other greedy interests,” Gabbard said. “I’m running for president to be the Democratic nominee that rebuilds our Democratic party, takes it out of their hands, and truly puts it in the hands of the people of this country.”
When asked if she had a response, Harris tore into Gabbard’s record — including her apparent ties to Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad — and called into question whether she’s actually a good faith member of the Democratic party.
“It’s unfortunate that we have someone on this stage who is attempting to be the Democratic nominee for the United States who, during the Obama administration, spent four years, full time, on Fox News criticizing President Obama,” Harris said.
“That’s ridiculous, Senator Harris,” Gabbard interjected.
“Who has spent, full time, criticizing people on this stage as affiliated with the Democratic party,” Harris continued, “when Donald Trump was elected, not even sworn in, buddied up to Steve Bannon to get a meeting with Donald Trump in the Trump Tower; fails to call a war criminal by what he is as a war criminal; and then spends full time during the course of this campaign, again, criticizing the Democratic party.”
“What Senator Harris is doing is unfortunately continuing to traffic in smears and lies and innuendos because she cannot challenge the substance of the argument that I’m making, the leadership and the change I am seeking to bring in our foreign policy,” Gabbard shot back.
2. Joe Biden’s poor word choice about violence against women
When Biden was asked how he planned to address the issues raised by the #MeToo movement, he said it came down to “fundamentally [changing] the culture of how women are treated.” But his response elicited a few nervous laughs when he used the phrase “punching at it.”
“No man has a right to raise a hand to a woman in anger other than in self-defense and that rarely ever occurs,” Biden said. “We have to change the culture, period, and keep punching at it, and punching at it, and punching at it.”
“No, I really mean it,” he said amid that nervous laughter. “It’s a gigantic issue.”
3. Biden, forgetting about Harris, says he is endorsed by the “only” African American woman elected to the senate
Joe Biden touts endorsement from Carol Mosley Braun, the 1st Black woman US Senator; then claims she’s the only one to ever serve in the Senate.
KAMALA HARRIS, THE SECOND BLACK WOMAN ELECTED TO THE US SENATE, interjected, “Nope, that’s not true. The other ones here.” #DemDebatepic.twitter.com/wSFSUffosF
— Madam Vice President Harris is THEE GOAT! (@flywithkamala) November 21, 2019
Toward the end of the debate, Biden boasted that he was part of the “Obama coalition” and that he “comes out of the black community” in terms of support.
He then listed his supporters: “three former chairs of the black caucus” and “the only African American woman elected to the United States Senate,” referring to former Illinois senator Carol Moseley Braun.
His opponent Kamala Harris quickly interjected, “No, the other one is here.”
Biden quickly corrected himself, saying “the first African American elected, the first.”
But his boasting was deflated as Harris, the second black woman elected to Senate, laughed incredulously from the side of the stage.
4. Harris addresses white candidates’ outreach — or lack thereof — to black voters
“The larger issue is that for too long, candidates have taken for granted constituencies that have been the backbone of the Democratic party and overlooked those constituencies,” Harris said. “They show up when it’s close to election time, they show up to a back church and want to get the vote. But just having been there before, there are plenty of people who applauded black women for the success of the 2018 election, applauded black women for the election of a senator from Alabama.
“But at some point, folks get tired of just saying, ‘Well, thank me for showing up.’ They say, ‘Well, show up for me,'” she continued. “When black women are 3-4 times more likely to die in connection with childbirth in America; when the sons of black women will die because of gun violence than any other cause of death; when black women only make 61 cents on the dollar as compared to all women who tragically make 80 cents on the dollar, the question has to be, ‘Where ya been, and what are you going to do? And do you understand what the people are?'”
5. Pete Buttigieg attacks Gabbard’s “judgment” for meeting with Bashar al-Assad
Gabbard and Buttigieg had a contentious interaction over national security and foreign policy during the latter half of the debate.
“I think the most recent example of your inexperience in national security and foreign policy came from your recent careless statement about how you as president would be willing to send our troops to Mexico to fight the cartels,” Gabbard said, referring to his remarks at a forum in Los Angeles this week.
“As commander in chief, leader of our armed forces, I bring extensive experience serving for seven years in congress,” she continued, “meeting with leaders of countries around the world, working with military commanders of different commands, dealing with high-level national security briefings.”
“I know that it’s par for the course in Washington to take remarks out of context, but that is outlandish even by the standards of today’s politics,” Buttigieg said.
“Are you saying that you didn’t say that?” Gabbard asked.
“I was talking about U.S.-Mexico cooperation. We’ve been doing security cooperation with Mexico for years. With law enforcement cooperation and a military relationship that could continue to be developed,” Buttigieg said. “Do you seriously think anybody on this stage is proposing invading Mexico?”
“That’s not what I said,” Gabbard said.
“I’m talking about building up alliances. And if your question is about experience, let’s also talk about judgment,” he responded. “One of the foreign leaders you mentioned meeting was Bashar al-Assad. I have, in my experience, such as it is, whether you think it counts or not since it wasn’t accumulated in Washington, enough judgement that I would not have sat down with a murderous dictator like that.”
“What you’ve just pointed out is that you would lack the courage to meet with both adversaries and friends to ensure the peace and national security of our nation. I take the example of those leaders who have come before us, leaders like JFK, who met with Khrushchev; like Roosevelt, who met with Stalin.”
“Like Donald Trump, who met with Kim,” Buttigieg interjected, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
6. Memorable one-liners
With so many people on stage and so many questions, some candidates used one-liners to drive their points home.
When addressing double standards for female candidates, Sen. Klobuchar said, “‘If you think a woman can’t beat Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi does it every single day” — referring to the Speaker of the House who is currently leading the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump.
2020 Presidential Contenders: Who's Still Challenging Donald Trump and Who's Dropped Out (Photos)
There's less than a year to go until the 2020 presidential election, where the presumptive Democratic nominee — former Vice President Joe Biden — is expected to take on President Donald Trump.
But before then, the race was filled with a number of candidates eyeing the Oval Office. Here's TheWrap's list of everyone who is running for president — and who has dropped out.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Joe Biden – Democratic Party
Entered Race: April 25, 2019
The former Obama VP was a late entry to the race, formally declaring his run for the presidency on April 25. But he's long been a presumed frontrunner, leading many early polls. This is his third presidential run, and for months he's been telling anyone who'll listen that he'd be the most qualified candidate for the job. He's also already been under scrutiny over criticism about his behavior with women, prompting him to post a video promising he'd be "more mindful and respectful" of a woman's "personal space."
The Massachusetts Senator formally announced her candidacy on Feb. 9 at a rally in her home state, and shortly after followed up with a tweet that read: "I believe in an America of opportunity. My daddy ended up as a janitor, but his little girl got the chance to be a public school teacher, a college professor, a United States Senator – and a candidate for President of the United States. #Warren2020." But on March 5, 2020, following a disappointing Super Tuesday performance, Warren officially ended her bid for the presidency.
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Bernie Sanders – Democratic Party
Entered Race: Feb. 19, 2019
Dropped Out: April 8, 2020
Bernie Sanders, the runner-up in the 2016 contest for the Democratic nomination, had a momentous campaign for the presidency with policies championing economic equality and rhetoric advocating for a political revolution that drew him scores of dedicated supporters. But as the Democratic primary elections arrived, his campaign's disappointing performance widened the gap toward the nomination between the Vermont senator and his main competitor, Joe Biden. In early April, Sanders officially suspended his campaign for the presidency.
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Pete Buttigieg – Democratic Party
Entered Race: April 14, 2019
Dropped Out: March 1, 2020
The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana became the first openly gay presidential nominee from a major political party. Buttigieg came away with the most delegates from the Iowa Caucuses but couldn't keep his momentum going in the other early state primaries.
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Michael Bloomberg - Democratic Party
Entered Race: Nov. 24, 2019
Dropped Out: March 4, 2020
The former mayor of New York is the second billionaire to enter the crowded Democratic field with just one year until the election, using his considerable personal wealth to fund his ad campaign. He dropped out after a poor showing on Super Tuesday.
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Amy Klobuchar – Democratic Party
Entered Race: Feb. 10, 2019
Dropped Out: March 2, 2020
The Minnesota Democrat, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, announced her bid on Feb. 10, 2019, saying that she wanted to work for "everyone who wanted their work recognized." Klobuchar's key issues she wants to tackle if elected president include revising voting rights protections and prioritizing cybersecurity.
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Tulsi Gabbard – Democratic Party
Entered Race: Jan. 11, 2019
Dropped Out: March 19, 2020
Gabbard, a U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016, but in 2020 she's all-in on herself. Gabbard is running on immigration and criminal justice reform.
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Tom Steyer – Democratic Party
Entered Race: July 9, 2019
Dropped Out: Feb. 29, 2020
The billionaire and climate change activist entered the race in July, saying in a video "if you think that there's something absolutely critical, try as hard as you can and let the chips fall where they may. And that's exactly what I'm doing. My name's Tom Steyer, and I'm running for president."
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Bill Weld – Republican Party
Entered Race: April 15, 2019
Weld is a former Governor of Massachusetts who has been on the record about his displeasure of Trump, specifically Trump's desire to be more of a "king than a president."
The former governor of Massachusetts acknowledged the challenge of jumping into the Democratic primary so late in the game. But in his announcement he took a veiled swipe at other candidates, saying the party was torn between "nostalgia" and "our big idea or no way.” He dropped out after the New Hampshire primary, failing to secure a single delegate.
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Michael Bennet – Democratic Party
Entered Race: May 2, 2019 Dropped Out: Feb. 11, 2020
The Colorado senator has been a vocal supporter on advancing the field of artificial intelligence and expanding the Child Tax Credit. He dropped out on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
The entrepreneur and son of immigrant parents from Taiwan became a contender a year ago, telling The New York Times that he will advocate for a universal basic income. But he failed to gain traction and dropped out the day of the New Hampshire primary.
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Joe Walsh – Republican Party
Entered Race: Aug. 25, 2019 Dropped Out: Feb. 7, 2020
The former congressman from Illinois turned conservative talk show host announced in August 2019 that he would enter the GOP primaries to challenge President Trump. "I'm running because he's unfit; somebody needs to step up and there needs to be an alternative. The country is sick of this guy's tantrum -- he's a child," he told ABC News.
The New Jersey senator and former mayor of Newark formally tossed his name into the presidential hat on Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. Booker ran on a platform of ending mass incarceration if he were to be elected president. His absence in the race ahead of the caucuses made the remaining Democratic field significantly less diverse.
The "Healing the Soul of America" author and founder of Project Angel Food announced her candidacy during a political rally at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles on Jan. 28. Williamson ran on a platform of reparations and "economic justice for women and children."
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Julián Castro – Democratic Party
Entered Race: Jan. 12, 2019
Dropped Out: Jan. 2, 2020
The former mayor of San Antonio -- and former Obama cabinet member -- supports immigration reform and eliminating lead poisoning. Castro was the only Latino candidate in the running, and he said in a video released by his campaign that he's "not done fighting."
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Kamala Harris – Democratic Party
Entered Race: Jan. 21, 2019
Dropped Out: December 3, 2019
The California senator announced her bid for the presidency on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 21, while appearing on ABC’s "Good Morning America." As a possible indication of her chances, her January CNN town hall was the network's highest rated single presidential candidate town hall ever. Harris is pro Medicare-for-all and raising teacher pay.
Harris came out of the gate strong with a solid showing at the first debate, but failed to carry that momentum. Reports of staff mismanagement and fundraising challenges led to her to suspend her candidacy in early December.
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Beto O'Rourke – Democratic Party
Entered Race: March 14, 2019
Dropped Out: November 1, 2019
The former congressman from El Paso, Texas, announced he is running for president on March 14, saying: "This is a defining moment of truth for this country and for every single one of us," and that the challenges have never been greater. "They will either consume us, or they will afford us the greatest opportunity to unleash the genius of the United States of America," he added. O'Rourke has already made a name for himself as a record-breaking fundraiser, the subject of an HBO documentary and a favorite among Hollywood elite. He dropped out Nov 1., tweeting, "I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee."
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Mark Sanford – Republican Party
Entered Race: Sept. 8, 2019
Dropped Out: Nov. 12, 2019
The former governor of South Carolina -- who resigned in disgrace in 2007 after lying about an extramarital affair -- announced his challenge to Trump, saying, "We have lost our way." Sanford, who was also a U.S. congressman from 1995 to 2001 and 2013 to 2019, pledged to tackle the nation's ballooning national debt and reverse Trump's policies on trade protectionism. He dropped out in November saying the issues on his platform were overshadowed by the ongoing impeachment process.
The senator from New York announced her bid Tuesday, Jan. 15 on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." Gillibrand, whose campaign slogan is "Brave Wins," supported paid family leave and protecting women's rights.
On August 28, 2019, she announced her withdrawal. "To our supporters: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Now, let's go beat Donald Trump and win back the Senate," she tweeted.
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Seth Moulton – Democratic Party
Entered Race: April 22, 2019 Dropped Out: August 23, 2019
The Massachusetts congressman and Iraq War veteran ended his campaign for president in a speech to the DNC in San Fransisco. “I think it’s evident that this is now a three-way race between Biden, Warren and Sanders, and really it’s a debate about how far left the party should go,” Mr. Moulton told the New York Times.
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John Hickenlooper
Entered Race: March 4, 2019 Dropped Out: Aug. 15, 2019
The former Colorado governor supported stricter gun control laws and free trade.
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Howard Schultz – Independent
Dropped Out: Sept. 6, 2019
In January the former Starbucks CEO expressed initial interest in running. In August, Schultz reportedly suspended his campaigning until after Labor Day, citing medical issues. In September, Schultz cited those issues and more in a letter on his website as reasons he had to take himself out of the running.
"My belief in the need to reform our two-party system has not wavered, but I have concluded that an independent campaign for the White House is not how I can best serve our country at this time," he wrote.
Schultz is a co-founder of the venture capital firm Maveron, which is an investor in TheWrap.
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Eric Swalwell
Entered Race: April 8, 2019 Dropped Out: July 8, 2019
The California congressman wrote in a statement on his campaign's website about his decision to bow out of the 2020 presidential race, "I’ll never forget the people I met and lessons I learned while travelling [sic] around our great nation – especially in the communities most affected by gun violence."
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Jay Inslee – Democratic Party
Entered Race: March 1, 2019 Dropped Out: Aug. 21, 2019
The Governor of Washington ran on a platform focused on climate change, proposing a "100% Clean Energy for America Plan" that would see emissions drop to zero by 2035.
He announced he was dropping out of the race during an appearance on "The Rachel Maddow Show."
"It's become clear that I'm not going to be carrying the ball," Inslee told Maddow. "I'm not going to be the President, I'm withdrawing tonight from the race."
Inslee added that he's optimistic that climate change will be a major part of the Democratic party's priorities.
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Wayne Messam – Democratic Candidate
Entered Race: March 28, 2019 Dropped Out: Nov. 20, 2019
The mayor of Miramar, Florida, a city near Miami, is a first-generation American who has called for end the filibuster and erasing student debt. He only raised $5 -- five -- during the quarter that ended Sep. 30, and dropped out less than two months later.
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Bill De Blasio – Democratic Party
Entered Race: May 16, 2019
Dropped Out: Sept. 20, 2019
The New York City mayor was looking for more taxes for the wealthy and regulating "gig jobs" under his proposed Universal Labor Standards.
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Steve Bullock – Democratic Party
Entered Race: May 14, 2019
Dropped Out: Dec. 2, 2019
The Montana governor said in a statement, "While there were many obstacles we could not have anticipated when entering this race, it has become clear that in this moment, I won’t be able to break through to the top tier of this still-crowded field of candidates."
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John Delaney – Democratic Party
Entered Race: July 28, 2017 Dropped Out: Jan. 31, 2020
The U.S. Representative for Maryland's 6th district declared back in July 2017. He said he'll "end reckless trade wars and expand trade," "create a universal health care system" and "launch a national AI strategy." But he dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.
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Joe Sestak – Democratic Party
Entered Race: June 23, 2019 Dropped Out: Dec. 1, 2019
The former Pennsylvania Congressman had a plan for America that includes investing in American manufacturing and strengthening antitrust laws. But short of funds and media attention, he dropped out.
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Bernie Sanders is the latest to end the race for the Oval Office
There's less than a year to go until the 2020 presidential election, where the presumptive Democratic nominee — former Vice President Joe Biden — is expected to take on President Donald Trump.
But before then, the race was filled with a number of candidates eyeing the Oval Office. Here's TheWrap's list of everyone who is running for president — and who has dropped out.