Democrat presidential candidates railed against a Republican administration they said existed only for the rich as they debated onstage for the first time in the 2020 season, in their drive to deny Donald Trump a second term.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Health care, more than any other issue, led the debate. And Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, stood out more than anyone else, calling for "fundamental change" across the nation's economy and government to address persistent issues of inequality.
"I think of it this way. Who is this economy really working for? It's doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top," Warren declared shortly before raising her hand as one of the only Democrats on stage willing to abolish her own private health insurance in favour of a government-run plan.
"Health care is a basic human right and I will fight for basic human rights."
The debate marked a major step forward in the 2020 presidential campaign as Democrats seek to break out from the crowded field that has so far been dominated by former Vice President Joe Biden, who will appear in a second debate featuring another 10 candidates Thursday night.
Immigration was also a key issue, a day after a searing photo was published of a drowned Salvadoran father and his toddler daughter at the Rio Grande, with Trump blamed for his policies on migrants .
Warren spent the evening at centre stage, flanked by lower-tier candidates including Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who needed big moments to help spark momentum in their campaigns.
Several candidates, including Castro, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio and former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland were eager to jab their rivals on issues including health care and immigration.
Yet modest differences on health care underscored a much louder internal fight over how aggressive Democrats should be on the nation's most pressing issues.
On one side: candidates like Warren who are demanding dramatic change t like free universal health care, debt-free college, a forgiving immigration policy and higher taxes on the rich. On the other: pragmatic-minded Democrats like Biden, who are calling for modest policy solutions that could ultimately attract bipartisan support.
The two-hour discussion allowed the Democratic Party to show off its diversity, with a lineup that featured three women, one African American man and another man of Mexican heritage. Two candidates spoke Spanish at times.
President Trump, en route to the G20 meeting in Osaka tweeted "BORING!" about the debate, before criticising NBC over technical issues.
Australian Associated Press
