What the Democratic candidates said during their first debate
Democratic presidential candidates tried Wednesday to elbow their way into the spotlight in a debate that kicked off the 2020 primary season.
The 2020 presidential campaign officially kicked into high gear Wednesday as Democratic presidential contenders gathered in Miami for the first of two debates.
Over the course of two hours, 10 hopefuls whose poll rankings or grass-roots financial support met party criteria angled for attention on a crowded stage. They sparred on a wide variety of issues — including immigration, the economy, climate change and, of course, President Donald Trump.
Here's a roundup of key quotes from Wednesday's debate. Ten more Democratic candidates are slated to face off Thursday.
Economy
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)
“Who is this economy really working for? It’s doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top. … We need to make structural change.”
Julián Castro (Former HUD secretary)
“I grew up with a mother who raised my brother Joaquin and me as a single parent and I know what it’s like to struggle.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio (New York City)
“This is supposed to be the party for working people. … We are supposed to break up big corporations when they’re not serving our democracy.”
Gov. Jay Inslee (Wash.)
“We know that we can put millions of people to work in the clean-energy jobs of the future.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)
“If billionaires can pay off their yachts, students should be able to pay off their student loans.”
Beto O'Rourke (Former Texas congressman)
“This economy has got to work for everyone and right now we know that it isn’t. … We have a system … that is rigged.”
John Delaney (Former Maryland congressman)
“I’m very different than anyone else here on this stage. … I spent my whole career helping small- to mid-sized businesses.”Health care
Julián Castro (Former HUD secretary)
“I believe in reproductive justice and what that means is that just because a woman … is poor doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the right to exercise the right to choose.”
Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)
“We have to do the things immediately that are going to provide better care. … Every single day I will be fighting to give people more access.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)
“There are a lot of politicians who say [Medicare for all] is not possible. … they just won’t fight for it.” Beto O'Rourke (Former Texas congressman)
“Health care also has to mean that every woman can make decisions about what happens to her own body.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)
“My proposal is to do something about pharma, to take them on. ... Pharma thinks they own Washington. Well, they don’t own me.” John Delaney (Former Maryland congressman)
“I think we should be the party that keeps what’s working and fixes what’s broken."Immigration
Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio)
“What kind of country are we running here where we have a president … so focused on hate and division?” Julián Castro (Former HUD secretary)
Photo of drowned father and daughter “is heartbreaking. It should piss us all off … and it should spur us to action.” Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)
“When people come to this country they do not leave their human rights at the border. … We cannot surrender our values.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)
“Immigrants, they do not diminish America. They are America.”Iran
Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)
“We need to renegotiate and get back into a deal. … If I have an opportunity to leverage a better deal I’m going to do it.”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii)
“This war with Iran would … exacerbate the refugee crisis and … this would turn into a regional crisis.”Guns
Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)
“I hear gunshots in my neighborhood. ... For millions of Americans this is not a policy issue. This is an urgency.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)
“Gun violence is a national health emergency in this country and we need to treat it like that.”Climate
Julián Castro (Former HUD secretary)
“If I’m elected president, the first thing that I would do … is sign an executive order recommitting us to the Paris climate plan.” Beto O'Rourke (Former Texas congressman)
“You’ve got to bring everybody in to the decisions and the solutions to the challenges that we face.” Gov. Jay Inslee (Wash.)
“We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change and we are the last that can do something about it.” John Delaney (Former Maryland congressman)
“All the economists agree that a carbon-pricing mechanism works. You just have to do it right.”LGBTQ rights
Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)
“We do not talk enough about trans Americans. … We need to have a president who will fight to protect LGBTQ Americans every day.” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii)
“There are still people that are facing discrimination in the workplace.”Impeachment
Beto O'Rourke (Former Texas congressman)
“We must begin impeachment now … and we save this democracy.” John Delaney (Former Maryland congressman)
“This president who is lawless should not be above the law,” but voters care more about “kitchen-table, pocketbook issues.”Closing statements
Mayor Bill de Blasio (New York City)
Minimum wage hike, health care “are the things that I’ve done in New York. … Putting working people first is what matters.” Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio)
“It’s time for us to come together. I don’t know about you people, but I’m ready to play some offense.” Julián Castro (Former HUD secretary)
“Like many of you I know the promise of America. … If I’m elected president I will work hard every day … and we’ll say adios to Donald Trump.” Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)
“Donald Trump wants us to fight him on his turf and his terms. … The way I’ll govern is by showing the best of who we are.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)
“I am in this fight because I believe that we can make our government, we can make our economy, we can make our country work.” Beto O'Rourke (Former Texas congressman)
“We’re going to need a new kind of politics, one directed by the urgency of the next generation.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)
“I am the one that doesn’t have a political machine and doesn’t come from money. … I’m going to govern with integrity, I’m going to have your back.” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii)
“Our nation was founded on the principles of service above self. … That’s not what we have. … Our White House will be a beacon of light.” Gov. Jay Inslee (Wash.)
“If we do not have the next president who commits to [climate change] as the top priority, we won’t get it done.”