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| Democrats launch into attacks on Mike Bloomberg as Nevada debate begins – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Six candidates – Sanders, Warren, Biden, Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Bloomberg – seek to break through as state readies for west’s first primary contest | |
| Amy Klobuchar said she has an idea for how to stop sexism on the Internet: “Elect a woman”. | |
| Bernie Sanders said he disowns his supporters’ online attacks on those who disagree with the Vermont senator’s candidacy and platforms. “If there are a few people who make ugly remarks, who attack trade union leaders, I disown those people – they are not part of my campaign,” he said. | |
| He also said that some of the hateful comments aimed at union leaders in Nevada could have come from trolls and bots, rather than his campaign. | |
| The $60bn elephant in the room has been immediately addressed tonight, with every candidate using their first answers to go after the extremely wealthy Mike Bloomberg. | |
| Elizabeth Warren had the punchiest line of attack, bringing attention to Bloomberg’s history of derogatory remarks about women: | |
| Already the debate is far livelier, and more contentious than some of the previous ones. “Maybe it’s time for the working class” to have a say in government, Sanders jabbed at Buttigieg, “rather than your billionaire campaign contributors.” | |
| Buttigieg hit back by pointing out that the powerful Culinary Union, which represents hospitality workers in Las Vegas, has taken issue with Sanders’ Medicare for All plan. | |
| “Mayor Bloomberg, there’s a lot for you to respond to,” NBC’s Lester Holt said, as the multibillionaire candidates’ rivals – as expected – pounced on him. | |
| “He has not managed his city very, very well,” Joe Biden weighed in, adding that with his stop and frisk policy, Bloomberg was “throwing up to 5 million black men up against the wall”. | |
| Pete Buttigieg piled on: “Let’s elect someone who is actually a Democrat.” | |
| Mike Bloomberg responded that if Sanders is the candidate, “we will have Donald Trump for the next four years”. | |
| Elizabeth Warren cut in that there’s one candidate who has referred to women as “fat broad”. | |
| “No, I’m not talking about Donald Trump, I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg,” she said. “Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another.” | |
| The first question goes to Bernie Sanders: Bloomberg is pitching himself as a centrist; why is your revolution a better bet. | |
| Sanders’ response immediately called out Bloomberg’s stop-and-frisk policy. His campaign brings in people of color, and “works for all of us and not just the billionaire class”, Sanders said. | |
| The six Democratic candidates participating on the debate tonight have taken their positions on stage, and the debate is about to begin. | |
| Trump wraps a multi-day trip to California | |
| Donald Trump is wrapping up a multi-day visit to California, where he’s renewed his attack on the state’s homelessness crisis and other pressing concerns in an effort to shame the Democratic leaders of the Golden State’s biggest cities, my colleague Mario Koran writes from San Francisco. | |
| It is the president’s fourth trip to California. On Tuesday, Trump met with organizers for the 2028 Olympic Games before heading to a fundraiser in Beverly Hills. | |
| During the stop, Trump took aim at Los Angeles officials, claiming they were working to shield undocumented immigrants by refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement agents to apprehend those in the country without authorization. | |
| In the last week, the Trump administration has ratcheted up the pressure on so-called sanctuary cities – where local law enforcement doesn’t cooperate with Ice to apprehend people – by sending elite border patrol Swat teams to supplement immigration enforcement agents already on the ground. | |
| On Friday the Los Angeles mayor, Eric Garcetti, along with the LAPD chief, Michel Moore, released a video in which they promised to shield those in the city. | |
| “Regardless of your immigration status, I want every Angeleno to know your city is on your side. Here in Los Angeles, our police department does not coordinate with ICE or participate in immigration enforcement,” Garcetti said on Twitter. | |
| On Wednesday Trump was scheduled to attend a fundraiser hosted by Larry Ellison, the chairman of Oracle, a plan that drew fire from the tech company’s employees who said in a statement that the president doesn’t “affirm Oracle’s core values of diversity, inclusiveness, and ethical business conduct”. | |
| Then later Wednesday it was on to the Central Valley, California’s agricultural center, where Trump planned to join the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, and “to speak with hard working farmers in the Central Valley about efforts to dramatically improve the supply and delivery of water in California and other Western states”, according to a White House statement. | |
| Trump is slated to head to Phoenix for an evening campaign stop before heading east for rallies in Colorado Springs and Las Vegas. | |
| Mike Bloomberg is about to face his Democratic rivals for the first time | |
| Minutes before the debate begins, Mike Bloomberg’s campaig aired ad on MSNBC. | |
| After spending more than $300m of his own fortune on huge ad buys, Bloomberg’s name recognition and support have soared. But so far, he has avoided any direct confrontations with his opponents, having skipped the early primary states. | |
| Because the Democratic National Committee changed its rules to remove a public fundraising requirement to participate in the debates, Bloomberg will finally get to join his fellow contenders for the Democratic nomination on the debate stage in Las Vegas. | |
| In the run-up to the debate, his rivals have attacked Bloomberg’s record on race and policing, even as the multibillionaire former mayor’s past policies and comments have come back to haunt him. | |
| He has had to once again address allegations from former employees that he routinely made sexist comments at work. A newly resurfaced PBS interview from 2011 shows Bloomberg describing an “enormous cohort of black and Latino males” who “don’t know how to behave in the workplace”, and resurfaced video from 2019 showed him saying that trans rights were about “some guy wearing a dress and whether he, she, or it can go to the locker room with their daughter”. | |
| Amid the barrage of negative news coverage, Bloomberg’s competitors have said they’ll relish the chance to take him on tonight. On Tuesday, Bernie Sanders said Bloomberg’s campaign was an example of “oligarchy, not democracy”. Previewing the debate, Elizabeth Warren said, in a tweet: “At least now primary voters curious about how each candidate will take on Donald Trump can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire.” | |
| Meanwhile, Bloomberg has largely avoided discussing his Democratic rivals, and his campaign has focused on how he can defeat Donald Trump in a general election. For the first time, he’ll have to respond directly to his competitors’ concerns. | |
| More dispatches from the lobby: | |
| Harry Reid, a former senator from Nevada who served as the Senate Majority leader from 2007 to 2015, said Nevada should be the first state to vote, because of its diversity and because of the state’s strong record of electing women. | Harry Reid, a former senator from Nevada who served as the Senate Majority leader from 2007 to 2015, said Nevada should be the first state to vote, because of its diversity and because of the state’s strong record of electing women. |
| “Women have empowered us,” said Reid, who is in the audience of the debate. | “Women have empowered us,” said Reid, who is in the audience of the debate. |
| Can Pete Buttigieg broaden his appeal? | Can Pete Buttigieg broaden his appeal? |
| I reported from California last week on whether Pete Buttigieg could capitalize on his strong early primary performance as he heads to Nevada, a diverse state that many see as more representative of the Democratic party today than earlier-voting states. | I reported from California last week on whether Pete Buttigieg could capitalize on his strong early primary performance as he heads to Nevada, a diverse state that many see as more representative of the Democratic party today than earlier-voting states. |
| Read the full story here. | Read the full story here. |
| Bernie Sanders is leading in polls with 31% support nationally, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Mike Bloomberg is in second place, with 19% support – which allowed him to qualify for today’s debate. Joe Biden comes in third, with 15% – down nine points since December – and Elizabeth Warren was fourth, with 12% support. | Bernie Sanders is leading in polls with 31% support nationally, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Mike Bloomberg is in second place, with 19% support – which allowed him to qualify for today’s debate. Joe Biden comes in third, with 15% – down nine points since December – and Elizabeth Warren was fourth, with 12% support. |
| Amy Klobuchar – who made a strong showing in New Hampshire and in the previous Democratic debate – has gained a few points since the poll was last conducted, in December. She placed fourth with 9% support, followed by Pete Buttigieg with 8%. | Amy Klobuchar – who made a strong showing in New Hampshire and in the previous Democratic debate – has gained a few points since the poll was last conducted, in December. She placed fourth with 9% support, followed by Pete Buttigieg with 8%. |
| However, Buttigieg currently has the most delegates of the pack – one more than Sanders – following his narrow advantage in Iowa. | However, Buttigieg currently has the most delegates of the pack – one more than Sanders – following his narrow advantage in Iowa. |
| Inside the busy lobby of the Paris Theater in Las Vegas, there is a wide range of Nevada voters trying to get seats for the final debate before the state’s Saturday caucus. I didn’t find any Mike Bloomberg supporters in line, but there were a fair number of Elizabeth Warren supporters – and even a small group of Andrew Yang fans, despite his recent decision to suspended his campaign: | Inside the busy lobby of the Paris Theater in Las Vegas, there is a wide range of Nevada voters trying to get seats for the final debate before the state’s Saturday caucus. I didn’t find any Mike Bloomberg supporters in line, but there were a fair number of Elizabeth Warren supporters – and even a small group of Andrew Yang fans, despite his recent decision to suspended his campaign: |
| “We’re trying to get people to vote for him to show there’s support for his ideas,” said Hannah Won, 37-year-old arts advocate and Yang voter who is a supporter of his signature universal basic income proposal. “It’s larger than him. It’s about his movement. It was kind of inevitable [that he would drop out], but I was hoping for another week. We mourned for a bit. But this isn’t over. He’s gone, but his movement is still alive.” | “We’re trying to get people to vote for him to show there’s support for his ideas,” said Hannah Won, 37-year-old arts advocate and Yang voter who is a supporter of his signature universal basic income proposal. “It’s larger than him. It’s about his movement. It was kind of inevitable [that he would drop out], but I was hoping for another week. We mourned for a bit. But this isn’t over. He’s gone, but his movement is still alive.” |
| “This is the biggest election of our life time,” said Linda Gannon, a 49-year-old Vegas resident who showed up to the debate hoping to get a seat to see Buttigieg, her top choice. “I’m a bit worried about him in Nevada, but I think he’s got a shot. I feel confident any of the Democrats can beat Trump. We have to feel that way, and I will support any of them.” | “This is the biggest election of our life time,” said Linda Gannon, a 49-year-old Vegas resident who showed up to the debate hoping to get a seat to see Buttigieg, her top choice. “I’m a bit worried about him in Nevada, but I think he’s got a shot. I feel confident any of the Democrats can beat Trump. We have to feel that way, and I will support any of them.” |
| Jocelyn Torres, 30, said she was a Warren fan and that she thinks the senator can do well on Saturday: “Her plans are progressive and doable. I think we can have big ideas, but if we can’t get them done, they are just ideas.” | Jocelyn Torres, 30, said she was a Warren fan and that she thinks the senator can do well on Saturday: “Her plans are progressive and doable. I think we can have big ideas, but if we can’t get them done, they are just ideas.” |
| Lorraine Oliver, a 68-year-old public health nurse in line to get into the debate, said she recently got a chance to meet Warren in person and was sold: “She has such in-depth knowledge. But she’s not polling as well as I’d like. I need her to shoot up in the polls.” | Lorraine Oliver, a 68-year-old public health nurse in line to get into the debate, said she recently got a chance to meet Warren in person and was sold: “She has such in-depth knowledge. But she’s not polling as well as I’d like. I need her to shoot up in the polls.” |
| Not long after the Democrats looking to unseat him take to the debate stage, Donald Trump is expected to speak at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona. | Not long after the Democrats looking to unseat him take to the debate stage, Donald Trump is expected to speak at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona. |
| The Arizona rally is the first of three rallies Trump has scheduled in three Western states. He’ll head to Colorado on Thursday and then Nevada on Friday, providing counterprogramming to the upcoming Democratic caucus in the latter. | The Arizona rally is the first of three rallies Trump has scheduled in three Western states. He’ll head to Colorado on Thursday and then Nevada on Friday, providing counterprogramming to the upcoming Democratic caucus in the latter. |
| Earlier today, the president was in California, where he spoke about the construction of the southern border wall and access to water for farming. He also took an opportunity to jab his Democratic rivals. “Mini Mike hates the farm. I don’t know, I don’t think he’s going to be the candidate anyway. Have to start working on Crazy Bernie pretty soon,” Trump said. | Earlier today, the president was in California, where he spoke about the construction of the southern border wall and access to water for farming. He also took an opportunity to jab his Democratic rivals. “Mini Mike hates the farm. I don’t know, I don’t think he’s going to be the candidate anyway. Have to start working on Crazy Bernie pretty soon,” Trump said. |
| The bellwether caucus | The bellwether caucus |
| The caucus format of the “first in the west” vote tends to favor the campaign with the strongest ground support, reports Dan Hernandez from Las Vegas. | The caucus format of the “first in the west” vote tends to favor the campaign with the strongest ground support, reports Dan Hernandez from Las Vegas. |
| Read the full story here. | Read the full story here. |
| Good evening, liveblog readers! | Good evening, liveblog readers! |
| Tonight, the six presidential candidates are gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the ninth Democratic debate of this election cycle. We’ll be bringing you live updates from the debate throughout the night. | Tonight, the six presidential candidates are gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the ninth Democratic debate of this election cycle. We’ll be bringing you live updates from the debate throughout the night. |
| What to expect | What to expect |
| The Democratic presidential debate in Nevada will bring together six candidates days before the state’s caucuses, and could be a make-or-break moment for some of the campaigns. | The Democratic presidential debate in Nevada will bring together six candidates days before the state’s caucuses, and could be a make-or-break moment for some of the campaigns. |
| Facing off in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening are Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar; the former vice president Joe Biden; the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg; and the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. | Facing off in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening are Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar; the former vice president Joe Biden; the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg; and the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. |
| The debate comes one week after Sanders won the New Hampshire primary, setting the stage for a primary battle between the Vermont senator and the more moderate candidates fighting his momentum. On the heels of a strong performance in the messy Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg came in a close second in New Hampshire, where Klobuchar’s unexpected surge won her third place, and Warren and Biden both experienced disappointing results. | The debate comes one week after Sanders won the New Hampshire primary, setting the stage for a primary battle between the Vermont senator and the more moderate candidates fighting his momentum. On the heels of a strong performance in the messy Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg came in a close second in New Hampshire, where Klobuchar’s unexpected surge won her third place, and Warren and Biden both experienced disappointing results. |
| The February results make Saturday’s Nevada caucus a high-stakes race for many of the candidates, and the debate is providing the final opportunity for them to make their pitch on national TV. | The February results make Saturday’s Nevada caucus a high-stakes race for many of the candidates, and the debate is providing the final opportunity for them to make their pitch on national TV. |
| “The pressure is building here, and the gloves are going to be off,” said Fred Lokken, a political science professor at Truckee Meadows community college in Reno. | “The pressure is building here, and the gloves are going to be off,” said Fred Lokken, a political science professor at Truckee Meadows community college in Reno. |
| Sanders is likely to become a target of many of the candidates given his frontrunner status, similar to the way Biden was a magnet for criticisms in the early debates last year, Lokken predicted. | Sanders is likely to become a target of many of the candidates given his frontrunner status, similar to the way Biden was a magnet for criticisms in the early debates last year, Lokken predicted. |
| Read more from Sam Levin here. | Read more from Sam Levin here. |