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Sanders and Biden clash over best US response to coronavirus in first one-on-one debate – live Sanders and Biden clash over best US response to coronavirus in first one-on-one debate – live
(32 minutes later)
Event held without audience or media spin room and was moved from Phoenix to Washington to reduce travel amid outbreakEvent held without audience or media spin room and was moved from Phoenix to Washington to reduce travel amid outbreak
Joe Biden vowed to choose a woman as his running mate if he won the presidential nomination.
“There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow,” Biden said. “I would pick a woman to be my vice president.”
Biden also reiterated his first nominee to the Supreme Court would be an African-American woman, which would be a first for the country.
The debate has paused for a short commercial break. Here’s where things stand so far:
Most of the first hour of the debate unsurprisingly focused on the coronavirus crisis, as Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders criticized the Trump administration’s response and emphasized the need to confront the crisis and adhere to medical experts’ guidance.
The debate has been more contentious than many commentators expected, considering the unfolding crisis. There was a testy exchange where Sanders criticized Biden for his refusal to disavow a super PAC supporting his candidacy and his past comments on potential cuts to social security.
The candidates, both of whom are in the highest-risk age group for coronavirus, said they were taking precautions to limit their potential exposure to the virus.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders both pledged to support each other fully if the other person wins the nomination.
“If Bernie is the nominee, I will not only support him, I will campaign for him,” Biden said. “And I believe the people who support me will do the same thing because the existential threat to the United States of America is Donald Trump.”
Sanders reiterated he would support Biden if he wins the nomination, which seems increasingly likely, but the Vermont senator emphasized the need to still have serious discussions about important issues like climate change.
Bernie Sanders is 78 years old. Joe Biden is 77 years old. Both of them are also white and male, and both have been engaging in quite the shouting match so far. Sanders has also delighted viewers after telling debate viewers to “go to the YouTube” to research Biden’s record on social security.
Here’s how people are responding to the spectacle online:
Bernie Sanders has repeatedly returned to Joe Biden’s long voting record to criticize his opponent for his past support for controversial legislation like the 2005 bankruptcy bill.
Biden has responded by trying to pivot from looking at his voting record to focusing on the issues facing the country now.
“The question is: what do we do from this point on?” Biden said.
As the candidates clash over each other’s records, here’s the Guardian’s chief reporter Ed Pilkington on how Joe Biden backed a 2005 bill that stripped students of bankruptcy protections:
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders just engaged in a testy exchange over super PACs and potential cuts to social security.
Biden defended the strength of his campaign by pointing to his recent string of primary victories despite Sanders’ dominant fundraisinfg.
Sanders responded by calling on Biden to disavow the super PAC supporting his candidacy, which the former vice president sidestepped.
Sanders then turned to criticizing Biden’s past comments suggesting he was open to cuts to entitlement programs.
Biden responded by accusing Sanders of releasing an attack ad on social security that inaccurately depicted his view on the issue.
Overall, the debate has been more contentious than many commentators predicted, considering the intensifying coronavirus crisis.
While answering the question about how he is limiting his potential exposure to coronavirus, Joe Biden tried to contrast his health to Bernie Sanders’.
“Well fortunately I don’t have any of the underlying conditions you talked about,” Biden said to CNN’s Dana Bash.
The line was a clear reference to Sanders’ heart attack in October, although it’s worth noting both candidates are in their late 70’s, putting them both in the highest-risk age group for coronavirus.
CNN’s Dana Bash asked the two candidates, both of whom are in their late 70’s and thus in the highest-risk age group for coronavirus, how they are limiting their potential exposure to the virus.CNN’s Dana Bash asked the two candidates, both of whom are in their late 70’s and thus in the highest-risk age group for coronavirus, how they are limiting their potential exposure to the virus.
Bash pointed out that Bernie Sanders also had a heart attack in October, which leaves him even more vulnerable if he were to contract the virus.Bash pointed out that Bernie Sanders also had a heart attack in October, which leaves him even more vulnerable if he were to contract the virus.
However, Sanders said his campaign has done a sufficient job trying to limit person-to-person contact, hosting virtual events and adhering to CDC guidelines.However, Sanders said his campaign has done a sufficient job trying to limit person-to-person contact, hosting virtual events and adhering to CDC guidelines.
Joe Biden similarly said he has been very careful about hand-washing and using hand sanitizer, while also making most of his campaign events virtual events.Joe Biden similarly said he has been very careful about hand-washing and using hand sanitizer, while also making most of his campaign events virtual events.
An emerging theme tonight has been the candidates mixing up coronavirus with other deadly diseases.An emerging theme tonight has been the candidates mixing up coronavirus with other deadly diseases.
First of all Biden referred to coronavirus when he meant to say swine flu, then mispronounced H1N1 (which swine flu is also called).First of all Biden referred to coronavirus when he meant to say swine flu, then mispronounced H1N1 (which swine flu is also called).
It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Donald Trump Jr:It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Donald Trump Jr:
But Biden’s not the only one. Sanders later made a similar blunder, saying ebola instead of coronavirus, before blaming Biden for the error:But Biden’s not the only one. Sanders later made a similar blunder, saying ebola instead of coronavirus, before blaming Biden for the error:
Bernie Sanders was asked whether he would support a bailout of industries affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We need to stabilize the economy, but we can’t repeat what we did in 2008,” said Sanders, who voted against the bank bailout during the financial crisis.
Joe Biden then defended his vote in favor of the bank bailout, but he said he agreed with Sanders that “someone should have gone to jail.”
Joe Biden is repeatedly arguing that the country needs to focus on combatting the coronavirus crisis before it turns to broader issues like healthcare and income inequality.
“People are looking for results, not a revolution,” Biden said to Bernie Sanders, who has argued the crisis demonstrates the need for systematic change.
Biden asserted the government needs to focus on “immediate needs” right now. “First things first,” Biden said.
Joe Biden said the country needs a “major, major, major bailout package” to help the American families who are financially affected by the coronavirus crisis.
“We do not reward corporations, we reward individuals who in fact are really put to the test here,” Biden said.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, this is the first Democratic debate in this primary season to not feature a live studio audience. Many viewers seem to prefer it:
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders both said they would deploy the US military to help confront the coronavirus crisis.
Trump has not yet taken that step, but senior administration officials said today that all options remain on the table.
The National Guard has already helped set up a “containment area” in New York’s Westchester County, which has seen a high number of coronavirus cases.
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are sparring over whether the coronavirus crisis underscores the need for an overhaul of the US healthcare system.
Biden is essentially arguing that America needs to take extraordinary steps to combat the virus but not necessarily long-term steps toward changing our healthcare system.
Sanders is arguing that the current crisis underscores the problems inherent in the US healthcare system and demonstrates the need to switch to a single-payer system.
Joe Biden pushed back against Bernie Sanders’ argument that the coronavirus crisis demonstrates the need for a Medicare for all healthcare system.
Biden pointed out that Italy, which is seeing a spike in coronavirus cases and deaths, has a single-payer system, so the policy cannot prevent a pandemic, Biden said.
Bernie Sanders responded by pointing out that some experts have said the lack of a single, centralized healthcare system makes it harder to respond to such crises.
Bernie Sanders criticized Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis, saying the president needs to defer more to medical experts.
Sanders said the most important step to take immediately was to “shut this president up right now.”
The Vermont senator accused the president of “undermining the doctors and the scientists who are trying to help the American people.”
Sanders then emphasized that the country needs to be ready to provide economic assistance to those who are likely to miss paychecks because of the closure and disruption of businesses amid the pandemic.
The moderators opened the debate by unsurprisingly confirming that much of tonight’s event would focus on the coronacirus crisis.
CNN’s Jake Tapper first turned to Joe Biden to ask what he would say to Americans who are dealing with the closure of businesses and schools as the crisis unfolds.
Biden said of the country’s response to coronavirus, “This is bigger than any one of us.” He called for a “national rallying” to combat the virus and demanded that more tests be immediately made available.
Biden’s answer on combatting coronavirus, which causes respiratory issues, was ironically interrupted a couple times by the former vice president coughing.
The 11th Democratic debate, the first since the coronavirus crisis kicked into high gear in the United States, has now started.
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders will soon start taking questions, most of them likely on the crisis.