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The 1st Democratic Primary Debate In 100 Words (And 7 Video Clips)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts controlled the Democratic presidential primary debate early with a progressive policy pitch.
Drew Angerer
/
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts controlled the Democratic presidential primary debate early with a progressive policy pitch.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren controlled the debate early with a progressive policy pitch. She and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said they would eliminate private insurance in favor of "Medicare-for-all." Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro was aggressive on immigration, backing decriminalizing illegal border crossings. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar pointed out the three women on stage had long protected abortion rights. Candidates focused on how to take on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell more than Trump. Most thought climate change and China are the biggest threats. And the mics messed up halfway through, while Trump said the debate was BORING!


There was a lot of Spanish used in Wednesday night's debate.

And New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker appeared shocked when Beto O'Rourke broke out his bilingualism.

The two Texas politicians tussled on immigration.

Warren detailed how she'd fight Mitch McConnell, who has repeatedly (and proudly) killed Democratic priorities in the Senate.

Klobuchar seized the moment on abortion rights in response to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Inslee explained why he's making climate change the central focus of his campaign.

De Blasio talked about racial profiling and gun violence and how it's become real when talking to his son, Dante.

Booker explained why the issue of gun violence resonated so much with him, and why "thoughts and prayers" aren't enough.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jessica Taylor is a political reporter with NPR based in Washington, DC, covering elections and breaking news out of the White House and Congress. Her reporting can be heard and seen on a variety of NPR platforms, from on air to online. For more than a decade, she has reported on and analyzed House and Senate elections and is a contributing author to the 2020 edition of The Almanac of American Politics and is a senior contributor to The Cook Political Report.