Bernie Sanders takes heat in a messy debate — here are the highlights from South Carolina

February 28, 2020

In the first Democratic presidential debate since Sen. Bernie Sanders earned a big target on his back, Democratic candidates jumped into an often chaotic and uncomfortable fray in Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday night.

Sanders took shots from his rivals early and often after weeks of strong polling and a series of key wins in early nominating states, including a landslide Nevada caucus win on Saturday. But none of the seven candidates stood out in the debate, at times a choppy affair as White House hopefuls interrupted each other and talked over the CBS News moderators, untouched by opponents’ venom.

It was the 10th overall debate. In addition to Sanders, the candidates on stage were former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, billionaire Tom Steyer, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Those six candidates tried to direct attention to Sanders, with Bloomberg pointing to the Vermont senator’s vote against the Brady Bill, which mandated the establishment of a background check and stricter gun control measures.

Bloomberg, who took a beating in last week’s Democratic debate, appeared more steady on Tuesday. After a widely panned performance during his first time on stage with his rivals, the billionaire businessman responded to criticism about his record on policing, alleged sexual harassment and donating to Republican political candidates with what seemed like more prepared remarks.

Tensions were high on Tuesday, as candidates used their last chance to sell themselves on a national stage before the crucial South Carolina primary on Saturday. Biden maintained a slight lead in South Carolina with 27% of support, according to a poll from NBC News released on Monday. Sanders trailed him with 23%.

The results of the primary could determine the fate of some of the Democratic heavyweights in the race.

Here are the night’s top moments:

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/25/democratic-debate-recap-highlights-from-south-carolina.html