Just a month after the previous debate in Iowa, the third primary presidential Democratic debate tonight in Manchester, New Hampshire will see former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and former Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley address national security and terrorism—two hot topics at the Iowa debate as well—following recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. ABC's World News Tonight anchor David Muir and Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz are moderating. We'll be updating this post throughout the debate, so check back for updates.
The debate comes after this week's data breach involving the Democratic National Committee (DNC), where a software glitch allowed members of Sanders' campaign to improperly access the DNC's voter database and review "millions of dollars worth of information about potential voters" belonging to the Clinton camp, according to the Associated Press. The DNC then barred the Sanders campaign from accessing its own voter data for a 36-hour period, which Sanders claims indicates a DNC bias to "sabotage" his presidential bid. The DNC has since launched an investigation. It was expected that data would again be a talking point during tonight's debate, though this time not about Clinton's emails (a tired point of contention that won't seem to quit). As the Guardianpoints out, "The DNC, the Sanders campaign and the Clinton campaign have all been damaged by one of the most surreal political scandals in recent history."
Indeed, as the three took the stage at Saint Anselm College after a 30-minute delay, the topic of Datagate kicked off the night. When asked whether his staff was stealing information from the "Clinton playbook," Bernie took responsibility for the second in a series of breaches where information of the Clinton's camp was allegedly made available to the Sanders' campaign. The first time, his staff did the right thing and dealt with the issue "quietly," he said. The second time, "we did the wrong thing" by accessing that information. Bernie Sanders flippantly apologized to Clinton when asked if she deserved one. Clinton responded by saying, "I very much appreciate that comment." At that point O'Malley took the opportunity to openly scrutinize the media focus on the back-and-forth, asking to address the bigger issues and perhaps getting the debate back on course.
The next hot button issue to get some serious talking time was gun control, which is among the more polarizing topics within the Democratic camp. Hillary took a surprisingly radical position on gun control, which prompted O'Malley to claim she takes a different position on gun control "every election." Bernie Sanders maintained that owning a gun is a citizen's right, but that more legislation should be put in place to ensure that guns don't wind up in the hand's of the wrong people. Both Hillary and Sanders faced backlash by O'Malley, who interrupted moderators to make his point heard.
And Hillary quickly fired back.
The discussion then turned to Trump, the leading Republican presidential hopeful. Hillary responded by claiming that he's becoming "the best ISIS recruiter." Sanders and O'Malley also took the opportunity to fire shots at the oft-maligned nominee.
When asked about foreign policy in addressing terrorism, Sanders said he would avoid going to war at all costs, instead supporting forces abroad. Hillary Clinton, despite her history of positions on foreign policy—namely supporting the Bush administration's decision to go to war following attacks in 2001—also disagreed that war is the answer to handling terrorist threats.
Bernie reiterated that foreign coalitions are the answer, including but not limited to Russia. He underlined yet again that his first and foremost priority was to destroy ISIS, echoing his prior sentiment that ISIS is the leading threat to humanity on all levels.
For reasons unclear, the debate returned from break without Hillary on the stage (she joined shortly after and uttered "sorry" to applause).
Bernie was ready to outline his position on economic reform, citing a call for a $15 minimum wage, closing the gender pay gap, and taxing Wall Street, as well as his plan to create 13 million jobs with a $1 trillion investment. "Of course we have to raise the minimum wage," replied Hillary Clinton. While she doesn't agree that a minimum wage of $15 is the answer, she did commend the conversation surrounding the economy and the middle class. When asked whether big businesses should love her, she replied, "Everyone should!"
Bernie Sanders responded by criticizing her position, claiming his campaign wouldn't accept funds from big money entities. He stood his position that greed and Wall Street are "destroying the lives of millions."
"Wall Street today has too much political power," he added, getting the last word on the topic. "It has too much economic power."
When asked what's failing in Obamacare, Hillary said that she'd build on it to fix the "glitches," namely taking insurance companies to task and bettering Medicare. Bernie Sanders called instead for a single-payer system that his campaign estimates will save taxpayers about $500 billion per year.
Switching gears to education, Hillary Clinton doesn't believe in free education for everyone. Bernie dropped one of his campaign's most radical positions (and one that's favored by younger demographics), which proposes higher education free of charge at public universities and colleges.
O'Malley piggybacked on that plan but claimed that his proposal went further than Sanders'. "Higher education should be a right for every kid," he said.
Clinton claimed that it's important to be "careful" with how these programs are going to be paid for, and Clinton claimed that her concern is an increase in taxes for the middle class. That position was echoed by O'Malley, who claimed that debt is crippling the economy (and reaffirmed his position for accessible higher education).
In addressing race relations, Hillary Clinton referenced systemic racism in our justice system that needs to be reformed. "Trust has been totally lost," she said, and she added that bipartisan objectives of good policing are an important goal. O'Malley claimed that police departments should be held accountable for reporting instances of brutality and misconduct. Bernie Sanders agreed with both, but took his position further by claiming that the criminal justice system, the war on drugs, and unchecked policing in communities are all a part of the problem, which he said can be resolved with better education and less incarceration.
As the debate came to a close, Hillary Clinton was asked whether it was time to change the role of a president's spouse as a person who "picks flowers," among other opportunities. Clinton gave a well-rounded response, citing Michelle Obama as a leader alongside her husband Barack.
In a smart move but all the same pretty chill, Bernie Sanders took the opportunity to thank Hillary for her role in redefining the role of First Lady. Both Sanders and O'Malley then spoke highly of their wives and their potential for leadership in the role should either of them win the presidency.
The debate ended with Sanders commending his colleagues and saying that on their worst night, he still feels the Democrats offer "a lot more for the American people than the right-wing extremists." He then evoked his own family's lower income status as a catalyst for improving the economy for the middle class. O'Malley closed by reiterating his positions on immigration, free education, and clean energy. Clinton closed by saying, "Thank you, good night, and may the Force be with you."
