From the first question, Mike Bloomberg faced an onslaught of criticism from the Democrats on stage as he made his presidential debate debut on Wednesday. Six Democratic candidates are facing off in Las Vegas just before the Nevada caucuses, the third Democratic nominating contest, that will be held on Saturday.
Bernie Sanders, who is leading most polls in the state, kicked off by attacking Bloomberg’s record on stop-and-frisk. Bloomberg responded by hitting Sanders on healthcare.
Elizabeth Warren then took aim at Bloomberg, saying “I’d like to talk about who we’re running against – a billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced’ …. No, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Michael Bloomberg.”
Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar also hit Bloomberg in their first answers.
Pete Buttigieg called Sanders and Bloomberg the “two most polarizing figures on this stage.” He took aim at both, saying “let’s put forward someone who is actually a Democrat.” Sanders is a democratic socialist, and Bloomberg recently registered as a Democrat, after serving as New York mayor as a Republican.
NBC News and MSNBC are hosting the debate in Las Vegas, in partnership with the Nevada Independent newspaper. The next debate, hosted by CBS News with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, will be held Tuesday in Charleston, South Carolina, ahead of that state’s primary on February 29.
