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July Democratic Debate: Live updates from night 2

NBC News' live blog with the latest news coverage from the 2nd night of the second Democratic debate hosted by CNN for the 2020 presidential election.
Image: The second Democratic debate, hosted by CNN, is taking place over two nights in Detroit with 10 candidates on stage each night.
The second night of the Democratic debate, hosted by CNN, is taking place in Detroit with 10 more candidates on stage.Chelsea Stahl / NBC News

That's a wrap for the second Democratic debate. Joe Biden came under fire (a lot), and health care was once again a focal point. See how the evening unfolded below and click here for all your fact-checks.

Download the NBC News app for full coverage.

Who won Night 2?

Voters who were hoping for close combat weren't disappointed by Wednesday night's 10-way Democratic presidential debate. There was a lot of it, and it was fierce.

Here's a look at which candidates made moves to help their own cause, which of them slipped and which faded into the background (in no particular order).

Who spoke the most?

NBC News

Over the last two nights, it was Biden, Harris and Warren, according to NPR. See how the other candidates ranked:

 

Harris calls Gabbard an Assad 'apologist'

NBC News

During an interview with MSNBC's Garrett Haake, Harris built on the attacks she made on Gabbard during the debate. She called Gabbard an "apologist" for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, "a war criminal."

The race to make the third round of debates is on

With the first two rounds of Democratic debates in the books, attention will begin turning to which candidates will make the DNC's cut for the third round in early September. 

The thresholds for qualifying for the next debate will increase, per DNC rules. Candidates must register at least 2 percent in four separate polls (from different media sponsors or different regions with the same media sponsor) and reach a minimum of 130,000 unique donors to their campaigns. The donor threshold is self-reported by the campaigns themselves for now and the DNC does not confirm who has made it until the end of the qualifying period.

That donor threshold is one reason so many candidates touted their websites during the debates. Under the DNC rules, here's where the 20 candidates on stage this week currently stand, according to our count:

Candidates who have reached both thresholds:

Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren

Candidates who have reached the polling but not the donor threshold:

Amy Klobuchar

Candidates who have reached the donor but not the polling threshold:

Julián Castro, Andrew Yang

Candidates who have not reached either threshold:

Michael Bennet, Steve Bullock, Bill de Blasio, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, John Hickenlooper, Jay Inslee, Tim Ryan and Marianne Williamson

Twitter knows the flavor

NBC News

Another viral exchange tonight came during a discussion on criminal justice, when Booker claimed Biden, in attacking Booker's record on the issue as mayor of Newark, was "dipping into the Kool-Aid and you don't even know the flavor" (see our earlier blog post for more on that exchange). It quickly became a top-tweeted moment.

Fact check: Biden wrongly suggests Obama put protections for 'Dreamers' into law

Earlier in the evening, Biden suggested that President Barack Obama put a plan to protect "Dreamers" — some 700,000 undocumented immigrant who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children — into law. 

"The president came along, and he's the guy that came up with the idea the first time ever, dealing with the Dreamers. He put that in the law," Biden said, attempting to fend off a broadside from New York City's mayor over the number of deportations that occurred under the Obama administration.

But that's not true. The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act was a bill that would have given legal status to the so-called “Dreamers.” Several versions of the bill have been introduced in recent years — including while Obama was president — but it has never passed.

Faced with that reality, Obama signed an executive order in 2012 that put into place his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed "Dreamers" without felonies or serious misdemeanors to stay in the country and be eligible for work permits. 

However, because it was put into place via executive action, it was always possible that the program would only be temporary. In 2017, President Donald Trump moved to end DACA, although the effort is still tied up in court. The Supreme Court said in June it would decide the fate of the program during its next term.

Fact check: Did 'almost all' of the tax cuts since 2001 go to the wealthiest Americans?

"Since 2001, we have cut $5 trillion worth of taxes. Almost all of it has gone to the wealthiest people in America,” Bennet claimed Wednesday night. 

This is exaggerated.

Nearly two-thirds of $5.1 trillion in tax cuts went to the richest fifth of Americans, according to a 2018 report from the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. That’s quite a lot, but it’s not “almost all.”

Gillibrand wants to clean up the environment — in the White House

NBC News

During a conversation about climate change, Gillibrand was asked about her support for the Green New Deal and whether the proposal is realistic. People are still talking about her answer.

The New York senator responded that her first act as president would be to douse the Oval with Clorox bleach. Re-engaging the U.S. on global climate change would be job No. 2, she said.

Biden sets internet ablaze with closing call to arms

Biden told his followers to “go to Joe 30330 and help me in this fight.”

A quick peek at his Twitter account makes clear that supporters need to “text Joe to 30330,” but the internet had a good time with this one. Many laughs were had on Twitter where users contemplated if Biden knew what he was talking about, thought he was running in an election thousands of years in the future and so on.

Harris dings Biden for his past support of the Hyde Amendment

Nearing the end of the debate, Harris knocked Biden for supporting — until just recently — the Hyde Amendment, a federal law that bars the use of taxpayer dollars for abortions.

"On the Hyde Amendment, Vice President, where you made a decision for years to withhold resources to poor women to have access to reproductive health care, including women who were the victims of rape and incest, do you now say that you have evolved and you regret that?" Harris asked. "Because you have only, since you’ve been running for president this time, said that you had in some way would take that back or you didn’t agree with the decision that you made over many, many years."

Harris is right — the vice president backtracked on his support for the Hyde Amendment just months ago in June, amid a flurry of criticism.

""I can't justify leaving millions of women without access to the care they need and the ability to ... exercise their constitutionally protected right," Biden said, when he announced his departure from the long-held belief. "If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone's ZIP code."

Who is Tulsi Gabbard?

According to Google Trends, Joe Biden (in yellow) was dominating as the most-searched candidate.  During the debate, it was Tulsi Gabbard (in blue).  

Fact check: Biden alleges Harris allowed 1,000 prisoners back on the street

Biden attacked Harris' record as attorney general of California on Wednesday night with a lengthy story, earning protestations from Harris about the accuracy of his claims.

Biden suggested that Harris defied staff recommendations and failed to disclose information about law enforcement misconduct to defense attorneys. As a result, Biden said, "Along came a federal judge and said enough, enough. And he freed 1,000 of these people. If you doubt me, Google 1,000 prisoners freed, Kamala Harris," Biden said.

What Biden said is mostly true, though he muddled a few details in his telling. 

As attorney general, Harris’ aides encouraged her to adopt a Brady policy in 2005 — a rule requiring prosecutors to disclose past misconduct by law enforcement witnesses — to defendants and their attorneys. According to The Wall Street Journal, she did not do so for years and came under fire when a scandal highlighted her department's lack of such a policy. 

In 2010, a police crime-lab technician — with a criminal conviction that had not been disclosed to defendants and likely would have kept her away from processing drug evidence — was found to be skimming cocaine from evidence for personal use, according to The Wall Street Journal. With those lab results jeopardized and results considered tainted, roughly 1,000 cases were dismissed or dropped. A Superior Court judge blamed Harris for the fiasco and Harris reportedly scrambled to officially institute a Brady policy. So, while 1,000 "prisoners" were not released, some 1,000 cases were dismissed or dropped. 

Biden did inaccurately claim that Harris never instituted a Brady policy. She did do so after the crime lab scandal.

The final numbers on who was attacked in tonight's debate

Here's the rundown on the on-stage candidates and other noteworthy figures targeted the most in Night 2 of the Democratic presidential debates. Read the full list of candidate attacks here

Why did Gillibrand go after Biden on women in the workplace?

During an exchange with Biden, Gillibrand accused the former Delaware senator of voting against affordable child care and having said, 38 years ago, "women working outside the home would lead to the deterioration of family."

Did he? 

It's true that in 1981, Biden voted against an expansion of the child tax credit — a measure designed to help families pay for child care — saying on the Senate floor that wealthy families (ones earning more than $30,000 in 1981) shouldn’t receive it. (He did, however, support families earning less than $30,000 receiving the credit).

Critics at the time said Biden’s position would have made it more difficult for women to re-enter the workplace after giving birth, because it would stop families with two working parents from qualifying for the child tax credit. Biden, in his floor remarks ahead of the vote at the time, addressed that criticism and argued that the federal government should not be in the business of encouraging “families to make the decision to entrust the primary care of their infant, of their young children, to a daycare center.”

“That should be available for people who do not have a choice,” he said, according to a transcript of the floor debate.

NBC News has not identified the op-ed Gillibrand said Biden wrote, but a campaign aide tweeted:

Candidates giving their closing statements

DE BLASIO: Let’s tax the rich. He says Trump is the real “socialist,” providing “socialism for the rich.”

BENNET: The U.S. needs to come together and make Donald Trump a one-term president and govern for our kids and grandkids.

INSLEE: We’ve kicked the can down the road on climate change for too long. Now is our last chance.

GILLIBRAND: I know how to beat Donald Trump I’ve won in a Republican district. I get things done and I’m not afraid of the big challenges.

GABBARD: I am not a warmonger, and I will end this insanity, end wasteful regime-change wars, and take trillions of dollars we’re wasting on wars and weapons and use it to serve Americans here at home.

CASTRO: This election is all about what kind of nation we will become. We will say 'adios' to Donald Trump.

YANG: Pundits couldn’t stop talking about me not wearing a tie last time. Everyone’s trying to get us to fight on stage, turning this into a reality TV show. It’s no mystery why a reality TV star got elected last time. We need to be laser focused on solving the major problems of today.

BOOKER: Thanks Detroit. The dream of this country is under threat now. The way we beat Trump is not just by focusing on him, but by focusing on each other.

HARRIS: As an attorney general, I took on big banks, for-profit colleges, trans-national criminal organizations. We have a president who has predatory nature and predatory instincts. Predators prey on people they perceive to be weak and vulnerable. They prey on people in need of help.

BIDEN: We’re in a battle for the soul of America. This is the most consequential election of our lives. We can overcome the damage Trump has done, but another four years will change America forever. We choose hope over fear. We choose the idea that together we can do anything

Castro invokes ‘Moscow Mitch’ nickname

Mitch McConnell has been sharply criticized in recent days after the Senate blocked election security bills in the wake of Mueller’s testimony. The move earned McConnell the nickname ‘Moscow Mitch,’ suggesting he is giving cover to Vladimir Putin.

In talking about the Mueller investigation into Russian election meddling, Castro invoked the nickname. The Senate Majority Leader, who has expressed anger about the nickname (and its corresponding Twitter hashtag), surely won’t be pleased.

Impeachment comes up near the end of the debate

After not being discussed Tuesday, candidates were asked for their opinions on what to do about Trump in light of the Mueller report. Booker, Castro and de Blasio all expressed support for impeachment.

Bennet expressed concern over McConnell acquitting Trump on impeachment and then the president claiming exoneration. Castro shot back, saying the president would claim if he wasn’t impeached that nothing was wrong in the first place.

Democrats don't support Hyde Amendment but overall public does

Carrie Dann

Biden briefly came under fire for his past support of the Hyde Amendment, a long-standing government policy which prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for most abortions. 

A Politico-Harvard poll in October 2016 found that a slight majority of Democrats — 55 percent — said that the policy should be overturned, while 37 percent said it should stay in place. 

But the same poll found that a majority of the electorate at large — 58 percent — supports keeping the ban on federal funding for abortions in place.  

Biden reversed his support for the Hyde Amendment in June after facing intense pressure from within his own party.

Booker, more than most candidates on stage, keeps focus on Trump

In his answers to questions about health care and foreign policy, Booker largely shied away from intra-party debates and ideological mission statements. Instead, he used his air time to attack President Trump.

In responding to a question about Afghanistan, for example, Booker began by enthusiastically declaring: “I will never conduct foreign policy by tweet.” He later blasted Trump as an “authoritarian” and called for impeachment proceedings against him.

Fact check: Trump tweets inaccurate claim about Obama's immigration policy

While it’s true the Obama administration built some of the migrant detention facilities — including one in 2014 — that have housed children during both administrations, Trump is misstating his predecessor's immigration policy.

The Obama administration did not have a policy of widespread family separation, though families were detained together.

What’s more, Trump ended his administration's family separation policy amid widespread outrage and challenges in the courts — not because he thought it would be a deterrent to migrants — and his administration has continued to separate hundreds of children from their families at the southern border since announcing the end of the policy.

Gabbard gets chance to tout signature issue: Stop wars

Gabbard, the only veteran on tonight’s debate stage and an avowed pacifist, said the federal government should stop “arbitrating foreign policy from ivory towers in Washington” before pushing what it perhaps her defining message: No more wars.

She has drawn intense criticism and scrutiny for her record on foreign affairs, particularly for meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

Biden backs away from key trade deal

Biden distanced himself from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that he backed— and helped sell to Democrats— when he served under Obama — a concession to labor and environmental groups.

Asked whether he’d rejoin the multilateral pact, which Trump backed out of in 2017, Biden said, “I’d renegotiate it.”

He further said he would do so with an eye toward labor and environmental concerns.

For a candidate who has tightly tied himself to the president he served on the campaign trail, the move amounted to a significant repositioning to the left.

The issue has been among the most important to labor groups. 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton previously abandoned her onetime support for it during that year’s campaign for the party’s nomination.

“Would I insist that labor be engaged?” Biden said. “The answer is yes.”

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio applauded the change.

“I consider that a victory,” the liberal mayor said.

Yang gets a moment to make his big pitch on redefining economic progress

Andrew Yang turned a question about how he was better than Biden to beat Trump into an opportunity to lay out his vision of overhauling the idea of economic progress. 

Touting his coalition of “disaffected Trump voters, Libertarians and conservatives, as well as Democrats and progressives,” Yang said the key to winning Rust Belt states is to point out that in a record-breaking economy, “suicides, depression, anxiety — it’s gotten so bad that Amercan life expectancy has declined for the past three years.”

He raised the case of his wife, who provides at home care for his autistic son. “What does her work count at in today’s economy?” Yang asked? “Zero, and we know that’s the opposite of the truth. We know that her work is among the most challenging and vital.”

Yang said in order to win, “We redefine economic progress to include all the things that matter to the people in Michigan and all of us, like our own health, our well being, our mental health, our clean air and clean water, how our kids are doing — if we change the measurements of the 21st century economy to revolve around our own well-being, then we will win this election.”

Gillibrand and Biden spar over gender pay gap

Dartunorro Clark

Gillibrand sparred with Biden over an op-ed he wrote decades ago in which he said — and Gillibrand read aloud — women working outside the home would "create the deterioration of family."

Biden shot back, "I'm passionate about the concern making sure women are treated equally.” He also slammed Gillibrand supporting his positions on women in the past, saying, “I don't know what happened except you're running for president."

What's the Green New Deal, and where do candidates stand on it?

Candidates briefly tussled over components of the Green New Deal, an ambitious plan to combat climate change proposed by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Here's what's in the plan (and a few things that are not) and who in the 2020 field supports and opposes it:

  • Calls for a complete transition to renewable energy by 2030 and to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions
  • Addresses topics like racial and economic inequality
  • Includes a call for the government to guarantee jobs for everyone, support labor unions, and enact universal health care and housing 
  • Calls for a massive 10-year infrastructure plan that the resolution likens to spending during World War II
  • It does not address how it would be paid for
  • Does not include a direct call for imposing a price on climate pollution, like a carbon tax
  • Supported by: Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Joe Biden,  Pete Buttigieg, Bill de Blasio, Andrew Yang, Jay Inslee, Beto O'Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Marianne Williamson and Julian Castro
  • Opposed by John Hickenlooper, Tulsi Gabbard, Michael Bennet, Steve Bullock, Tim Ryan and John Delaney

Booker calls out voter suppression

Dartunorro Clark

Booker got a huge applause line when he interjected in the discussion about how Democrats can win back Rust-belt states that they lost to Trump in 2016. This was the first time it was mentioned at the debate — and an important point. Experts have noted that in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County, for instance, which has a sizable black population, 60,000 fewer votes were cast in 2016 for Hillary Clinton than in 2012 for Barack Obama. Experts have attributed that to onerous voter ID laws designed to depress African American turnout.

Democrats will need to know how to not only turn out black voters in 2020 but also how to get them to actually cast a ballot. Civil liberties groups have raised alarm about access to polls, voter ID laws and other suppression tactics that could continue to depress turnout among minority voters.

Obama’s legacy taking a beating from his own party

The Democratic candidates aren’t pulling any punches when talking about the Obama administration, using it to go after Biden on a variety of topics — particularly immigration.

Whether that’s a smart strategy will remain to be seen. Obama remains very popular with most Democrats. 

Trump seized on some of the debate to take his own, mostly inaccurate shot at the Obama administration’s immigration policies. Obama did detain migrant children but did not have a policy in place that resulted in child separations.

Castro thanked Obama, however, with taking actions after the 2008 recession to prepare the ground for the strong economy that Trump has often taken credit for.

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes with some advice for Biden

Hayes thinks Biden, who many pundits believe has the best shot of attracting working-class voters in the industrial Midwest, should more regularly tout the Obama administration’s bailout of the automotive industry in the aftermath of the financial crisis. 

Eric Garner and NYC public housing issue put heat on de Blasio

As a mayor, Bill de Blasio might be more easily yoked to specific issues than big-picture national figures like Biden.

Tonight, de Blasio has repeatedly come under fire for his administration’s handling of the death of Eric Garner at the hands of NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo and, as of the last question, the elevated lead levels found in his city’s public housing complexes. 

Fact check: What will automation do to trucking jobs?

Saying the U.S. is "in the midst of the greatest economic transformation in our history," Yang warned Wednesday that "artificial intelligence is coming" and that "it’s going to displace hundreds of thousands of call center workers, truck drivers — the most common job in 29 states."

Automation will surely affect the truck driving industry, which employs more than 3.5 million people according to the American Trucking Associations.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report earlier this year and concluded that there are two possible scenarios. The industry could see a full automation of long-haul trucking that would lead to a reduction of jobs and lower wages, or the industry may find that self-driving trucks still need operators, changing the skill set and wages of truck drivers without significantly affecting the number of jobs.

Gillibrand calls out white privilege

Dartunorro Clark

Gillibrand gave a smart answer on race here that was not the usual canned answer you hear from politicians. She acknowledged the privilege she has as a wealthy white woman and how she has used that privilege to explain racial injustice to white voters so that the onus is not on candidates of color, like Booker and Harris.

Bennet gets a moment

Mark Murray

The normally mild-mannered Bennet stole a moment midway through the debate when he expressed exasperation why candidates like Kamala Harris talk about desegregation busing policies of the 1970s — when segregation is worse today than it was back then.

“Equal is not equal,” Bennet said.

The senator also tied prison incarceration to education, noting that the overwhelming majority of inmates don’t have a high-school degree.

“Let's fix our school system,” Bennet said to loud applause.

De Blasio calls out Biden — for Eric Garner killing

De Blasio challenged Biden over what the Department of Justice did to punish the NYPD officer who killed New Yorker Eric Garner by placing him in a choke hold.

The officer, Daniel Pantaleo, is still a member of the NYPD. 

Some found irony in de Blasio taking on the former vice president for the actions of one of his own cops.

But even as the Detroit debate continued, de Blasio’s Twitter account was still firing off tweets blaming the Justice Department for declining to prosecute Pantaleo.

Earlier this evening, protesters interrupted shouting “Fire Pantaleo!” New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson tweeted that Pantaleo should have been fired “years ago.”

The busing issue, explained

The issue of school busing, a flashpoint between Harris and Biden in the first debate featuring them, returned to the fore briefly Wednesday night.

To recap: Harris slammed Biden for having been a leader of anti-busing forces in the Senate in the 1970s and noted that as a child, she was bused to school. It turned into a major moment for her in the first debate and helped stoke a surge in her poll numbers.

On Wednesday, Tapper asked Harris if her position on busing is the same as Biden’s because she has answered questions by saying she wouldn’t have the federal government order busing now. “That is simply false,” Harris said. “When the vice president was in the United States Senate, working with segregationists, had I been in the United States Senate, I would have been completely on the other side of the aisle,” she said

Here’s why there might have been some confusion: The “federal government” is an imprecise term. Several decades ago, federal courts were issuing orders to local school districts to implement busing plans as a remedy for ongoing segregation. Biden and other busing opponents worked to block courts from using their powers to desegregate schools. Congress and the president weren’t legislating busing plans then, and aren’t doing so now.

Joe Biden attacking, getting attacked the most

President Donald Trump may be the most attractive target in tonight's debate, but Joe Biden is not far behind.

Biden is both the most-attacked candidate on stage and the one doing the most attacking: Midway through the second debate, he had made 17 attacks and had been attacked more than 20 times.

Also on attack: Kamala Harris, with 13 attacks and Bill de Blasio, with 10 attacks midway into the debate. Follow along with our debate-night attack tracker here.

CORRECTION (Nov. 21, 2019, 1:00 p.m.): An earlier version of this blog post misstated the number of attacks Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Bill de Blasio made midway into Night 2 of the second Democratic debate. Biden made 17 attacks, not more than 30; Harris made 13, not 24; de Blasio made 10, not 15.

Climate change heats up debate

After some contentious exchanges over the topics of immigration, criminal justice and race, the debate shifts to global warming.

Inslee goes after Biden, saying "We have to get off coal in 10 years, your plan doesn’t do that.” 

Biden responds that, “We have to talk and chew gum at the same time….We can work it out.”

Inslee drops the hammer: “We can’t work it out. Our house is on fire.”

Biden remains overwhelming favorite among African American voters

Carrie Dann

As expected, issues of race have become a flashpoint in the debate. 

But despite a series of negative stories about Joe Biden's record on race — and a dramatic attack from Kamala Harris in the first Democratic debate in June — Biden remains the overwhelming frontrunner among African American voters.  

In a recent Quinnipiac poll, 53 percent of black Democratic primary voters backed Biden. Eight percent backed Sanders, 7 percent backed Harris, and no other candidate received over five percent.  

And an earlier NBC/WSJ poll in early July found Biden with the support of 46 percent of black voters, with Harris running in a distant second at 17 percent.

Harris and Gabbard offer some of the most contentious clashes of the night

Image: U.S. Senator  Harris speaks as candidates  Yang and Gabbard listen on the second night of the second U.S. 2020 presidential Democratic candidates debate in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
U.S. Senator Kamala Harris speaks as entrepreneur Andrew Yang and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard listen on the second night of the second 2020 Democratic U.S. presidential debate in Detroit, Michigan, July 31, 2019.Lucas Jackson / Reuters

Gabbard has previously said Harris is unfit to be president. The bad blood is evident tonight.

The Hawaii congressman went after Harris for her record as a prosecutor, including her controversial crackdown on marijuana possession. The California senator fired back by suggesting that the congresswoman was pushing empty rhetoric instead of making the hard decisions of law enforcement officials.

The backstory on that Biden-Booker clash

As was hinted at in the lead-up to the debate on Wednesday, Booker and Biden hit each other for their records on criminal justice.

Booker began, calling out Biden for being associated with many crime bills during his time in the Senate and said he can’t just now come up with a plan for reform. Biden snapped back, saying those bills were passed overwhelmingly and he has since moved toward a path of reforming the criminal justice system.

Then Biden went after Booker’s record on criminal justice as mayor of Newark. Booker took over a city that was plagued with violent crime, and he pledged during his campaign to do whatever it took to curb the violence. His tough-on-crime agenda curbed violence early on, but his police department faced soaring complaints as residents alleged officers used excessive force, made unlawful stops, and engaged in racial profiling.

The American Civil Liberties Union called for reform, with the ACLU of New Jersey gave Booker a "D" when it came to "police practices" in 2009. But after slow progress, it petitioned the Justice Department the following year to take action, citing more than 400 allegations — most of which came during Booker's administration — the organization claimed were proof of police misconduct. The Justice Department would end up investigating the police department, and Booker eventually came around on the probe.

In the years since, Booker has been a champion of criminal justice reform. The senator was instrumental in passing the bipartisan First Step Act, signed into law last year. The senator has made many additional proposals aimed at reforming the criminal justice system.

Booker said Wednesday it was “no secret that I inherited” a police department with massive problems and decades long challenges. Booker said he was “shocked” Biden wanted to take on his criminal justice record, saying he was “dipping in the Kool-Aid” and “didn’t even know the flavor.”

“I embraced reform,” Booker said, “You’re trying to shift the debate for what you created.”

Biden has come under fire for his main piece of criminal justice legislation, the controversial 1994 crime bill that experts say contributed to mass incarceration. Of note, Booker, as mayor, utilized grants made available through the crime bill to help rehire Newark Police Department officers who were the victims of municipal budget cuts.

How’s Biden doing? It depends

FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver notes that Twitterati on the left see Biden taking damage tonight.

Certainly he’s been taking fire, but it’s far from clear that any of the critiques are resonating with his supporters.

Harris attacks Biden on criminal justice but quickly pivots to Trump

Harris went after Biden for his record on busing before hitting the Trump administration’s Justice Department for essentially abandoning oversight of troubled police departments, including quietly scuttling consent decrees.

Where's Yang?

Yang didn’t get to speak much at the first debate. Tonight, it’s a similar situation.

According to NPR’s time tracker, Yang had the least speaking time halfway through the debate with 2:09. Biden had the most at 9:18.

 

Biden attacks Booker on his record as mayor

Dartunorro Clark

Biden pressed Booker on his record as mayor of Newark, New Jersey, which is majority black.

The fact is he did implement a zero-tolerance crime policy in Newark, including stop and frisk. And the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey asked the Justice Department to intervene to investigate the Newark police. The probe found hundreds of misconduct violations. Activists have said Booker’s policy created a rift in the very community it was intended to serve. 

Where have Harris and Bennet gone?

NBC's Kasie Hunt: Biden facing 'death or at least serious injury by a thousand cuts'

NBC News

How many undocumented immigrants did the Obama administration deport?

As former Vice President Joe Biden defends himself from attacks on the number of deportations during the Obama administration, it's worth taking a look at the numbers.

Department of Homeland Security data shows that the agency removed more than 3 million immigrants in the country illegally from 2009 to 2016. That's an average of 383,307 per year.

For comparison, DHS removed 295,364 undocumented immigrants in 2017. The statistics aren't yet available for 2018.

'Shithole countries' gets a mention

NBC News

Fact check: Biden touts his role in aid sent to Central American countries

“I already proposed and passed $750 million for Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to be able to change the circumstances of why people fled in the first place," Biden said Wednesday night during the debate.

This is true. 

Biden led the White House effort to send aid directly to the Northern Triangle countries, and a bipartisan Congress approved $750 million in funding. However, the U.S. began diverting that money in 2019.

De Blasio and Booker press Biden on Obama’s immigration record

Dartunorro Clark

Biden has invoked Obama’s record on the campaign trail but stumbled when pressed by de Blasio on if he used his power to tell Obama that his record number of immigrant deportations was bad policy. “Did he use his power to stop those deportations?” de Blasio said. “If you’re debating Donald Trump he won't let you off the hook.” 

Biden argued that he “was vice president, not president,” and would not disclose private advice he may have given to the president. 

Booker then jumped in and told Biden “you can’t have it both ways.” The former vice president said it was insulting that they were insinuating that Obama was similar to Trump.

This might be a theme during the rest of the night and the campaign. If, as Booker pointed out, Biden wants to use the good parts of Obama’s record, he will have to also answer a lot of the criticism Obama received during his presidency, including being the so-called deporter-in-chief.

De Blasio reaches out to protesters

De Blasio’s team used Twitter to reach out to the protesters who shouted ‘Fire Pantaleo!’ — a reference to Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD officer who put Eric Garner in a chokehold that caused a fatal asthma attack.

Rev. Kirsten John Foy and other protesters spoke to reporters after being escorted out of the CNN debate for interrupting de Blasio’s opening remarks.

Foy said his group was there to protest de Blasio’s handing of the Eric Garner case. The group clarified they were not interrupting Booker, but rather yelling “fire Pantaleo” during de Blasio's remarks, and then they were removed. 

There have been 50 attacks in the first 50 minutes of tonight's debate

Right now, Joe Biden is the most-attacked candidate so far AND ALSO has delivered the most attacks. 

Another big target of the night: Donald Trump. The president has been attacked 19 times so far. 

Follow our live tracker here.

It was left vs. center. Now, it’s everyone vs. Biden.

Last night’s debate featured the more progressive candidates, Warren and Sanders, fending off centrists who sought to poke holes in their plans. 

There’s been some of that tonight on health care, but Biden has been on the defensive on immigration — including tough questions on the Obama administration’s record on the issue.

Castro stance on decriminalizing border crossings is not a popular one

Julián Castro led off the immigration section with a defense of his idea that illegal border crossings should be decriminalized.

It's an issue that helped Castro get a nice bump after last debate, when he mixed it up with Beto O'Rourke on the issue.

But that's not a very popular stance among Americans at large. A recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found that only 27 percent of Americans thought decriminalizing border crossings was a good idea, compared to 66 percent who said it was a bad idea. Democrats were split on the issue, with 45 percent calling it a good idea, and 47 percent calling it a bad idea.

Castro and Biden square off on immigration

Dartunorro Clark

Castro and Biden — both former Obama administration officials — jousted off over immigration in the debate.

Biden questioned why someone who crosses the border illegally should not be prosecuted criminally. Castro believes that federal law needs to be streamlined to make it a civil infraction. Biden was questioned about Obama’s deportation record, which the former vice president said he would not follow if elected but still make it a criminal offense to cross the border illegally. Castro slammed Biden, saying he hasn’t learned the lessons of the past. 

“What we need is politicians who actually have some guts on this issue,” Castro said. 

 “I have guts enough to say his plan doesn't make sense,” Biden shot back. 

Castro in the last debate carved out a lane in being the candidate who aggressively debated immigration reform. This moment was no different.

Inslee gets huge applause for calling Trump a 'white nationalist'

NBC News

"We can no longer allow a white nationalist to be in the White House," he said.

Fact check: Is decriminalizing border crossings the only way to stop family separations?

Castro argued this on Wednesday when asked about his immigration plan.

"The only way that we're going to guarantee that we don’t have family separations in this county again is to repeal section 1325 of the immigration nationality act. That is the law that this president, this administration is using to incarcerate migrant parents and then physically separate them from their children," Castro said.

Section 1325 is the portion of U.S. immigration law that makes entering the U.S. illegally a criminal offense. Simply being in the U.S. without authorization is a civil offense — and people who are found to be in the U.S. without papers can be deported — but section 1325 adds a layer of criminality. 

Castro is correct in his description of how the law is being used, but his overall claim isn't historically accurate. The family separation policy was introduced by the Trump administration, but Section 1325 has existed for decades without resulting in the separation of thousands of children from their families. 

Yang pivots immigration conversation away from border and toward economy

Yang hasn’t gotten much time, but he’s differentiated himself with some unique points.

On immigration, he talks about the contributions of his parents to the U.S. technology sector, and then uses it to turn to one of his favorite talking points — the economic impact of automation.

Biden echoes GOP talking points on immigration

NBC News

Fact check: One in four diabetics can't afford their insulin

During an extended exchange on health care, Harris claimed that one in four Americans who have diabetes can’t afford their insulin.

This checks out.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2018 showed that one in four people with diabetes said they were rationing their insulin because it cost too much to buy the amount they needed.

What is “Homestead?”

Harris mentioned the "Homestead" facility during her impassioned plea for immigration reform.

Several Democratic candidates have visited, or have made plans to visit, the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children. The facility is being used as a detention center for migrant children and is about 35 miles south of Miami. The privately run, for-profit center is operated by Comprehensive Health Services, a unit of the large contracting company Caliburn. Because it’s run by a for-profit corporation, it is not subject to state regulations.

At least 2,300 children who were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border are being housed at the facility. After being apprehended, they were placed in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. Immigrant advocates have said children at the facility are living in “prison-like conditions”

Several Democratic lawmakers have called for shuttering facilities such as Homestead, citing the lack of oversight and the length of time that children are held. They say it’s not in compliance with the “Flores agreement” a legal decision that created guidelines for the treatment of migrant minors in government custody, including that facilities be “safe and sanitary” and that they be released to family members in the country within 20 days.

Harris takes a turn playing defense

Mark Murray

In last month’s debate, there was no one who performed better than Kamala Harris — she took the fight to frontrunner Joe Biden and to President Trump.

But at tonight’s debate, the fight came to her when the conversation started with health care.

The California senator has evolved on the issue: She first said that she favored eliminating private insurance (“Let’s eliminate all of that. Let’s move on”). Then on Monday, she released a plan that would move all Americans into a Medicare-for-All system within 10 years, but it would also allow private insurers to offer competing plans – as long as they meet the standards of the government plan.

“I needed to create a plan that was responsive to the needs of people,” Harris said at tonight’s debate, explaining that she listened to voters in changing her position on health care.

But Biden pounced on the change “(you can’t beat President Trump with double-talk”), and he argued it would cost trillions.

And Michael Bennet piled on Harris: “We need to be honest about what’s in the plan.”

Dems push back against ‘Republican talking points’

A bit of a tic has been forming over the last couple nights — claiming that questions about liberal plans are taken from Republican talking points.

In some cases, it’s a fair critique, but as Politico’s Jack Schafer points out, it’s also becoming a crutch.

“Malarkey!”

Biden just dropped a word that might as well be his catchphrase: “Malarkey!”

Biden questions Harris' honesty

In the first of their highly anticipated exchanges, Biden came out firing with a clear intention to cast Harris as dishonest. And his knocks led to more criticism from other candidates.

“The senator’s had several plans so far,” Biden said of Harris’ latest proposal to refashion the nation’s health care system. “You can’t beat President Trump with double talk on this plan.”

Biden’s basic critique is that the Harris variation on “Medicare for All,” which would allow all Americans to enroll in public insurance but also preserve private insurance options, would cost too much, raise taxes on middle class families and take too long to phase in. But the more damaging attack is less about health care and more on the idea that Harris has been deceitful.  

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said as much by accusing Harris of hiding a plan to outlaw private insurance. Her plan doesn’t do that, but the moderators didn’t stop to check him. 

“He just suggested you are not being honest,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said in giving Harris a chance to respond to Bennet.

She didn’t correct Bennet, either, choosing to tell him to stop repeating “Republican talking points.”

Harris got in a couple of shots at Biden’s plan to augment Obamacare, but they fell flatter.

“Your plan does not cover everyone in America,” she said. “For a Democrat to be running for president with a plan that does not cover everyone is without excuse.” 

What people are saying about Andrew Yang ... anonymously

People are sharing their election confessions about the 2020 Democratic candidates. Sort by candidate, state or both at ElectionConfessions.com.

Democrats favor Obamacare expansion over a 'Medicare for All' system

Carrie Dann

While Joe Biden's top rivals have been pushing for a move to a "Medicare-for-All" system over the last two nights, the former vice president is explicitly arguing for the shoring up of the existing Obamacare system, which preserves private employer-based health plans. (He says he'd also add a public option.)

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found a slight majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor Biden's approach. 

Asked if they prefer the approach of building on the ACA or replacing it with Medicare-for-All, 55 percent chose keeping the ACA, while 39 percent chose the overhaul. 

Harris pushes back against rivals on health care plan

+2
Jason Abbruzzese, Dartunorro Clark and Daniel Arkin

Health care was the opener last night, and it’s the opener tonight. And the themes are similar as well: left vs. center. 

Harris slammed Bennett and other candidates questioning her health care plan as “Republican talking points.” This was a remark Sanders and Warren also made as they fought back against the more moderate candidates questioning the implementation of their health care plans in last night’s debate. 

Harris, who has backed a "Medicare for All" plan but without the stridently populist style of Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, seems to be tonight’s proxy for “the left” without the leading progressives on the stage.

While Warren and Sanders helped each other to defend their proposals, tonight Harris is sort of alone here. De Blasio is pushing back as well, but does not have quite the alliance that Warren and Sanders had.

Fact check: Does Biden's health care plan cover everyone?

Benjy Sarlin and Jane C. Timm

"My plan does, will, cover everyone, number one," Biden said, fending off attacks on his plan to overhaul America's health care system.

His claim is half true. While the Biden plan would provide coverage to millions who fell through the cracks in Obamacare, experts tell NBC News there’s still likely to be gaps due to affordability.

Biden’s plan expands coverage by offering new subsidies to both higher income and lower income Americans who are currently ineligible for government aid to purchase insurance. But it’s likely some Americans will still choose to forgo coverage, even with premiums capped at 8.5 percent of their annual income. Additionally, while undocumented immigrants would be allowed to buy insurance for the first time through Biden’s plan, they would not be eligible for subsidies to help pay premiums.

It’s worth noting that “Medicare for All,” Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan, could also have similar coverage gaps with undocumented immigrants. Sanders says he wants to cover undocumented immigrants, but his bill leaves it to the Health and Human Services Secretary to determine who qualifies for coverage and to create rules preventing foreign nationals from traveling to the U.S. for government-sponsored care.

Castro gives Puerto Rico a shout out in his opening comments

Julián Castro gave a shout out to Puerto Rico, where massive protests have forced the resignation of the island’s embattled governor. Debate watchers had complained of the island's absence from the debate discussion Tuesday night.

Fact check: Is Amazon responsible for closing 30% of America's stores?

“Amazon is closing 30 percent of Americas stores and malls and paying zero in taxes while doing it,” claimed entrepreneur Andrew Yang during Wednesday's debate.

This is a stretch, since Amazon isn’t personally buying up stores and malls and closing them. But of course, online shopping is changing how Americans shop.

Malls are facing enormous pressure and closing rapidly. One expert told Forbes he expected roughly 30 percent of the nation’s malls would close or be repurposed over the next decade, though analysts in 2017 at Credit Suisse pegged the number of coming closures lower.

And while it’s true that the online giant doesn’t pay federal taxes, according to an analysis of corporate filings put out by the progressive think tank Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, the review didn’t analyze state and local taxes.

Booker puts the scrutiny on Trump in health care squabble

Amy Walter, a prominent political pundit, faulted last night’s candidates for failing to bring up the Trump administration’s war on the Affordable Care Act, especially Republican-led attempts to undo protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

In his answer to a question about Medicare for All just now, Booker did just that. He called on viewers to pay more attention to Trump’s ongoing campaign against Obamacare.

Gillibrand first candidate to mention LGBTQ rights

After a near total absence of mention of the LGBTQ community during the Tuesday debate — despite the historic presence of openly gay Pete Buttigieg on stage — Kirsten Gillibrand became the first 2020 candidate on the Detroit stage to mention the struggle for LGBTQ civil rights.

In her opening statement Gillibrand said her mother, who one of just three women in her law school, “worked with gay couples for basic rights.”

“As a freshman senator, I was told you couldn't repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" — even members of my own party told me it wasn't convenient,” Gillibrand continued. “When are civil rights ever convenient? We stood up to the Pentagon and got it done — not impossible.”

Harris repeatedly refers to VP Biden as a "senator"

NBC News

Biden praised for improved performance, but some notice stumbles

Biden received pans for what critics saw as a lackluster performance at last month’s debate. But this time around, some viewers are giving him credit for a more impassioned delivery. At the same time, though, others have pointed out that he has repeatedly appeared to stumble over his words. 

Biden slams Harris’ health care plan

Dartunorro Clark

Biden slammed Harris’ health care plan, saying “you can’t beat Donald Trump with double talk” after the California senator was pressed to explain how she would implement and pay for her plan.

Biden is taking a more direct approach in this debate following their skirmish in the last debate. 

Fact check: de Blasio takes credit for progressive strides in New York

In his opening statement, Bill de Blasio listed off a handful of accomplishments he says he got done as New York City's mayor.

“We gave pre-K to every child for free. We got rid of stop and frisk and we lowered crime. We raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour," de Blasio said. 

This is all true, but some of these key wins were the result of action by Albany, not City Hall. For example, getting a $15 minimum wage in New York City for most businesses — while championed by de Blasio — was a product of a statewide roll-out of increased minimum wages.

In addition, de Blasio’s signature campaign promise back in 2013 was providing universal pre-kindergarten, and funding it with a tax for the city’s super-wealthy. He enacted universal pre-K — and it’s wildly popular — but not with a wealth tax, which Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo would not sign off on. Cuomo, however, found other state funds to pay for the program, which has grown to cover three-year-olds in recent years.

When it comes to crime, citywide total crimes that fall into the seven major felony offenses have consistently fallen since 2014, when de Blasio was sworn in. The overall crime rate for the month of March fell in 2019 to its lowest level for any March since 1994, according to statistics kept by the city.

Harris gets first question

The first question of the night went to Kamala Harris.

CNN’s Dana Bash asked the California senator to respond to Biden’s claim that her Medicare for All plan was “confusing.”

Harris forcefully defended her proposal.

Reminder: These debates run long

CNN’s plan is to have two full hours of debate in addition to the opening and closing statements.

The first debate question was asked at about 8:26 p.m. ET, so get comfy. 

Booker’s opening remarks interrupted by hecklers

Sen. Cory Booker’s opening remarks were briefly interrupted by a group of hecklers shouting “Fire Pantaleo!” They were referring to Daniel Pantaleo, the New York City police officer who put Eric Garner in a chokehold that caused a fatal asthma attack in 2014. 

Garner’s family has called on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to fire Pantaleo. The hecklers in the Fox Theatre tonight could be heard shouting during de Blasio’s opening remarks, too.

Booker quickly tweeted a response.

Opening statements

DE BLASIO: We can make change in this country — just like I did as New York City mayor. Tonight is about getting to the heart and soul of who we are as Democrats. Then hits Biden and Harris for past statements. ""We will tax the hell out of the wealthy."

BENNET: Talks about career running Denver’s public schools, says Trump doesn’t “give a damn about your kids or mine.” Adds that “kids belong in classrooms, not cages, and deserve” someone better than “a bully.” Election about reclaiming democracy.

INSLEE: Says Democrats are the “last best hope for the humanity on our planet." Says it will be his top priority. "We can defeat the climate crisis, let's get to work."

GILLIBRAND: Says her mom taught her nothing is impossible. Mentions her role in repealing “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and in funding victims compensation for 9/11 first responders. "We need a nominee who doesn't know the meaning of impossible."

GABBARD: “I love our country,” mentions her career as a soldier overseas. Says she knows patriotism and  "Donald Trump is not behaving like a patriot."

CASTRO: Public service is not about any of us, it’s about you. Says he knows what it’s like to struggle. I’m not trying to make America great again because, "We’re not going back to the past. We’re not going back where we came from. We’re going to move forward.”

YANG: Mentions that he wants to give every American $1,000 a month. Explains why Universal Basic Income is necessary and how he plans to pay for it. Gets a huge applause when he quips, "the opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math."

BOOKER: Mentions Trump’s attacks on Baltimore, says Trump is trying to target racists and bigots. Says we desperately need to “heal as a nation and move forward.”  

HARRIS: “We are better than this,” this becomes a moment we need to “fight for” who we are. I will fight with you for “the best of who we are and successfully prosecute the case" against four more years of Trump.

BIDEN: “I’m running for president to restore” the soul of this country. Mentions Trump tearing at the country’s social fabric. “We are strong and great because of this diversity, not in spite of it.” Adds, we are loving it, not leaving it, and we won’t leave it to Trump. 

Candidates take the stage

NBC News

Image: 2nd Dem Debates

Hot mic catches Biden calling Harris 'kid'

During candidate intros, a hot mic caught Biden joking with Harris, telling her “go easy on me, kid.”

The standout moment of last month's debate was when Harris hit Biden over his history with busing. 

Biden has also faced scrutiny over his comments to and about women.

Yang tieless, again

Yang didn’t wear a tie at the first debate, causing a very minor wave among political fashion aficionados. 

He’s doubling down tonight. Collar’s open.

ANALYSIS: In chaotic political moment, Detroit gives Biden an opening

If everything goes right for Joe Biden tonight, he will leave Democrats reassured. 

Heading into the second heat of CNN's Democratic debates, the former vice president and front-runner in the polls for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination has the chance to bolster the case for his candidacy by showing strength at a political moment that cries out for the kind of stabilizing force he's told primary voters he would be as commander in chief.

That means Biden will have to demonstrate he can punch back after absorbing body blows in the first debate. Within the Democratic Party, voters will be listening closely to hear how he makes the case that the best way to defeat Trump is with a more centrist agenda than those offered by progressive champions Sanders and Warren.

Dems' health care fight takes center stage

Benjy Sarlin and Jeremia Kimelman

The Democratic candidates are likely to highlight their health care proposals again tonight — a topic that has spurred a high-profile fight among the field's top-tier candidates. Here’s a primer on one of the main proposals.

Gabbard’s sister takes aim at CNN for ‘biased/unfair’ format

Thirty minutes before tonight’s debate was scheduled to begin, Gabbard’s sister, Vrindavan, leveled tough words at CNN on her sister's Twitter account.

The tweets, signed “Vrindavan (Tulsi’s sister),” mirror those Gabbard’s sibling sent after the first night of last month’s Democratic debates hosted by NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo:

Cringe-worthy Tom Perez line

DNC chairman Tom Perez gave a warm up speech ahead of tonight’s debate. He said this:

Delaney fires back at Warren... 24 hours later

Former Rep. John Delaney finally fired back at Elizabeth Warren for the punch she landed during last night’s debate. “I don’t understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can’t do and shouldn’t fight for,” she had said.

Delaney responded shortly before the start of Wednesday's debate.

"I don't understand why anyone goes through the trouble of running for President if they either can't explain how their plans work or can't honestly debate their ideas without reverting to accusing people who disagree with them of reciting Republican talking points,”  Delaney said. “The media should ask Senator Sanders and Senator Warren why they’re so scared to debate the merits of their plans.”

The debate last night, served seven ways

NBC News

If you were too busy to follow our live blog of Night 1 of the second Democratic debate, here’s the play-by-play

Want to dig deeper? Read the full transcript 

Short on time? Here are the highlights in less than three minutes

Or lean back with Alex Seitz-Wald's article on how the debate exposed an ideological rift, Benjy Sarlin's look at the issues that came up, Jon Allen’s analysis and Shannon Pettypiece’s take on who won.

Trump gives 2020 field a bad prognosis

President Donald Trump tweeted out an ominous warning to fans and followers heading into Night 2 of the second Democratic primary debate.

“If I hadn’t won the 2016 Election, we would be in a Great Recession/Depression right now,” Trump wrote Wednesday morning. “The people I saw on stage last night, & you can add in Sleepy Joe, Harris, & the rest, will lead us into an economic sinkhole the likes of which we have never seen before. With me, only up!”

Trump’s tweet comes as the Federal Reserve takes the unconventional step of cutting interest rates amid a strong U.S. economy, something Trump has tweeted about regularly as he pursues a trade war with China.

Biden appears to be recovering from first debate dip

Joe Biden suffered a sharp dip in the polls after his first debate performance in June, particularly after Kamala Harris confronted him over his past opposition to busing.

But some recent polls put the former vice president just about back to where he was before the first debate. The Real Clear Politics Poll Average, which aggregates a variety of polls, puts Biden at 32.2, compared to 16.2 for Sanders, 14.3 for Warren and 10.8 for Harris. 

That’s very close to what the RCP average had on June 26, the day before Biden and Harris would face off: Biden at 32, Sanders at 16.9, Warren at 12.8 and Harris at 7.

Williamson apologizes for calling clinical depression a 'scam'

NBC News

After tonight, the debate requirements get a lot tougher

For some candidates, this will be their last appearance on a debate stage in pursuit of the Democratic nomination.

The next debate, scheduled for September, requires candidates to reach at last 2 percent in four qualifying polls and have 130,000 donors. 

That could mean candidates such as Gabbard and Castro, both of whom will be at tonight’s debate, won’t have a lectern in Houston, where the next debate will be held.

Marianne Williamson’s internet fans are scared of her success

The self-help guru’s viral debate performance last night has her fans sitting up at their computers. As one chat moderator told NBC News, "I feel like we have to do more than just meme in armchairs. That's the part that freaks me out the most."

Trump mocks debate ratings

Trump voiced his opinion on the ratings for the first night of CNN’s Democratic debate, which were significantly lower than the ratings for the initial debates last month. 

“Very low ratings for the Democratic Debate last night — they’re desperate for Trump!” he wrote.

The Tuesday debate didn’t feature Democratic front-runner, former Vice President Joe Biden, and also happened to fall on the same date as the season finale of ABC’s “The Bachelorette.”

Four storylines to watch

+2
Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann

At last night’s debate, the pragmatists struck back, progressives Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren held their own, and Marianne Williamson talked about “dark psychic” forces.

And now we’re on to Night 2, with tonight’s lineup being these 10 Democrats: Biden, Harris, Booker, Julián Castro, Andrew Yang, de Blasio, Michael Bennet, Tulsi Gabbard, Gillibrand and Jay Inslee.

Here are the four storylines we’re watching tonight.

Snap the vote

Get ready, kids! Joe Biden is coming to Snapchat.

Biden announced through his Twitter account on Wednesday that he has joined the messaging app, which remains wildly popular with young people — many of whom are not of legal voting age.

Biden teased “a behind-the-scenes look at tonight’s #DemDebate and what’s happening on the campaign.”

Campaigns continue to explore new ways to reach young voters. Sanders has embraced Twitch, the video game streaming platform, while Gillibrand’s staff has looked to short-form video app TikTok.

Giants fan Harris caught wearing rival Dodgers cap at debate walkthrough

Today is a turning point in politics — and in baseball.

Kamala Harris represented her home state of California at the walkthrough for tonight’s debate with a Los Angeles Dodgers hat. It just so happens that today was the trade deadline for Major League Baseball, an important cutoff as teams jockey for position ahead of the playoffs. 

The Dodgers currently have the best record in baseball, but a blockbuster trade by the Houston Astros meant that Harris’ team might need to start looking over its shoulder. 

The Dodgers spent the days leading up to baseball's trade deadline searching for a top flight relief pitcher to add to their bullpen — but no trade came to fruition. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giant made a flurry of moves, both adding and subtracting pieces from its club as it hopes to advance to a Wild Card spot.

Harris is an avowed Giants fan and apparently wore the Dodgers hat because it was all that was available. Her husband, Douglas Emhoff, is a huge Dodgers fan.

CNN ratings slip compared to previous debate

CNN drew 8.7 million TV viewers for Tuesday night’s debate, a significant decline compared to the first night of June’s Democratic presidential debates. 

The first night of the June debates, which were broadcast on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo, drew about 15.3 million viewers

CNN’s broadcast still drew more interest than usual — the company said it was the second-most-viewed Democratic debate in its history. 

Biden sets sights on Trump for tonight's debate

Mike Memoli and Marianna Sotomayor

Ahead of tonight's debate, senior officials for Joe Biden's campaign gave reporters a background briefing to preview the former vice president's posture heading in to the 10-candidate event.

The big points: Biden will take the fight to President Donald Trump and not take any attacks on his record lying down.

He will make a strong case for why the president’s leadership is failing working and middle class Americans, and the U.S. on the world stage, as a contrast to the role Biden played in the Obama administration helping to save the auto industry and build close relationships that helped Detroit get back on its feet. He’ll have a lot to say on Trump based on the president's comments over the past weeks. To say they are beneath the dignity of the office doesn’t even begin to describe them, as one aide put it. 

And Biden is "not going to take personal swings," said one aide. "That’s not his way, that’s not who he is." But he is "fully prepared" to "point out where other candidates may not be on as solid ground as they think they are in attacking him." Health care specifically will be a focus for him and one in which he won’t shy from making proactive contrasts with rivals. 

Officials said health care was likely to be a focus for Biden in particular in drawing contrasts with his opponents, especially Sen. Kamala Harris. And they expect more questions to be raised about his record on civil rights and criminal justice issues. “We have 51 percent of the African American vote and they want it,” one official said. But the official added that Biden has shown to have resilient support among African Americans that will withstand any attempts by rivals to undercut it. 

Biden's aides stressed that tonight is "not a make or break moment in the narrative of the campaign" for him like it may be for other candidates. The fact that polls show the race has largely returned to where it was before the first debate shows that it is "hard to change the fundamentals of the race in a setting where each candidate is going to get maybe 10 minutes," the aides said.

Don’t pardon the interruption

Thanks to what Harris called a “food fight” in the first debate, a candidate "who consistently interrupts" others tonight will be penalized by having his or her time reduced, CNN announced earlier this month.

The new rule came after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who will take the stage tonight, nudged himself into getting more screen time during the first night of the NBC-hosted debate in Miami last month. Several candidates — most notably Gillibrand, who is also on stage tonight — tried to do the same thing on Night 2 of the first debate.

CNN hasn’t said how much time candidates will lose if they violate the rule. Read about the new rules here.

How the candidates are preparing

NBC News

Front-runner Biden is done being gracious. Booker plans to be himself. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is spoiling for a fight — and for more speaking time.  

The Democrats vying for the presidency have been prepping for their second bout by fine-tuning their messaging, sharpening their attacks and retooling their policy proposals. Here's how they're getting ready for this round.

Meet the candidates

NBC News

Want to know more about the candidates on stage tonight? Read their brief bios and NBC News’ complete coverage of them on our 2020 candidates page.

Everything you need to know about tonight’s debate

The final night of the second Democratic presidential primary debate starts at 8 p.m., with a key rematch between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who clashed over the former vice president’s past opposition to federal busing in the first debate. Also flanking Biden will be New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, another vocal critic of the former vice president. Here's what you need to know.