Contenders for the 2020 Democratic nomination debated in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday ahead of the state's primary in the most confrontational debate yet.
Present on the debate stage for the first time was billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a late entry to the campaign whose advertising blitz helped contribute to his rise in the polls, despite having yet to appear on a primary ballot.
Candidates wasted no time in their efforts to discredit Bloomberg—especially Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
Warren targeted Bloomberg's political affiliations and billionaire status, but the most brutal moment came when Warren questioned Bloomberg regarding the numerous non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) signed by women who used to work for him.
Watch below.
Warren called out comments from Bloomberg's past:
"I'd like to talk about who we're running against, a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse faced lesbians. I'm not talking about Donald Trump. I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg."
And she wasn't done.
Warren said:
"That just doesn't cut it. The mayor has to stand on his record, and what we need to know is exactly what's lurking out there. He has gotten some number of women, dozens? Who knows? to sign non-disclosure agreements both for sexual harassment and for gender discrimination in the workplace. So, Mr. Mayor, are you willing to release all of those women from those non-disclosure agreements so we can hear their side of the story?"
Bloomberg stammered as he said that none of the NDAs were about his behavior except from some of his female employees who "didn't like a joke [he] told," an admission which garnered gasps from the audience.
Warren continued to stress the problem of Bloomberg's electability with questions that eviscerated him.
Soon, Bloomberg's Wikipedia page had an addition.
The page said Bloomberg died on February 19, 2019 (oops) at the hands of Senator Elizabeth Warren.
People immediately cheered.
People roundly agreed that Warren's debate performance—and her exchange with Bloomberg—stood out.
The next primary is in Nevada on Saturday.
You can buy Warren's book, This Fight Is Our Fight, here.
@kileywrestling/Bluesky
