The Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden and his nearest rivals Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders had a heated discussion over healthcare during the party's third debate.
The 10 highest-polling Democrats were eligible to take part in the discussion in Houston, Texas. It was the first time that the three frontrunners appeared together.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, Warren countered that a bigger plan is required, explaining she wants top earners to pay more in taxes to fund a government-run health plan for everyone in the country. Sanders has a similar approach. As the debate heated up, Biden said: “This is about candour, honesty, big ideas.”
A memorable moment on the night came when former congressman Beto O'Rourke referred to the recent mass shooting in his home town of El Paso. The candidate repeated his call for a ban on assault weapons, stating: “Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.” There was rapturous applause.
CNN says Biden “looked strong and presidential” and had, overall, “a good night”. It picks out Elizabeth Warren as one of the night’s losers, saying she “wasn't super involved” and that “for a chunk” of the debate she “sort of disappeared”. However, the New York Times says Warren emerged “unscathed” from the showdown.
The Guardian says that the other member of the top three, Bernie Sanders, “successfully inserted himself into many of the night’s most policy-driven discussions on healthcare and foreign policy”.
According to USA Today, the American voters were the winners, because in a “sprawling field of 20” Democrat hopefuls, viewers of Thurday night's debate only had to focus on the 10 highest-polling candidates.
A controversial aspect of the debate came with Julian Castro’s repeated questioning of Joe Biden’s memory. While discussing healthcare policies, Castro said to Biden: “Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago? Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?”
The Guardian says the remark “elicited gasps from the audience” and was widely interpreted as an attack on Biden’s age. The Independent points out that Biden did not help himself when he accidentally referred to Sanders as “the president”.
Several commentators say that a clear winner at the debate was not anyone seeking to enter the White House, but someone who has already resided there. Kamala Harris and Castro applauded the work done by Barack Obama. The former president had been criticised by some candidates in the July debate, but here there was plentiful praise, including when Joe Biden fully embraced Obama's eight years in high office.
-
Rothermere’s Telegraph takeover: ‘a right-leaning media powerhouse’Talking Point Deal gives Daily Mail and General Trust more than 50% of circulation in the UK newspaper market
-
The US-Saudi relationship: too big to fail?Talking Point With the Saudis investing $1 trillion into the US, and Trump granting them ‘major non-Nato ally’ status, for now the two countries need each other
-
Crossword: November 30, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
Memo signals Trump review of 233k refugeesSpeed Read The memo also ordered all green card applications for the refugees to be halted
-
US government shutdown: why the Democrats ‘caved’In the Spotlight The recent stalemate in Congress could soon be ‘overshadowed by more enduring public perceptions’
-
A crowded field of Democrats is filling up the California governor’s raceIn the Spotlight Over a dozen Democrats have declared their candidacy
-
Will Chuck Schumer keep his job?Today's Big Question Democrats are discontented and pointing a finger at the Senate leader
-
Democrats split as Senate votes to end shutdownSpeed Read The proposed deal does not extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, the Democrats’ main demand
-
Democrats seek 2026 inspiration from special election routsIN THE SPOTLIGHT High-profile wins are helping a party demoralized by Trump’s reelection regain momentum
-
Democrats: Falling for flawed outsidersfeature Graham Platner’s Senate bid in Maine was interrupted by the resurfacing of his old, controversial social media posts
-
Democrats sweep top races in off-year electionSpeed Read A trio of nationally watched races went to the party
