The 11th Democratic debate featured two candidates and no audience, who bumped elbows instead of shaking hands. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont went head to head on Sunday, March 15. If you missed it, you can watch the entire debate online.
The debate was supposed to take place in Arizona, but on Thursday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced that the location would be moved to Washington, D.C., so both candidates wouldn’t have to fly on a plane amid the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus. It was also the first debate without a live audience as another precaution to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as Americans are encouraged to undertake social distancing.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in order to reduce cross-country travel, all parties have decided that the best path forward is to hold Sunday’s debate at CNN’s studio in Washington, D.C., with no live audience,” DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement. “Our number one priority has and will continue to be the safety of our staff, campaigns, and all those involved in the debate.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the debate, including how to watch if you missed it live
How to watch the Washington, D.C., Democratic debate if you missed it live
You can watch the entire debate (split into six parts) on CNN’s website or in the player below.
Which candidates are qualified for the debate?
To qualify for this debate, candidates needed to have earned at least 20 percent of the pledged delegates awarded as of Sunday, which Biden and Sanders have both done. The one other candidate in the race, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, did not qualify for Sunday’s debate. She has only two delegates.
Who is moderating the debate?
Univision’s Jorge Ramos was initially one of the moderators for Sunday’s debate but stepped down from this role due to the fact he could have been exposed to the coronavirus. He is reportedly symptom-free and in good health.
The debate was moderated by Dana Bash and Jake Tapper of CNN.
When is the next Democratic debate?
A 12th Democratic debate is still set to take place, but details of when and where are yet to be determined, according to Politico.
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