Skip to main content

How to watch the Democratic debate between Biden and Sanders if you missed it

Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden at the Democratic Debate
Win McNamee / Getty Images

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. 

Editors' Recommendations

Facebook says it has helped 2.5 million people register to vote
facebook voter registration 25 million nrp national voters day banner 1

Ahead of National Voter Registration Day tomorrow, Facebook says it is playing its part in getting people registered to vote in the 2020 presidential election.

Facebook announced it has helped 2.5 million people register to vote, and that it aims to get 4 million eligible voters registered. "It’s a promising start," the company announced Monday, "but we have more work to do."

Read more
Twitter imposes tighter account security for politicians ahead of 2020 vote
Twitter symbol photo. Credits: Twitter official.

With the presidential election fast approaching, Twitter is tightening account security for prominent, election-related Twitter accounts in the U.S.

These accounts include those belonging to members of the U.S. Congress, U.S. governors, secretaries of state, political parties, and candidates with Twitter Election Labels running for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, or governor, as well as those linked to major U.S. news outlets and political journalists. President Donald Trump's account is believed to already have extra safeguards in place to protect it from hackers.

Read more
Lyft, Uber to offer discounted rides to the polls on election day
seattle asks facebook google for election data 64338022  vote democracy referendum graphics concept

In a bid to get the vote out on Tuesday, November 3, both Lyft and Uber are offering discounted rides to polling locations on the big day.

For this year’s presidential election, Lyft is offering 50% off one ride up to $10 to any polling location (or drop box) using the code 2020VOTE. But take note -- a Lyft ride from the voting place will be charged at the full rate.

Read more