Democratic candidates stand in stark contrast to Trump
These are some of the words Democratic candidates tweeted the most during the Democratic debates over the past two days:
No “witch hunt.” No “fake news.” Instead, Democratic candidates shared a clear progressive vision for our country.
Share this word cloud on Facebook and Twitter of a progressive, proactive vision for America:
On the debate stage last night, candidates shared how they’d tackle these key issues:
- Jobs: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) blasted Trump’s economy and his disregard for working Americans: “In our America, no one should have to work more than one job to have a roof over their head and food on their table.”
- Income inequality: Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) called for immediate action to tackle income inequality in America: “At a time when we have three people in this country owning more wealth than the bottom half of America, while 500,000 people are sleeping on the streets today, we think it is time for change.”
- Gun violence: Drawing on his experience as a veteran, Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) argued for common-sense measures to reduce gun violence: “As somebody who trained on weapons of war, I can tell you: there are weapons that have absolutely no place in American cities or neighborhoods in peacetime.”
- Climate change: Former Vice President Joe Biden committed to renewing the U.S. commitment to the Paris climate accord and highlighted the urgent need for federal, state, and local governments to work together to combat climate change.
- Fair elections: Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) urged action to ensure fair elections and voting rights access: “We need to end political gerrymandering…We need to overturn Citizens United…We need to root out the corruption in Washington and expand peoples’ right to get to the polls.”
- Corruption: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) explained her plan to get money out of politics and tackle corruption at the highest levels of government: “If we get money out of politics, we can guarantee that health care is a right—not a privilege—we can take on income inequality, and we can take on the corporate corruption that runs Washington.”
- Trade: Buttigieg explained the serious consequences of Trump’s trade-war-by-tweet: “Manufacturers, and especially soy farmers, are hurting. Tariffs are taxes, and Americans are gonna pay on average $800 more a year because of these tariffs.”
- Immigration: Harris committed to reinstating DACA status and protections for Dreamers, and explained a slew of other progressive immigration policies she supports—including immediately releasing children from the cages in which the Trump administration is keeping them.
- Minimum wage: Buttigieg advocated for raising the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour.
- Helping working families: Harris addressed the fact that our economy works the rich and powerful, not working Americans, and laid out her plans to change that: “I am proposing that we change the tax code so for every family that is making less than $100,000 a year, they will receive a tax credit that they can collect up to $500 a month.”
Share this thread for more key moments from last night’s debate.