Primary Debates

         Ninth Debate: NBC News and MSNBC
             Wednesday, February 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, NV.

Bloomberg  | Warren  |  Sanders  |  Biden  |  Buttigieg  |  Klobuchar   Photo: NBC News

Sponsor:  NBC News and MSNBC with the Nevada Independent.

Candidates:  Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sanders, Warren.

Moderators: "NBC Nightly News" and "Dateline NBC" anchor Lester Holt, "Meet the Press" moderator and NBC News political director Chuck Todd, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent and host of "MSNBC Live" Hallie Jackson, Noticias Telemundo senior correspondent Vanessa Hauc and Jon Ralston of The Nevada Independent.

Broadcast: Live on NBC News and MSNBC. It will also stream on NBC News’ digital properties, including NBC News NOW, NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, NBC News Mobile App, and OTT apps, in addition to streaming on The Nevada Independent. It will also be available live in Spanish language on cable channel Universo and via the Noticias Telemundo mobile app, and the Noticias Telemundo Facebook. In addition, the debate will also be available in audio through SiriusXM Channel 118, and TuneIn.

Format:  1 min. 15 sec. to answer questions; 45 sec. for follow ups.  No opening statements.

Overview:  This very lively debate occurred just a couple of days before the Nevada caucuses.  Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, making his first appearance on the debate stage, was a target from the opening, facing criticism on stop and frisk from Sen. Bernie Sanders and a harsh and sustained attack by Sen. Elizabeth Warren.  Later he came under fire over non-disclosure agreements.  Warren, after sub-par performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, was pointed and forceful throughout the debate.  The New York Times reported she led in speaking time, while Bloomberg spoke the least.  Immigrant rights protesters from RAICES Action disrupted Biden's closing statement.

	Warren	Klobuchar	Sanders	Buttigieg	Biden	Bloomberg
NBC News	16:35	16:03	15:15	14:49	13:23	13:22
New York Times	16:35	15:55	15:24	14:46	13:25	13:02

This was the most watched Democratic debate ever, averaging 19.658 million television viewers.

Post-Debate  |  Video   |  Transcript

See also
Brooks Jackson, Eugene Kiely, Lori Robertson, Robert Farley, Jessica McDonald, Saranac Hale Spencer, D'Angelo Gore and Angela Fichera. "FactChecking the Las Vegas Democratic Debate."  FactCheck.org, Feb. 20, 2020.