Trump has weighed in on tonight’s debate, criticizing the event as “VERY boring” and accusing Joe Biden of lying about the president’s record on entitlement programs. Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump I must say, that was a VERY boring debate. Biden lied when he said I want to cut Social Security and Medicare. That’s what they ALL said 4 years ago, and nothing happened, in fact, I saved Social Security and Medicare. I will not be cutting, but they will. Be careful! 24.5K 4:51 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 10K people are talking about this It’s worth noting that, despite Trump’s repeated pledges to protect Medicare and Social Security, his administration’s annual budget called for cuts to Medicare and Social Security disability programs. Facebook Twitter Advertisement 8m ago 02:59 Unlike many news organisations, our reporting is free and available for everyone. We need your support to keep delivering unbiased, factual journalism that’s open and independent. The events of 2020 so far have demonstrated the need for clear, reliable information that explains the news in steady, measured tones. We check facts, meticulously source information, and keep the people most impacted by the news at the heart of our reporting. Support us with as little as $1. It only takes a minute. Make a contribution - The Guardian 18m ago 02:49 Bernie Sanders expressed openness to the idea of delaying the four primaries scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Sanders said he was “not sure it makes a lot of sense” to hold the primaries as scheduled, considering the coronavirus crisis. Some states, such as Louisiana and Georgia, have already said they will move their primaries because of the pandemic. Facebook Twitter 22m ago 02:45 Bernie Sanders noted in a post-debate interview that Joe Biden has started adopting some of his positions since becoming the frontrunner in the presidential primary. For example, hours before tonight’s debate, Biden’s team announced he would propose making public universities tuition-free for families making less than $125,000. “Suddenly today, Joe Biden is a free spending socialist, my god. Hey, we’re going to pay for everything,” Sanders joked to CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Facebook Twitter 25m ago 02:42 Max Benwell Max Benwell Here’s how some pundits and experts have been responding to tonight’s debate online: Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) I hated pretty much every single minute of that debate. We don"t need yelling tough guys in a moment of pervasive anxiety. We need a leader who exudes competence, collaboration, and trustworthiness -- you know, leadership. March 16, 2020 Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) This was two hours of candidates mostly bickering back and forth about the past three decades when we"re living through a pandemic which was exacerbated by our current (Republican) president. The fact that this wasn"t a full hour of tonight"s #DemDebate is beyond me. March 16, 2020 Josh Barro (@jbarro) Those "cognitive decline" talking points not looking so hot tonight. March 16, 2020 Michelle Goldberg (@michelleinbklyn) Bernie making a valiant case for treating American as adults when talking about foreign countries March 16, 2020 Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) This is the fault of both candidates, but having a debate about 90"s senate votes feels VERY discordant with the moment we are in right now March 16, 2020 Dave Wasserman ✔ @Redistrict Biden getting stronger late in the debate. Sanders’s argument that only he can bring about unprecedented voter turnout needed to beat Trump doesn’t really resonate when he isn’t generating it now. 1,299 3:53 AM - Mar 16, 2020 · Alexandria, VA Twitter Ads info and privacy 333 people are talking about this Facebook Twitter Advertisement 30m ago 02:37 Bernie Sanders reiterated his thinking on the coronavirus crisis in a post-debate interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Sanders said the country needs to help those who are suffering financially because of the crisis, but he added this can be “a time for reflection.” “What happens after this crisis is over? And it will be over,” Sanders said. “What kind of nation do we want to be?” Facebook Twitter Advertisement 46m ago 02:21 In addition to the debate, there are more updates on how the US is reacting to the coronavirus crisis. New York mayor Bill de Blasio has announced he will sign an executive order “limiting restaurants, bars and cafes to food take-out and delivery. Nightclubs, movie theatres, small theatre houses, and concert venues must all close.” The order will go into effect on Tuesday. For all of the latest updates on coronavirus, follow the Guardian’s live blog: Coronavirus live updates: global infections outstrip China cases as US ramps up response Read more Facebook Twitter 54m ago 02:13 Trump"s campaign criticizes debate and praises his coronavirus response The president’s reelection campaign has released a statement criticizing Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders while praising Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis. “Unable to articulate a coronavirus plan, both Bernie and Biden offered little more than plagiarizing President Trump’s response, which will now be the model for all future pandemics,” said Kayleigh McEnany, the press secretary of Trump’s campaign. Both Biden and Sanders criticized Trump’s response to the crisis, accusing the president of dangerously downplaying the health threat and undermining health experts. Earlier this evening, Trump spoke at a White House press conference and claimed the government has “tremendous control” on the situation, a statement that was contradicted moments later by Dr Anthony Fauci, who said the worst was yet to come in the US. Facebook Twitter 1h ago 02:06 Some of Joe Biden’s critics accused him of misrepresenting his record after distancing himself from his past stances and claiming he opposes fracking, which is not reflected in his campaign platform. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of Bernie Sanders’ top surrogates, criticized Biden in a tweet: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) Don’t say you support a fracking ban when you don’t. Don’t say you didn’t write the bankruptcy bill when you were one of it’s biggest champions. Don’t say you supported ending Hyde a long time ago when you were just pressured into it last year. This is basic. The truth matters. March 16, 2020 Facebook Twitter 1h ago 02:02 Debate closes on a final coronavirus question The final question of the debate returned to coronavirus, with both candidates being asked for their closing message on the crisis. The two candidates’ answers served as a decent synopsis of tonight’s debate. Bernie Sanders said the crisis required the country to consider how we reached this point and “where the power is in America.” He called on leaders to “rethink America and create a country where we care for each other.” Joe Biden, on the other hand, described the crisis as an “all hands on deck” situation that required the country to take extraordinary measures. However, he did not call for a broad reevaluation of the systems making up American society, as Sanders did. With that, the 11th Democratic debate came to a close. Facebook Twitter Advertisement 1h ago 01:57 Just before the debate went to a commercial break, Bernie Sanders said he had concerns that Joe Biden could inspire the excitement needed to win a general election. Biden responded by pointing out he has won some of the states that have seen the highest spike in voter turnout. For example, in Virginia, where the number of Democratic primary voters nearly doubled from 2016, Biden won by 30 points. Facebook Twitter 1h ago 01:52 CNN’s Dana Bash asked Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders about vulnerabilities in their bases of support. Biden was asked about him losing Latinx voters to Sanders in a number of states, while Sanders was asked about his struggles to appeal to African-American voters. Both Biden and Sanders dodged the question, pointing to other voting groups they are popular with to justify their weaknesses elsewhere. Facebook Twitter 1h ago 01:43 Bernie Sanders was asked about his past flattering comments about the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The comments are newly relevant considering Florida, which has a large Cuban-American community, will hold its primary on Tuesday. “I have opposed authoritarianism — whether it’s in it’s in Cuba, whether it’s in Saudi Arabia, whether it’s in China or whether it is in Russia,” Sanders said. “That is my life record.” However, Sanders said the achievements of countries like China, such as decreasing poverty, should be recognized alongside their autocratic ways. Facebook Twitter 1h ago 01:41 Max Benwell Max Benwell Joe Biden’s promise that he would appoint a female vice president has generally been well-received. However, some have highlighted the Democrats who may be disappointed by his announcement, including two former 2020 candidates: Leonardo Carella @leonardocarella We now go live to Pete Buttigieg #DemDebate View image on Twitter 18 3:11 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy See Leonardo Carella"s other Tweets Jonathan Tasini 🌹 ✔ @jonathantasini After Biden promises to pick woman as VP, TV gets turned off at the homes of Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker and Beto O"Rourke #DemocraticDebate 17 3:14 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy See Jonathan Tasini 🌹"s other Tweets David Mack ✔ @davidmackau when biden commits to naming a woman as vp View image on Twitter 735 3:12 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 70 people are talking about this It’s also sparked speculation about who the woman could be, as well as eye-rolling at the diversity on display at tonight’s all male debate: Daniel ✔ @DanielStrauss4 *every reporter scrambles to reach out to Kamala Harris/Stacey Abrams advisers* 28 3:19 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy See Daniel"s other Tweets Lainna Fader 🦋 ✔ @lainnafader I can’t get excited about Biden committing to having a woman as a VP when there is a woman who should be on the stage tonight instead of him, who would have made a much better president than he could possibly be 11 3:15 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy See Lainna Fader 🦋"s other Tweets Updated at 1.46am GMT Facebook Twitter Advertisement 1h ago 01:38 While the debate takes another commercial break, it’s worth noting Republican senator Lindsey Graham has said he tested negative for coronavirus. Lindsey Graham ✔ @LindseyGrahamSC · 1h I was just informed by Dr. Moynihan, the head of the House Physicians Office, that my coronavirus test was NEGATIVE. I’m very grateful and like everyone else will follow the best practices to stay negative. Lindsey Graham ✔ @LindseyGrahamSC I look forward to getting back to work with my Senate colleagues and President Trump to contain this virus and stabilize our economy. Thank you very much for all the prayers and well wishes! 3,600 3:21 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 771 people are talking about this Graham announced he would quarantine himself after having a meeting last week with Australia’s minister of home affairs, Peter Dutton, who subsequently tested positive for coronavirus. Facebook Twitter Advertisement 2h ago 01:32 The conversation has turned to climate change, and Bernie Sanders argued the “existential crisis” requires the same level of response as the coronavirus pandemic. Sanders argued Joe Biden’s proposals do not go far enough to combat climate change. “I know your heart is in the right place, but this requires dramatic, bold action” Sanders told Biden. Pushing back against Sanders, Biden interestingly agreed to “no new fracking,” which goes much farther than his previous statements and could come back to haunt him during the general election. Facebook Twitter 2h ago 01:24 Joe Biden said he would freeze deportations if he became president and would eventually only deport felons. The answer came in response to a question about the Obama administration’s immigration policy, which Biden has been criticized for. Later asked whether undocumented immigrants arrested by local police should be turned over to immigration officials, Biden said no. Facebook Twitter 2h ago 01:21 Max Benwell Max Benwell While viewers seem to be enjoying the lack of audience tonight, many are missing one aspect that has been present in all the debates up until now: Elizabeth Warren. Anne Helen Petersen ✔ @annehelen People who would be useful on this stage tonight: - Elizabeth Warren - Andrew Yang - Another Elizabeth Warren saying the same things that First Elizabeth Warren said just for emphasis 7,323 2:31 AM - Mar 16, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 959 people are talking about this Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) would be nice if Elizabeth Warren were on this stage March 16, 2020 Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) if "I miss Elizabeth Warren" tweets were delegates, she"d really be going somewhere March 16, 2020 Some have also wished Warren was on stage so she could repeat her blistering performance in Las Vegas last month, where she very quickly dismantled Michael Bloomberg’s campaign. an abundance of caution (@maxberger) I wish that Elizabeth Warren was on stage so she could do to Joe Biden what she did to Michael Bloomberg. March 16, 2020 Facebook Twitter 2h ago 01:15 Bernie Sanders declined to explicitly commit to choosing a woman as his running mate after Joe Biden said he would. “In all likelihood, I will,” Sanders said when asked about whether he would choose a woman as his running mater. “My very strong tendency is to move in that direction.” Sanders said it was important to him to choose a progressive running mate, but he acknowledged there are progressive women to choose from.