Bernie Sanders came under heavy fire in the Democratic debate in Charleston, as the party’s other presidential contenders tried to wound the Vermont socialist who has emerged as the clear frontrunner ahead of the South Carolina primary on Saturday.
Mr Sanders, who is far ahead in the national polls after his victories in New Hampshire and Nevada, was attacked on Tuesday night over everything from his economic and healthcare policies to his foreign policy and over claims that Russia was trying to create chaos by interfering in the US electoral process by supporting the senator.
“If you think the last four years has been chaotic, divisive, toxic, exhausting, imagine spending the better part of 2020 with Bernie Sanders versus Donald Trump,” said Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana who beat Mr Sanders in Iowa.
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York City mayor, said there was no way the self-described socialist could beat Mr Trump in November’s presidential election, asking rhetorically: “Imagine moderate Republicans going over and voting for him?”
Elizabeth Warren, the US senator from Massachusetts and other progressive in the race along with Mr Sanders, rebuked Mr Bloomberg, saying progressive policies were popular.
“Bernie is winning because progressive ideas are popular . . . But I would make a better president,” Ms Warren said. “Getting a progressive agenda enacted is going to be really hard and it’s going to take someone who digs into the details to make it happen.”
South Carolina voters probably watched in large numbers. They heard a lot of things about Sanders they didn’t know — and some won’t like what they heard Larry Sabato, University of Virginia
Mr Sanders came under such sustained attack that he quipped: “I am hearing my name mentioned a little bit tonight. I wonder why?”
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In the face of attacks about his ultra-progressive stance, and amid questions about how he would pay for his policies, the US senator from Vermont said the American people wanted a president to tackle “issues that I raised four years ago”, including raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and making public colleges and universities tuition free.
Mr Sanders has dragged the party to the left over the past four years since his failed bid against Hillary Clinton in 2016. But he has sparked concern among the party establishment who believes he is too leftwing to beat Mr Trump.
Larry Sabato, a politics expert at the University of Virginia, said the debate had not dramatically changed the race, but that it could raise some concerns about Mr Sanders and, as a result, shore up Mr Biden’s waning support in the state.
“Sanders gave as good as he got,” Mr Sabato said. “But one caution: South Carolina voters probably watched in large numbers. They heard a lot of things about Sanders they didn’t know — and some won’t like what they heard.”
The contenders also sparred over how the US should deal with China and Xi Jinping. Mr Bloomberg criticised China over its lack of press freedom and its “abominable” record on human rights. But he said the US had to work with China on issues such as climate change.
Asked about a previous remark that Mr Xi was not a dictator, Mr Bloomberg said that while the Chinese president had “an enormous amount” of power, he did not have absolute authority since he answered to the Communist party’s politburo.
That prompted a sharp critique from Mr Sanders, who earlier came under fire about comments in which he had praised aspects of the regime of Fidel Castro in Cuba.
“I was really amazed at what Mayor Bloomberg just said,” Mr Sanders interjected. “He said the Chinese government is responsive to the politburo but who the hell is the politburo responsive to?”
Joe Biden, the former US vice-president who needs a good result on Saturday to save his campaign, took a strident line on China, saying Mr Xi was a “thug” who put millions of Uighurs in concentration camps and didn’t have a “democratic . . . bone in his body”.
Ms Warren hit Mr Bloomberg by suggesting that he might have conflicts of interest in dealing with China. “Mayor Bloomberg has been doing business with China for a long time. And he is the only one on stage who has not released his taxes,” she said.
Mr Sanders also came under attack for his record on gun control. Mr Biden said he voted five times against the Brady Bill, which mandated federal background checks, to avoid being attacked by the National Rifle Association.
The senator responded by hitting Mr Biden over his vote for the Iraq war before conceding, “I have cast thousand of votes including bad votes. That was a bad vote.”
While most candidates focused on Mr Sanders, Ms Warren was relentless in keeping up her attacks on Mr Bloomberg, slamming him as she did last week in the Nevada debate about his record with women. She repeated an allegation that Mr Bloomberg once told a pregnant employee that she should have an abortion.
“I never said it, period, end of story,” Mr Bloomberg said, in one of several contentious exchanges between the two contenders.
The stakes in South Carolina are high. Mr Biden needs a win to convince voters that he has broad appeal and could beat Mr Trump.
