New Hampshire debate: Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg clash, as Joe Biden seeks a come back

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Donald Trump tells New Hampshire rally they've got to vote for him

After a tumultuous week gathering results from Monday's Iowa caucus, Democrats faced off in a New Hampshire debate before ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation primary next week to help determine the Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential election. New Hampshire, neighbouring the home states of both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, will hold its primary on 11 February.

The debate saw intense clashes, with Mr Sanders and Pete Buttigieg defending their momentum out of Iowa, where the two candidates led the pack. Joe Biden was on the offensive as well, even as he recognised that a win in New Hampshire may be a long shot — and candidate Amy Klobuchar provided a strong night as she seeks a surprise moment in the race.

Following delays and reports of inconsistencies that could significantly alter the final results, Mr Buttigieg barely cracked a razor-thin lead over Vermont senator Sanders, who captured the most votes in both rounds of the caucus but captured two fewer state delegate equivalents in that contest. Massachusetts senator Warren came in a near-distant third, and former vice president Joe Biden fell to fourth place.

Following his disappointing showing, Mr Biden has shaken up his campaign, promoting Anita Dunn to lead his White House bid, while Mr Sanders criticised Mr Buttigieg's billionaire-funded campaign as well as billionaire candidate Michael Bloomberg. "He is spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the election", Mr Sanders said. "There's something wrong with that."

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Key Points

• Officials insist there won't be a replay of the Iowa caucus debacle
• Joe Biden's campaign faces a shakeup after suffering caucus night 'gut punch'
• Bernie Sanders launches fresh attacks on Pete Buttigieg ahead of crucial vote

[8 February 2020 03:04 · Clark Mindock]

Candidates are now on to climate change, and trade.

Sanders is doubling down on his decision to vote against the USMCA, which he has dismissed as not mentioning climate change.

Klobuchar notes she voted with the senators from New Hampshire, which she says made major improvements. "When it comes to climate change I think we have to have a North American trading block, we have to have Mexico, Canada and America working together."

She promises to make climate change a part off every future trade agreement (and to bring back climate rules from the Obama administration).

[8 February 2020 03:06 · Clark Mindock]

Warren defends her USMCA vote saying that farmers and workers and others were hurting because of Trump policies, and said that the deal was "somewhat better for workers and for farmers".

She has said this before, and notes that she will take small victories so that she can wake up the next day and start working for a better deal.

[8 February 2020 03:09 · Clark Mindock]

We're now taking a quick break, then coming back for final questions.

[8 February 2020 03:24 · Clark Mindock]

With the end of this debate, take a look at our write-up on the whole affair: