Democratic debate: Candidates clash over Israel, coronavirus and cannabis in chaotic showdown
It was a night of disorganised chaos as candidates once again took off the gloves. See below for live updates as they came in.
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Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg took attacks from all sides during the latest Democratic presidential debates in South Carolina, as the leading Democratic candidate and billionaire presidential hopeful alike became the subject of intense criticism from their rival opponents.
In a debate that featured candidates repeatedly shouting over one another and ignoring their time limits, Mr Sanders' opponents united in attacking the independent senator and self-avowed democratic socialist as a risky choice to lead Democrats against Donald Trump in November.
Mr Bloomberg hit out at Mr Sanders as well, saying it would be "a catastrophe" if he won the nomination while adding: "Bernie will lose to Donald Trump, and Donald Trump and the House and the Senate and some of the statehouses will all go red."
Pete Buttigieg, the moderate former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, criticised Mr Sanders for the shifting estimates on the costs of his proposals such as government-run healthcare and questioned how he could get his agenda passed.
"I can tell you exactly how it all adds up. It adds up to four more years of Donald Trump", Mr Buttigieg said, adding that a Sanders race against Mr Trump would be devastating to the country.
Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures
Show all 18"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", Mr Buttigieg said.
Mr Sanders defended his ability to pay for costly programs such as Medicare for All, which would replace private health insurance with a government-run program, and said he was raising issues supported by the American people.
"My favorability nationally, I believe, is the highest up here," Mr Sanders said in a reference to opinion polls, adding he beat Mr Trump in most national surveys. "If you want to beat Trump, what you're going to need is an unprecedented grassroots movement of black and white and Latino, Native American and Asian, people who are standing up and fighting for justice. That's what our movement is about."
Mr Sanders has taken command of the race after strong showings in the first three nominating contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, and the debate was the last chance for his opponents to try to stop his momentum before Saturday's South Carolina primary and next week's 14 vital Super Tuesday contests.
Even Elizabeth Warren, a senator from Massachusetts and progressive ally of Mr Sanders who is trying to revive a struggling campaign, took a swing at her old friend.
"I think I would make a better president than Bernie. And the reason for that is that getting a progressive agenda enacted is going to be really hard," she said. "I dug in, I did the work, and then Bernie's team trashed me."
Senator Amy Klobuchar said neither Sanders nor Warren had shown the leadership in the Senate to accomplish much.
Elizabeth Warren once again delivered a searing rebuke of Mr Bloomberg, calling on him to release women accusing him of sexual harassment and discrimination from nondisclosure agreements. She also suggested Mr Bloomberg told one of his former female employees to have an abortion when she announced she was pregnant.
Additional reporting by Reuters. See live updates as they came in below.
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Fingers crossed we see another explosive night like the last Democratic presidential debates, when Elizabeth Warren slammed Mike Bloomberg and called on him to release women who have accused the billionaire presidential hopeful of sexual harassment from their non-disclosure agreements:
The gloves are already off, as Mike Bloomberg claims Russia is aiding Bernie Sanders' campaign in an effort to help get Donald Trump re-elected in 2020.
Pete Buttigieg says the Russians “want chaos, and chaos is coming our way” if Bernie Sanders secures the Democratic nomination.
So far, every single Democratic candidate who has spoken has criticized Bernie Sanders, as new polls show the Vermont senator gaining a formidable lead over his opponents.
Joe Biden says "being a progressive is about getting things done," seemingly echoing Hillary Clinton's 2016 catchphrase: "I'm a progressive that gets things done."
Elizabeth Warren goes all in - again - against Mike Bloomberg, saying "the core of the Democratic Party will never trust him".
She then calls out the former New York City mayor's track record funding Republican campaigns, including one of her own opponents in Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Warren accused Mike Bloomberg of telling one of his female employees to get an abortion after she announced her pregnancy, while calling on the billionaire presidential hopeful to release women accusing him of discrimination and sexual harassment from their nondisclosure agreements.
Story to come...
The Independent's Phil Thomas has more on those explosive claims Elizabeth Warren leveled against Mike Bloomberg:
And now, a message from Andrew Yang, who seems to be watching the debates and live-tweeting:
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