WATCH: Tulsi Gabbard Puts Up Fight Against 'Destructive' Kamala Harris at Dem Debate

Monica Sanchez | November 20, 2019
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Fireworks erupted between Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) Wednesday night during the fifth Democratic primary debate in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Not sure if anyone else tuned in amid the spectacle of the second round of impeachment hearings on Capitol Hill this week, but nine 2020 Democratic hopefuls took the debate stage, including former vice president Joe Biden, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), businessman Tom Steyer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and businessman Andrew Yang.

Rep. Gabbard notably didn’t receive her first question until 24 minutes into the debate. 

Understandably so, Gabbard during her remarks made a point to slam the Democratic Party as “not the party that is by, of, and for the people.”

Sen. Harris felt compelled to chime in, saying how it is “unfortunate that we have someone on this stage … who during the Obama administration spent four years full-time on Fox News criticizing President Obama, who has spent full time criticizing people on this stage as affiliated with the Democratic Party.”

“What we need on this stage, in November, is someone who has the ability to win,” said Harris, “and by that, we need someone who has the ability to go toe-to-toe with President Trump.”

Gabbard refused to back down, calling out Harris for "continuing to traffic in lies and smears and innuendos." 

“What Senator Harris is doing is unfortunately continuing to traffic in lies and smears and innuendos because she cannot challenge the substance of the argument that I’m making," said Gabbard, "the leadership and the change that I’m seeking to bring in our foreign policy, which only makes me guess that she will continue to enforce … the status quo.”

She went on to call Harris’s remarks and positions “deeply destructive." Gabbard added that she "will not put party interests first." Watch their exchange below. 

 

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