CNN Town Halls & Debates: Recent Episodes
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From Town Halls to Political Debates, CNN hosts open forums that give our audience the chance to hear directly from the people shaping their world. Politicians and newsmakers alike answer the tough questions from CNN's top anchors and political experts. Subscribe to get the full, unedited audio from these special events.
As part of a special event, CNN's Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta host a global town hall with Dr. Anthony Fauci about Covid-19 vaccines.
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Less than two weeks from Election Day, Joe Biden and Donald Trump appear onstage for the final general election presidential debate of 2020. NBC's Kristen Welker moderates.
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Kamala Harris and Mike Pence face off in the first and only general election vice presidential debate of 2020, Susan Page of USA Today moderates.
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Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump face off in the first general election presidential debate of 2020, Chris Wallace of Fox News moderates.
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Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden answers questions from Pennsylvania voters during CNN’s first political drive-in town hall of the 2020 presidential election, moderated by Anderson Cooper.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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Mayors Who Matter features Mayors Muriel Bowser of Washington, Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago and London Breed of San Francisco. CNN's Laura Coates moderates the discussion addressing the death of George Floyd and the ensuing nationwide unrest, police reforms and the novel coronavirus pandemic.
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As part of a special event, CNN anchor Don Lemon underscores the many challenges that exist for black men living in the United States. The special features interviews with Stephen Jackson, former NBA player and friend of George Floyd, Rev. Bernice King, film director Spike Lee and more.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special event, CNN anchor Don Lemon and political commentator Van Jones are joined by notable guests to discuss the unique challenges black and brown communities are facing during the coronavirus crisis, putting a spotlight on their struggles and providing listeners with ways they can help.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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Former Vice President and U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden answers questions about the coronavirus during a remote town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a CNN and Facebook global town hall event, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders face off in the first one-on-one debate of the 2020 presidential primary, moderated by CNN's Dana Bash and Jake Tapper and Univision's Ilia Calderón.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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As part of a special town hall event, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper answer key questions with top health experts about the coronavirus.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren answers questions from voters in South Carolina during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar answers questions from voters in South Carolina during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Dana Bash.
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Former Vice President and U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden answers questions from voters in South Carolina during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo.
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Former Mayor and U.S. Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg answers questions from voters in South Carolina during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper.
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Businessman and U.S. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer answers questions from voters in South Carolina during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo.
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Former Mayor and U.S. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg answers questions from voters in South Carolina during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders answers questions from voters in South Carolina during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo.
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Former Vice President and U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden answers questions from voters in Nevada during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper in Las Vegas.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren answers questions from voters in Nevada during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Erin Burnett in Las Vegas.
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Former Mayor and U.S. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg answers questions from voters in Nevada during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Erin Burnett in Las Vegas.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders answers questions from voters in Nevada during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper in Las Vegas.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar answers questions from voters in Nevada during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper in Las Vegas.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Former Governor and U.S. Presidential candidate Deval Patrick answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Dana Bash at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Former Mayor and U.S. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Businessman and U.S. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Dana Bash at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Businessman and U.S. Presidential candidate Andrew Yang answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Former Vice President and U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden answers questions from voters in New Hampshire during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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In his State of the Union address before a divided Congress, President Donald Trump touted the success of the economy and criminal justice reform. Then, he talked about his vision for funding the military and education, improving equal opportunities for minorities and introduced Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as his guest.
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CNN and The Des Moines Register co-host a Democratic presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, moderated by CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Abby Phillip, as well as Des Moines Register chief politics reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper in Washington, D.C.
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Former Vice President and U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Erin Burnett at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.
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Businessman and U.S. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Brianna Keilar at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.
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CNN and The New York Times co-host a Democratic presidential debate at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett, as well as New York Times National Editor Marc Lacey.
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Businessman and U.S. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and U.S. Presidential candidate Julián Castro answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Former Democratic Representative and U.S. Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Democratic Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and U.S. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Former Vice President and U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Cory Booker answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Dana Bash at The Novo in Los Angeles.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Cory Booker answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon in New York.
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Former Democratic Representative and U.S. Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon in New York.
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Former Vice President and U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper in New York.
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Businessman and U.S. Presidential candidate Andrew Yang answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Wolf Blitzer in New York.
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Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and U.S. Presidential candidate Julián Castro answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Wolf Blitzer in New York.
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Democratic Mayor of New York, New York, and U.S. Presidential candidate Bill de Blasio answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Ana Cabrera in New York.
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Democratic Governor and U.S. Presidential candidate Steve Bullock answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Alisyn Camerota in New York.
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CNN's Chris Cuomo moderates a live town hall discussion in the wake of the deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
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CNN hosts the second of two live Democratic debates at the Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan, moderated by Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and Don Lemon.
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CNN hosts the first of two live Democratic debates at the Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan, moderated by Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and Don Lemon.
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Democratic Representative and U.S. Presidential candidate Eric Swalwell answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Jim Sciutto in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Democratic Representative and U.S. Presidential candidate Tim Ryan answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Poppy Harlow in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Democratic Representative and U.S. Presidential candidate Seth Moulton answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Victor Blackwell in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Michael Bennet answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Dana Bash in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Former Democratic Representative and U.S. Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Dana Bash at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa
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Former FBI Director James Comey answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper in Washington, D.C.
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Democratic Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and U.S. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg answers questions from students and young New Hampshire Democrats during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris answers questions from students and young New Hampshire Democrats during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Independent Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders answers questions from students and young New Hampshire Democrats during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren answers questions from students and young New Hampshire Democrats during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar answers questions from students and young New Hampshire Democrats during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Chris Cuomo at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
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Businessman and U.S. Presidential candidate Andrew Yang answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Ana Cabrera in Washington, D.C.
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Spiritual book author and U.S. Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Dana Bash in Washington, D.C.
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Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and U.S. Presidential candidate Julián Castro answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Don Lemon in Washington, D.C.
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Democratic Governor and U.S. Presidential candidate Jay Inslee answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Washington, D.C.
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Democratic Senator and U.S. Presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Erin Burnett in Washington, D.C.
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Former Democratic Representative and U.S. Presidential candidate John Delaney answers questions during a live town hall moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.
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Third and final Presidential Debate of 2016: Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton
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Second 2016 Presidential debate from Washington University
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VP Debate Pence Vs Kaine
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Clinton, Trump clash in first debate: CNN's Reality Check Team vets the claims.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump clashed Monday in their first head-to-head debate of the general election season, with Trump in particular straying from the truth, CNN's Reality Check Team found.
The team of reporters, researchers and editors across CNN listened throughout the debate and selected key statements from both candidates, rating them true; mostly true; true, but misleading; false; or it's complicated.
Clinton claimed Trump "thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese," a charge Trump immediately denied. Who's telling the truth?
On November 6, 2012, Trump tweeted, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
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House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday defended his endorsement of Donald Trump -- despite his frequent differences with the presumptive GOP nominee -- saying the only alternative is giving the presidency to Hillary Clinton.
"It is a binary choice," Ryan said at a CNN town hall hosted by Jake Tapper. "It is either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. You don't get a third option." But the challenge facing Ryan was clear when he was asked a question by Zachary Marcone, a Republican who said he couldn't support Trump because he is "openly racist." "Can you tell me, how can you morally justify your support for this kind of candidate?" Marcone asked. Ryan didn't address the premise of the question, reiterating his stance that opposing Trump amounts to supporting Clinton. He pledged to always speak his mind when he disagrees with Trump but argued that the best chance for conservatives to have their priorities signed into law is with the businessman in the White House and pointed to the ability of the next president to nominate Supreme Court justices.
As he spoke of the next president's ability to choose Supreme Court nominees and influence the high court over the long term, Ryan criticized Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The 83-year-old justice is the subject of controversy after she told CNN this week that Trump is a "faker" who is driven by his ego. "I think it is out of place in an appointed branch of government. That shows bias to me," Ryan said. "I don't think that is something she should have done."
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In an election cycle full of surprises -- and unprecedented dissatisfaction with the major party candidates -- voters got a look at a couple of fresh faces Wednesday night in a town hall event live on CNN.
Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, flanked by his running mate Bill Weld, used the opportunity to introduce himself to voters and slam the existing Washington order. "The two-party system is a two-party dinosaur, and they're about to come in contact with the comet here," Johnson told CNN's Chris Cuomo. Weld, a former Massachusetts Republican governor who once worked in President Ronald Reagan's Justice Department and wanted to serve as an ambassador in the Clinton administration, said "that duopoly down there in Washington is not getting a lot done." "It's almost like the parties exist more for the purpose of slandering each other than they do for having constructive approaches to legislation," Weld said. "We like to think we're going to be the third way." READ: What is Libertarianism? Despite their contempt for the current state of 2016 politics, the libertarians showed positive indifference to the political battles being waged on the campaign trail. When it came to Hillary Clinton attacking Donald Trump's business record or Trump calling Clinton corrupt, Johnson said he would "leave that to others." "I don't think either of us are going to engage in any sort of name-calling," Johnson said. "We're going to keep this to the issues, and the issues are plenty." The two had cordial words for Clinton and President Barack Obama, but were quick to voice their differences with Trump. "Starting with immigration, starting with free trade, going on and on and on, killing the families of Muslim terrorists. Really, it's what's coming out of his mouth that I really have issues with," said Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, of Trump. Weld, who regularly condemns Trump, cast his rhetoric as dangerous.
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In an election cycle full of surprises -- and unprecedented dissatisfaction with the major party candidates -- voters got a look at a couple of fresh faces Wednesday night in a town hall event live on CNN.
Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, flanked by his running mate Bill Weld, used the opportunity to introduce himself to voters and slam the existing Washington order. "The two-party system is a two-party dinosaur, and they're about to come in contact with the comet here," Johnson told CNN's Chris Cuomo. Weld, a former Massachusetts Republican governor who once worked in President Ronald Reagan's Justice Department and wanted to serve as an ambassador in the Clinton administration, said "that duopoly down there in Washington is not getting a lot done." "It's almost like the parties exist more for the purpose of slandering each other than they do for having constructive approaches to legislation," Weld said. "We like to think we're going to be the third way." READ: What is Libertarianism? Despite their contempt for the current state of 2016 politics, the libertarians showed positive indifference to the political battles being waged on the campaign trail. When it came to Hillary Clinton attacking Donald Trump's business record or Trump calling Clinton corrupt, Johnson said he would "leave that to others." "I don't think either of us are going to engage in any sort of name-calling," Johnson said. "We're going to keep this to the issues, and the issues are plenty." The two had cordial words for Clinton and President Barack Obama, but were quick to voice their differences with Trump. "Starting with immigration, starting with free trade, going on and on and on, killing the families of Muslim terrorists. Really, it's what's coming out of his mouth that I really have issues with," said Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, of Trump. Weld, who regularly condemns Trump, cast his rhetoric as dangerous.
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Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both came out swinging in a fiery, high-stakes debate on CNN Thursday night, as he cast doubt on her judgment and she criticized his command of policy and his record on guns. Sanders accusing Clinton of "lacking the kind of judgment we need to be the kind of president we need."
The Vermont senator said Clinton's support for the Iraq War and "disastrous trade agreements," and the fact that a pro-Clinton super PAC accepts funds from Wall Street, made him "question her judgment." Clinton shot back, calling those attacks "phony." "Sen. Sanders did call me unqualified," she said. "I've been called a lot of things in my life -- that was a first." The two candidates then clashed on the issue of Wall Street. When asked to name a single policy decision Clinton made as senator that showed she was favoring the banks, Sanders said that when the "greed and recklessness and illegal behavior of Wall Street" led to the financial crisis, he had called on the big banks to be broken up -- while Clinton was "busy giving speeches to Goldman Sachs." Clinton shot back: "He cannot come up with any example because there is no example ... It's always important -- it may be inconvenient -- but it's always important to get the facts straight." When she also said that she had called out the big banks for the actions, Sanders took a mocking tone. "Oh my goodness, they must have been really crushed by this," he said, asking whether her statements came before or after "receiving huge sums" from the banks in speaking fees. Clinton was pressed by CNN co-moderator Dana Bash on why she would not release the transcripts from the speeches she made to Goldman Sachs and put the issue to rest. Clinton answered: "There isn't an issue. When I was in public service serving as the senator from New York, I did stand up to the banks." Clinton -- as she has in the past -- asked that there be the "same standard for everybody," saying she would be happy to release the transcripts if other presidential candidates, including Donald Trump, did the same. She then turned the tables on Sanders and his tax returns, saying: "Set the same standard on tax returns. Everybody does it -- and then we move forward." Sanders, who has come under pressure to release his tax returns, vowed on the CNN debate stage to release his previous year's return on Friday. Returns from earlier years, he said, would also be released "very shortly." The two also displayed intense friction over gun control. Throughout the election, Clinton has criticized Sanders' record in Congress on gun control -- an attack she once again made forcefully on Thursday night. Clinton accused Sanders of having made a "commitment to the NRA" to oppose a waiting period for background checks on gun purchases -- and slammed the senator for voting against the so-called "Brady bill" five times. While speaking of the crime bill Clinton's husband Bill ushered in as president, Sanders called a term she had used in the 1990s -- superpredator -- "a racist term." She has since said it was a word she shouldn't have used. The debate in Brooklyn comes just five days before the crucial New York primary contest here. However, Clinton began with an oblique attack on the GOP, defending the "New York values" that Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, has used as a pejorative. Speaking of her days representing the state in the U.S. Senate, she said, "We worked hard to really keep New York values at the center of what we are and what we do together." RELATED: #Dem Debate comes to media's home turf The heated debate also quickly exposed tensions between Clinton and Sanders on the issue of income inequality -- specifically, raising the minimum wage. Asked whether she would sign a bill raising the federal minimum wage to $15, Clinton responded: "Of course I would." That response drew this skeptical reaction from Sanders: "I am sure a lot of people are very surprised to learn that you support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That's just not accurate." In one of the most animated exchanges of the evening, the two candidates began to talk over one another, eventually prompting moderator Wolf Blitzer to intervene. "If you're both screaming at each other, the viewers won't be able to hear either of you," Blitzer said. The crowd, for its part, was much rowdier than at previous Democratic debates, cheering and hissing throughout the event. Sanders insisted that while he has long been fighting to raise the national minimum wage to $15, Clinton had only advocated to raise it to $12. "$12 is not good enough, we need $15 an hour," Sanders said. Until recently, the Democratic race had remained relatively tame, largely devoid of the personal attacks and heated rhetoric that have characterized the GOP contest. But as the race has dragged on into April, there has been a shift. In recent days, Sanders has questioned Clinton's judgment and credibility, pointing to her relationship with Wall Street and vote for the Iraq War. Clinton, meanwhile, has had harsh words for Sanders, sharply questioning whether he is capable of executing the promises embedded in his lofty rhetoric. And Clinton and her aides had been signaling for days that they planned to hit Sanders for his views on gun control, particularly his belief that victims of gun violence should not be able to sue gun and ammunition manufacturers. The likelihood that this issue would become a flashpoint on Thursday skyrocketed earlier in the day when a judge in Connecticut ruled that the suit between the families of Sandy Hook victims and the manufacturer of the gun used in the 2012 shooting there could go forward. The viability of the lawsuit was in doubt because of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a law Sanders supported that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Clinton hit Sanders for the law at a roundtable on gun violence on Monday and is likely to do so again Thursday night. Sanders is also poised to have to address the latest controversy that has engulfed his campaign: On Wednesday, surrogate Paul Song said at a campaign rally that the Democratic party must stop electing "corporate Democratic whores." Sanders quickly disavowed those comments, calling them "inappropriate and insensitive." The debate is taking place at Brooklyn Navy Yard, located across the East River from Manhattan, making it a home-turf battle for both candidates. Clinton served as a New York senator for eight years and Brooklyn is the location of her campaign headquarters, while Sanders was born and raised in the borough. RELATED: NYC First Lady 'Bernie is getting desperate' Polls show Clinton is likely to defeat Sanders in New York, and even as she enjoys a sizable delegate lead, it is critical for Clinton that she win this state. The Democratic race so far has proven Sanders to be an unexpectedly durable candidate whose popularity among liberals and younger voters has helped to expose the vulnerabilities in Clinton's candidacy. The New York race comes after a string of victories for Sanders in states including Wyoming, Wisconsin, Idaho and Utah. If Sanders were to eke out a win in New York, it would deal a serious blow to Clinton and strengthen the narrative that it is taking Clinton much longer than initially expected to clinch her party's nomination.
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Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both came out swinging in a fiery, high-stakes debate on CNN Thursday night, as he cast doubt on her judgment and she criticized his command of policy and his record on guns. Sanders accusing Clinton of "lacking the kind of judgment we need to be the kind of president we need."
The Vermont senator said Clinton's support for the Iraq War and "disastrous trade agreements," and the fact that a pro-Clinton super PAC accepts funds from Wall Street, made him "question her judgment." Clinton shot back, calling those attacks "phony." "Sen. Sanders did call me unqualified," she said. "I've been called a lot of things in my life -- that was a first." The two candidates then clashed on the issue of Wall Street. When asked to name a single policy decision Clinton made as senator that showed she was favoring the banks, Sanders said that when the "greed and recklessness and illegal behavior of Wall Street" led to the financial crisis, he had called on the big banks to be broken up -- while Clinton was "busy giving speeches to Goldman Sachs." Clinton shot back: "He cannot come up with any example because there is no example ... It's always important -- it may be inconvenient -- but it's always important to get the facts straight." When she also said that she had called out the big banks for the actions, Sanders took a mocking tone. "Oh my goodness, they must have been really crushed by this," he said, asking whether her statements came before or after "receiving huge sums" from the banks in speaking fees. Clinton was pressed by CNN co-moderator Dana Bash on why she would not release the transcripts from the speeches she made to Goldman Sachs and put the issue to rest. Clinton answered: "There isn't an issue. When I was in public service serving as the senator from New York, I did stand up to the banks." Clinton -- as she has in the past -- asked that there be the "same standard for everybody," saying she would be happy to release the transcripts if other presidential candidates, including Donald Trump, did the same. She then turned the tables on Sanders and his tax returns, saying: "Set the same standard on tax returns. Everybody does it -- and then we move forward." Sanders, who has come under pressure to release his tax returns, vowed on the CNN debate stage to release his previous year's return on Friday. Returns from earlier years, he said, would also be released "very shortly." The two also displayed intense friction over gun control. Throughout the election, Clinton has criticized Sanders' record in Congress on gun control -- an attack she once again made forcefully on Thursday night. Clinton accused Sanders of having made a "commitment to the NRA" to oppose a waiting period for background checks on gun purchases -- and slammed the senator for voting against the so-called "Brady bill" five times. While speaking of the crime bill Clinton's husband Bill ushered in as president, Sanders called a term she had used in the 1990s -- superpredator -- "a racist term." She has since said it was a word she shouldn't have used. The debate in Brooklyn comes just five days before the crucial New York primary contest here. However, Clinton began with an oblique attack on the GOP, defending the "New York values" that Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, has used as a pejorative. Speaking of her days representing the state in the U.S. Senate, she said, "We worked hard to really keep New York values at the center of what we are and what we do together." RELATED: #Dem Debate comes to media's home turf The heated debate also quickly exposed tensions between Clinton and Sanders on the issue of income inequality -- specifically, raising the minimum wage. Asked whether she would sign a bill raising the federal minimum wage to $15, Clinton responded: "Of course I would." That response drew this skeptical reaction from Sanders: "I am sure a lot of people are very surprised to learn that you support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That's just not accurate." In one of the most animated exchanges of the evening, the two candidates began to talk over one another, eventually prompting moderator Wolf Blitzer to intervene. "If you're both screaming at each other, the viewers won't be able to hear either of you," Blitzer said. The crowd, for its part, was much rowdier than at previous Democratic debates, cheering and hissing throughout the event. Sanders insisted that while he has long been fighting to raise the national minimum wage to $15, Clinton had only advocated to raise it to $12. "$12 is not good enough, we need $15 an hour," Sanders said. Until recently, the Democratic race had remained relatively tame, largely devoid of the personal attacks and heated rhetoric that have characterized the GOP contest. But as the race has dragged on into April, there has been a shift. In recent days, Sanders has questioned Clinton's judgment and credibility, pointing to her relationship with Wall Street and vote for the Iraq War. Clinton, meanwhile, has had harsh words for Sanders, sharply questioning whether he is capable of executing the promises embedded in his lofty rhetoric. And Clinton and her aides had been signaling for days that they planned to hit Sanders for his views on gun control, particularly his belief that victims of gun violence should not be able to sue gun and ammunition manufacturers. The likelihood that this issue would become a flashpoint on Thursday skyrocketed earlier in the day when a judge in Connecticut ruled that the suit between the families of Sandy Hook victims and the manufacturer of the gun used in the 2012 shooting there could go forward. The viability of the lawsuit was in doubt because of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a law Sanders supported that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Clinton hit Sanders for the law at a roundtable on gun violence on Monday and is likely to do so again Thursday night. Sanders is also poised to have to address the latest controversy that has engulfed his campaign: On Wednesday, surrogate Paul Song said at a campaign rally that the Democratic party must stop electing "corporate Democratic whores." Sanders quickly disavowed those comments, calling them "inappropriate and insensitive." The debate is taking place at Brooklyn Navy Yard, located across the East River from Manhattan, making it a home-turf battle for both candidates. Clinton served as a New York senator for eight years and Brooklyn is the location of her campaign headquarters, while Sanders was born and raised in the borough. RELATED: NYC First Lady 'Bernie is getting desperate' Polls show Clinton is likely to defeat Sanders in New York, and even as she enjoys a sizable delegate lead, it is critical for Clinton that she win this state. The Democratic race so far has proven Sanders to be an unexpectedly durable candidate whose popularity among liberals and younger voters has helped to expose the vulnerabilities in Clinton's candidacy. The New York race comes after a string of victories for Sanders in states including Wyoming, Wisconsin, Idaho and Utah. If Sanders were to eke out a win in New York, it would deal a serious blow to Clinton and strengthen the narrative that it is taking Clinton much longer than initially expected to clinch her party's nomination.
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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday accused Donald Trump supporters of "acting like union boss thugs" in pursuit of the Republican Party nomination, saying during CNN's town hall that they are intimidating potential Republican National Convention delegates.
"Donald and his team, it's almost like they're subjects in a course in clinical psychology. The conduct they do, literally, they accuse others of doing," Cruz told moderator Anderson Cooper during the event, which took place in New York ahead of Tuesday's primary.
Cruz also predicted Trump would have trouble getting the support of Republicans at a contested convention. "In Cleveland, I believe if it's a contested convention ... we're going to be in the much stronger position to earn the majority of delegates and earn the nomination of the party," Cruz said.
"In Wisconsin, the day before the election, Trump predicted a big victory," Cruz said. "What we saw was the party unify and come together, that's what its going to take to win the nomination."
Responding to accusations by Trump that the rules of the Republican nomination process are "stacked against" him and the national party is rooting for him to lose in a CNN town hall Wednesday night.
"Anyone who knows anything about Washington knows the establishment is not rooting for me," Cruz said. "The rules are simple, the way you get elected is you win a majority of the delegates in the elections. I think the way you win is you make the case to the voters and you win their votes."
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Donald Trump said Tuesday night that the political system is "stacked against me," and accused the Republican Party of conspiring to stop him from clinching the party's nomination.
At a special CNN town hall in New York City ahead of next Tuesday's crucial New York primary, Trump said: "I know the rules very well, but I know it's stacked against me by the establishment." The GOP presidential front-runner blasted "unfair" results in Colorado -- where he was swept by Ted Cruz at a party convention this weekend -- and Louisiana, where he won the primary but Cruz is seeking to sway delegates. Those developments, he said, were the result of establishment Republicans working against his campaign. "They changed the rules a number of months ago," Trump told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "You know why they changed the rules? Because they saw how I was doing and they didn't like it." Trump, saying the Republican Party is "100%" controlled by the Republican National Committee, said he believes the RNC is rooting against him.
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Kasich on nomination race: 'It's a bizarre process'.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich called the Republican presidential primary delegate process "bizarre" on Monday and said the Republican National Convention should adopt rules that would open up the nomination to more candidates.
The comments came during CNN's town hall moderated by Anderson Cooper, featuring Kasich's wife, Karen, and two daughters, Emma and Reese.
Asked about rival Ted Cruz's comments that the RNC should preserve a rule requiring that candidates get a majority of delegates in at least eight states -- Kasich called for an "open" convention, not a "closed" one. "We're reaching out, Anderson, all over. It's a bizarre process," he said.
Kasich said he was confident he would prevail in a contested convention in July because he's the only candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee.
"I don't know how many rounds it's going to take, but if I'm the only one who can win in the fall, why would you pick somebody else?' Kasich said.
Convention chaos He predicted, based on his own experience as a delegate for Ronald Reagan at a contested convention in 1976, that once delegates are seated, they'll come around to him.
"It will become a very serious, heavy matter when we get into that convention, and it's all about the delegates," said the Ohio governor, who trails both his rivals, Donald Trump and Cruz, in the delegate race.
And he drove home that he has the foreign policy experience and sensibility to beat Clinton. "Wouldn't you rather pick someone who can defeat Hillary rather than someone who loses to her all the time?" he said.
Kasich brushed off the notion that the Republican National Convention rules committee might block him from contention for the nomination in July -- despite Cruz and Trump saying they will support a rule that requires a majority of delegates in eight states to be eligible.
"He spent $1 million making stuff up about me in Wisconsin, of course he would say that," Kasich said of Cruz. He predicted that the committee will want an "open" not "closed" convention.
"I think the rules will be open, and even if they're not, I'm still going in there with significant delegates, but I don't think that's going to happen," Kasich said.
'Two paths' Kasich previewed a "hard-hitting" speech he plans to deliver Tuesday calling out his rivals, Cruz and Kasich, for stoking people's fears.
The speech will be called "two paths," he said.
"The first path is feeding on people's fears and driving us into a ditch," Kasich said. "It just creates more anger, it's exploiting people's anxiety."
He derided Trump and Cruz, without naming them, for calling people "losers," saying things are "terrible," offering "whimsical solutions" and calling for "banning" people who are different.
He previewed his alternative, which is to bring people together, he said.
"The other way is to tell people yeah we have problems but they can be fixed," Kasich said. "I think it's pretty hard-hitting and I think people will pay attention."
Family on bid Kasich's family said they fully support his run for president. "I think he can fix the United States and make it better," said Reese Kasich, one of his twin daughters. His wife, Karen, also said she has supported his political career since he ran for governor of Ohio, believing he was the best leader for the state.
Through it all, Kasich insisted his family life is "normal" -- including living in their own home instead of a governor's mansion.
"Their friends come around and they're like, 'Hi Mr. Kasich,' " Kasich said. "Our life is like, normal ... You know over the weekend Sunday, I watched golf, I didn't shave, I went to the gym, I shopped at Kroger's, just normal stuff."
Kasich's daughters said they don't see much of the negativity on the campaign trail, and even if they did, it wouldn't bother them.
"I know my Dad better than anyone who's saying stuff on social media does," Reese said. But the girls don't have their father's bug for politics.
"No," Emma said when asked if she would have any interest in following her dad's footsteps. "I want to make some money first," Reese said.
Not funny, not a dancer Kasich's twin 16-year-old daughters also weighed in on his quirkier habits in response to a voter question. "He just tries to tell jokes that he thinks are funny, but they're mostly just funny to us because they're dumb," Emma said.
Reese chimed in: "And he also thinks he's a really good dancer." Kasich teased back with her, asking her to admit: "I've gotten better?" "Yeah, but you're not going to go on 'Dancing with the Stars,' " Reese shot back at her father.
On faith Asked a question about his faith, Kasich said, "I'm a fan of the Pope, I like the Pope." He said he appreciates the way the Pope Francis talks about religion.
"The Pope has spent more talking about the 'do's' in religion than the 'don'ts,' " Kasich said. "I believe religion is about what you should do, not what you shouldn't do. It's humility, it's about loving somebody who doesn't love you ... living a life that's bigger than yourself."
He also said he's not as concerned about denominations and divisions.
"I don't find much difference between any of these faiths, they're all about mostly the same thing," Kasich said.
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“Maybe I won’t answer it either," John Kasich joked of the question to all three candidates tonight about whether they stand behind everyone's previous pledges to support the eventual GOP nominee.
He said he has "respect for people that are in the arena" but added that he's been "disturbed" by some of what he's seen on the campaign trail.
“I don’t want to be political here: I’ve got to see what happens," he said, leaving unstated his feelings on Donald Trump.A voter asked John Kasich why he expanded Medicaid in his state under the Obamacare law and why he went along with the Washington solution. A visibily annoyed Kasich vigorously defended his decision, saying it helps get drug addicts off the streets among other benefits.
“It’s not so simple what Gov. Walker did here,” Kasich said.
He touted his Milwaukee Journal Sentinel endorsement today and said when he was in Congress as well as in Ohio, he helped pass a balanced budget.
“We don’t put our budget together with scotch tape and baling wire," Kasich said. “I reject Obamacare. ... I actually have a solid health careplan to replace Obamacare.”
As for that national surplus?
“Guess who spent it? The Republicans," Kasich said. “Sir, you have to stand in the breach when you’re the leader."“Of course it’s not, that’s absurd," John Kasich said, saying NATO has an additional role of "policing and intelligence gathering" now.
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Donald Trump was asked about a farming economy that relies on immigrants to fill jobs that there aren't enough Americans to fill.
“People will be able to come in legally," Trump said, ignoring the part of the question about keeping the labor force that's already in place.
“We’re going to let people come in, but they’re going to come in legally," Trump said. “It’s going to work beautifully, you’re not going to be affected.”Donald Trump sounded an oddly empathetic tone on explaining why he doesn't expect his former opponents to support him if he's the nominee. Starting with Ted Cruz.
“I watched how tormented he was with that question," Trump said, referring to Cruz earlier in the town hall ducking whether he would back Trump if he were the nominee. "I don’t want him to be tormented. I don’t want his support, I don’t need his support, I want him to be comfortable.”
Trump said the same goes for other candidates, like Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who endorsed Cruz.
“I drove him out of the race, I drove Jeb Bush out of the race, I drove Rand Paul out of the race: I understand why they don’t like me," Trump said.And he said he doesn't care if Ted Cruz does either.
“No, I won’t," Donald Trump said when asked if he would keep the promise to back the eventual nominee. "(Cruz) was essentially saying the same thing. He doesn’t have to support me.”
Trump repeated that he doesn't believe he's being treated "fairly" by the GOP and the Republican establishment.CNN PoliticsMarch 29, 2016 9:31pm 0Share Trump dodges question about protecting minorities Donald Trump got a question from Brian James Murphy, a police officer who was shot responding to the shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
He asked about a backlash against minority religious groups, saying, “This in turn brings about things that cause damage all over.” He added that “99% of the men in the United States who wear turbans are actually Sikh and not Muslim. How would you suggest we educate the public" about minorities and protecting constitutional rights? he asked.
“We have a tremendous problem with radical Islam," Trump responded, not directly answering the question. He stood behind his call for a temporary ban on all foreign Muslims entering the country and implied that President Barack Obama was not a Christian, as he is.
“We have a president who won’t talk about (radical Islam), why he won’t talk about it, perhaps only he knows,” Trump said.
“We have to be very tough," Trump reiterated.
Responding to a follow-up from CNN's Anderson Cooper about protecting minorities, Trump simply said:
“I want to do that, but we have to recognize we have a very serious problem” with terrorists.
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First question. on the criminal charge of battery on a member of trumps team Second. Do you see a path to getting the necessary delegates for the nomination Third. What does it mean to "patrol and secure" muslim neighborhoods? Fourth. What proof do you have that Trump and his people planted those allegation in the national enquirer Fifth. How and why does your religion play a part in your decision-making? Sixth. Would you send a large number of W.S. forces to Syria to obliterate ISIS and send a clear message? seventh. What do you see as your greatest personal failure and what dud you learn from it? eighth. Should you hold yourself to a higher standard and stop the name-calling between you and Trump? ninth. What are your short and long term solutions to keep our Latino work force? tenth. Do you still pledge yo support the GOP nominee, no matter who it is? Eleventh. How would you ensure America is not blindly attacked by terrorists, while maintaining our privacy? twelfth. What are you doing to convince women you are the right candidate to vote for? thirteenth. Do you support stronger opioid prescription guideline at V.A. hospitals and across the country? fourteenth. What will you do to ensure there are qualified manufactured workers in the U.S.
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Bernie Sanders opened his appearance by satellite from Salt Lake City, Utah, by explaining that he didn't snub AIPAC by being the only current White House hopeful not to address the group Monday, saying it was merely a question of scheduling.
He called for the United States to work with both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said Israel should have the right to defend itself but warned conditions in the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip need to be mitigated, and that people are contending with high unemployment and "horrific" poverty there.
Still, Sanders said he was "not happy ... with some of the behavior" of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the Israeli leader's decision to accept an invitation to address the U.S. Congress about the Iran nuclear deal without notifying the White House.
Sanders backed Obama's Cuba diplomacy and hinted that it would be proper for Cuban leader Raul Castro to visit the White House.
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Donald Trump said the U.S. should rethink its involvement in NATO because the defense alliance costs too much money.
In remarks to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Trump said the U.S. pays a disproportionate amount to NATO to ensure the security of allies.
"Frankly, they have to put up more money," he said. "We are paying disproportionately. It's too much, and frankly it's a different world than it was when we originally conceived of the idea."
For instance, Trump said Washington was "taking care" of Ukraine and that other European nations were not doing enough to support the Kiev government that has been locked in a long showdown with Moscow.
Donald Trump unveils foreign policy advisers
But Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and Washington is not providing arms to the government as it is fighting pro-Moscow rebels, though has provided nonlethal aid and has helped support international bailouts of the Ukrainian economy.
Later in the interview, Trump qualified his remarks saying that the U.S. should not "decrease its role" in NATO but should decrease its spending. Still, the Republican presidential front-runner's NATO comments could spur anxiety among the Western foreign policy establishment.
Hillary Clinton stepped up her attacks on Trump's character and behavior as she makes a case that he is not fit to be commander in chief -- an argument likely to form the centerpiece of the Democratic Party's assault if he becomes the Republican nominee.
"He has been engaging in bigotry and bluster and bullying, and I think when it comes to understanding what he would do as president, there are serious questions that have been raised, and this campaign should he be the nominee will have to address them," Clinton told CNN's Anderson Cooper.
The former secretary of state accused Trump of inciting violence and urging supporters to go after protesters in a way that she said "raises very serious questions." Asked whether Trump would behave differently as president, Clinton answered "Who knows?"
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Hillary Clinton accuses Donald Trump of 'political arson'.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both accused Donald Trump of inciting violence, with the former secretary of state calling him "bigoted" and alleging he had perpetrated "political arson," while the Vermont senator labeled him a "pathological liar" at a town hall on Sunday night.
"It is clear that Donald Trump is running a very cynical campaign pitting groups of Americans against one another. He is trafficking in hate and fear," Cinton said during the event at Ohio State University hosted by CNN and TV One. "He actually incites violence in the way he urges his audience on, talking about punching people, offering to pay legal bills."
Clinton charged that Trump was guilty of a case of "political arson" by throwing fuel on political divisions in the country.
"He has been incredibly bigoted towards so many groups," she continued. "You don't make America great by tearing down everything that made America great."
Clinton followed Sanders at the town hall moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and TV One's Roland Martin. Sanders and Clinton are making closing arguments to voters in their increasingly contentious Democratic nominating marathon, two days before five states vote in crucial primaries that could set the tone for the rest of the contest.
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Bernie Sanders on Sunday slammed Donald Trump as a "pathological liar" who is "inciting violence" as Sanders kicked off a town hall duel with Hillary Clinton.
"I hesitate to say this because I really don't like to disparage public officials, but Donald Trump is a pathological liar," Sanders said, in the first exchange of the event at Ohio State University hosted by CNN and TV One.
Sanders also blasted Trump for saying that he might pay the legal fees of a man charged with punching a protester at one of his rallies, adding that doing so was tantamount to "inciting violence."
"I would hope Mr. Trump tones it down big time and tells his supporters that violence is not acceptable in the American political process," Sanders said.
Sanders and Clinton are making closing arguments to voters in their increasingly contentious Democratic nominating marathon, two days before five states vote in crucial primaries that could set the tone for the rest of the contest.
They are facing questions from Buckeye State voters as they vie for the support of blue collar and minority voters who underpin the Democratic coalition.
Sanders took the first turn in the spotlight and will be followed by Clinton in the event moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and TV One's Roland Martin. The event takes place in the wake of Sanders' surprise victory in the Michigan primary last week, which raised his hopes of competing with Clinton across Midwestern Rust Belt states.
It also comes at the end of a weekend filled with violence and disruption of Trump rallies, in which the real estate mogul pointed the finger at Sanders for the unruliness.
But Sanders said Sunday night, "Our campaign does not believe and never will encourage anybody to disrupt anything."
Trump accuses Sanders supporters of disrupting his rallies
He added that people have the right to protest even though he said other candidates' rallies shouldn't be disrupted.
"Trump has to get on the TV and tell his supporters that violence in the political process in America is not acceptable, end of discussion," he said.
At the same time, Sanders dismissed the idea that he was responsible for the actions of all his supporters.
"Millions of people voted for me. If I have to take responsibility for everybody who voted for me, it would be a very difficult life," Sanders said
The town hall was also an opportunity for the two Democratic candidates to highlight their differences even if they didn't meet face to face.
Sanders pivoted to his Democratic opponent on the issue of trade, which is emerging as a key theme on both sides of the aisle in the 2016 presidential race.
He lashed out at "corporately written trade agreements," which he said were designed to shut down U.S factories and pay people "pennies an hour" in China and Mexico.
"One of the very strong differences between Secretary Clinton and myself -- she has supported almost all of those trade agreements, I have vigorously opposed (them)," he charged.
At one point while talking about trade though, Sanders slipped in another backhanded slap at Trump. Defending his position on trade, Sanders said that he did not want to cut off the United States from global trade flows.
"Nobody is talking about building a wall around the United States," Sanders said, before trailing off when people in the audience started chuckling. "Oh, I beg your pardon, there is one guy who is talking about building a wall. Let me rephrase it: no rational person is talking about building a wall."
But Clinton has so far built a more diverse constituency resting especially on African-American voters and Hispanics and appears to have the edge going into Tuesday's primaries in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.
Still, Sanders has high hopes of good results in the Midwest in particular and has been driving his message that the economy is stacked against working Americans and underpinned by a corrupt political system.
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Donald Trump to GOP establishment: 'Embrace what's happening'.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump opened the CNN debate here Thursday by calling on his party leadership to "accept" what is happening in the 2016 election.
Trump, who is dominating the GOP primary season, said his campaign has spurred unprecedented enthusiasm and turnout.
"The Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what's happening," Trump said.
A week after the last raucous Republican debate at which Trump boasted about the size of his manhood, Thursday's forum struck softer tones -- at least initially. Personal insults that dominated previous debates were largely absent, replaced instead by a policy-oriented discussion on issues including immigration and Social Security.
"So far, I can't believe how civil it's been up here," Trump quipped.
Trump addressed an issue that has tripped him up in the past: H-1B visas that encourage legal immigration for high-skilled workers.
He called the program "very, very bad for workers," but in the same breath, acknowledged that he uses it in his hiring practices.
"I know the H-1B very well. I use it. I shouldn't be allowed to use it," Trump said, adding that the program should simply not exist.
Trump or Cruz? GOP leaders shake their heads, prepare to choose
Trump and three other White House hopefuls at the debate are heading into a week that could alter the course of the 2016 election. Trump is at his usual spot at center stage. With a sizeable lead in the delegate race, the New York billionaire holds the best chance of clinching the Republican Party's nomination. To his left is Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who -- bolstered by his recent primary victories -- is urgently pleading with the party to help him defeat Trump.
Marco Rubio and John Kasich may have the most to gain or lose. Both have had a disappointing few months and badly trail in the delegate path. Next Tuesday, each man will face the voters of their respective home states of Florida and Ohio. For both candidates, losing those contests would likely be the death knell for their campaigns.
The outcomes in Florida and Ohio will be critical in shaping the course of the GOP race. A Fox News poll released Wednesday showed Kasich with a narrow lead ahead of Trump in Ohio; in Florida, Trump was well ahead of Rubio.
Ted Cruz's challenge: uniting Republicans against Trump
If this poll bears out and Kasich is able to eke out a win in Ohio, that could suddenly make him the establishment favorite and earn him fresh support from party leaders and donors uncomfortable with the idea of Trump or Cruz becoming the nominee.
If Trump, as he is predicting, wins both Florida and Ohio and picks up the 165 delegates that are at stake in the two winner-take-all states, his candidacy would turn into a runaway train.
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Donald Trump to GOP establishment: 'Embrace what's happening'.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump opened the CNN debate here Thursday by calling on his party leadership to "accept" what is happening in the 2016 election.
Trump, who is dominating the GOP primary season, said his campaign has spurred unprecedented enthusiasm and turnout.
"The Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what's happening," Trump said.
A week after the last raucous Republican debate at which Trump boasted about the size of his manhood, Thursday's forum struck softer tones -- at least initially. Personal insults that dominated previous debates were largely absent, replaced instead by a policy-oriented discussion on issues including immigration and Social Security.
"So far, I can't believe how civil it's been up here," Trump quipped.
Trump addressed an issue that has tripped him up in the past: H-1B visas that encourage legal immigration for high-skilled workers.
He called the program "very, very bad for workers," but in the same breath, acknowledged that he uses it in his hiring practices.
"I know the H-1B very well. I use it. I shouldn't be allowed to use it," Trump said, adding that the program should simply not exist.
Trump or Cruz? GOP leaders shake their heads, prepare to choose
Trump and three other White House hopefuls at the debate are heading into a week that could alter the course of the 2016 election. Trump is at his usual spot at center stage. With a sizeable lead in the delegate race, the New York billionaire holds the best chance of clinching the Republican Party's nomination. To his left is Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who -- bolstered by his recent primary victories -- is urgently pleading with the party to help him defeat Trump.
Marco Rubio and John Kasich may have the most to gain or lose. Both have had a disappointing few months and badly trail in the delegate path. Next Tuesday, each man will face the voters of their respective home states of Florida and Ohio. For both candidates, losing those contests would likely be the death knell for their campaigns.
The outcomes in Florida and Ohio will be critical in shaping the course of the GOP race. A Fox News poll released Wednesday showed Kasich with a narrow lead ahead of Trump in Ohio; in Florida, Trump was well ahead of Rubio.
Ted Cruz's challenge: uniting Republicans against Trump
If this poll bears out and Kasich is able to eke out a win in Ohio, that could suddenly make him the establishment favorite and earn him fresh support from party leaders and donors uncomfortable with the idea of Trump or Cruz becoming the nominee.
If Trump, as he is predicting, wins both Florida and Ohio and picks up the 165 delegates that are at stake in the two winner-take-all states, his candidacy would turn into a runaway train.
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Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders angrily clashed over auto industry bailouts, guns and ties to Wall Street on Sunday, as underlying tensions in the Democratic presidential race burst into the open at an impassioned CNN debate in Flint, Michigan.
The forum quickly turned into a heated philosophical argument about an economy that Sanders said is weighted against the middle and working classes and is abetted, he said, by close ties between politicians, such as Clinton, and Wall Street financiers.
Sanders accused Clinton of supporting "disastrous" trade policies that contributed to corporate America's decision to move manufacturing from cities like Flint to low-wage economies in Central America and Asia. But she in turn said that Sanders had refused to vote for a bailout for the auto industry that was included in the outgoing Bush administration's attempts to stave off the financial crisis.
Clinton, Sanders clash on middle-class policies Stephen Collinson Profile By Stephen Collinson, CNN Updated 9:38 PM ET, Sun March 6, 2016 | Video Source: CNN
Now Playing Clinton and Sanders... democratic debate clinton sanders campaign contributions orig vstan cws 05_00013826 Bernie Sanders: 'People aren't dumb' Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Clinton, Sanders on the 11 million 'undocumented' Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton criticizes Sanders for attacks on Obama
Sanders: 'Henry Kissinger is not my friend'
Should women vote for Clinton because she's a woman?
How much larger should the U.S. government be? Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton shake hands during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by MSNBC at the University of New Hampshire Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, in Durham, N.H. (AP Photo/David Goldman) MSNBC's Democratic debate in 90 seconds
Hillary Clinton accuses Bernie Sanders of 'artful smear'
Sanders: Obama is a progressive
Hillary Clinton: Sanders' proposals are not achievable Bernie Sanders speaks at the MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016, in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders on Iowa Caucuses: Winner doesn't take all Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks as he debates with Democratic presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during their MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016 in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders: I'm asked to attack Clinton on emails daily Now Playing Clinton and Sanders battle over auto industry bailout democratic debate flint hillary clinton super predators sot_00004011.jpg Hillary Clinton addresses 'super predators' comment
Sanders: White people don't know life in a ghetto
Hillary Clinton: Gunmakers epitomize corporate greed FLINT, MI - MARCH 06: /Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks on during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Whiting Auditorium at the Cultural Center Campus on March 6, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. Voters in Michigan will go to the polls March 8 for the state's primary. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Sanders, Clinton spar over Wall Street ties
Bernie Sanders: I'd fire head of EPA over Flint crisis
Clinton, Sanders rip Michigan over Flint water crisis Flint Debate Hall Stage Timelapse origwx cc_00004216.jpg Watch the Flint debate stage get built Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (L) and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The PBS Democratic Debate in 90 seconds
Who's financing the Democratic campaigns?
What would you do to improve race relations? democratic debate clinton sanders campaign contributions orig vstan cws 05_00013826 Bernie Sanders: 'People aren't dumb' Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Clinton, Sanders on the 11 million 'undocumented' Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton criticizes Sanders for attacks on Obama
Sanders: 'Henry Kissinger is not my friend'
Should women vote for Clinton because she's a woman?
How much larger should the U.S. government be? Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton shake hands during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by MSNBC at the University of New Hampshire Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, in Durham, N.H. (AP Photo/David Goldman) MSNBC's Democratic debate in 90 seconds
Hillary Clinton accuses Bernie Sanders of 'artful smear'
Sanders: Obama is a progressive
Hillary Clinton: Sanders' proposals are not achievable Bernie Sanders speaks at the MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016, in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders on Iowa Caucuses: Winner doesn't take all Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks as he debates with Democratic presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during their MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016 in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders: I'm asked to attack Clinton on emails daily
Clinton and Sanders battle over auto industry bailout democratic debate flint hillary clinton super predators sot_00004011.jpg Hillary Clinton addresses 'super predators' comment
Sanders: White people don't know life in a ghetto
Hillary Clinton: Gunmakers epitomize corporate greed FLINT, MI - MARCH 06: /Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks on during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Whiting Auditorium at the Cultural Center Campus on March 6, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. Voters in Michigan will go to the polls March 8 for the state's primary. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Sanders, Clinton spar over Wall Street ties
Bernie Sanders: I'd fire head of EPA over Flint crisis
Clinton, Sanders rip Michigan over Flint water crisis Flint Debate Hall Stage Timelapse origwx cc_00004216.jpg Watch the Flint debate stage get built Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (L) and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The PBS Democratic Debate in 90 seconds
Who's financing the Democratic campaigns?
What would you do to improve race relations? democratic debate clinton sanders campaign contributions orig vstan cws 05_00013826 Bernie Sanders: 'People aren't dumb' Story highlights Candidates spar over Wall Street, auto bailouts, gun violence and more Clinton holds delegate lead in Democratic primary battle (CNN)Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders angrily clashed over auto industry bailouts, guns and ties to Wall Street on Sunday, as underlying tensions in the Democratic presidential race burst into the open at an impassioned CNN debate in Flint, Michigan.
The forum quickly turned into a heated philosophical argument about an economy that Sanders said is weighted against the middle and working classes and is abetted, he said, by close ties between politicians, such as Clinton, and Wall Street financiers.
Sanders accused Clinton of supporting "disastrous" trade policies that contributed to corporate America's decision to move manufacturing from cities like Flint to low-wage economies in Central America and Asia. But she in turn said that Sanders had refused to vote for a bailout for the auto industry that was included in the outgoing Bush administration's attempts to stave off the financial crisis.
Flint: It's not just about the water
"If everybody had voted the way he did, I believe the auto industry would have collapsed, taking four million jobs with it," Clinton said.
Clinton also pressed Sanders on guns and accused him of being too close to the National Rifle Association.
"You talk about corporate greed. The gun manufacturers sell guns to make as much money as they can make," Clinton said.
Sanders replied by responding that, effectively, Clinton's arguments would amount to a ban on the manufacture of guns.
At one point, both candidates talked over one another in their determination to make their points about the economy.
"Excuse me, I am talking," Sanders said.
Sanders repeatedly knocked Clinton for her ties to the finance industry and demanded that she release transcripts of her paid speeches to Wall Street firms. Clinton said she will do so when other candidates, including Republicans, agree to do the same.
Clear schisms While the exchanges were intense and revealed clear schisms between Clinton and Sanders, they were largely confined to policy differences, and lacked the personal -- and even vulgar -- tone that characterized the last two Republican debates
Clinton and Sanders opened the debate agreeing on one point: that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder should step down over his response to the toxic water crisis in Flint.
Sanders accused Synder of "dereliction of duty" while Clinton said the governor should "resign or be recalled" -- a comment that represented a new position for the former secretary of state.
Snyder tweeted in his own defense during the debate.
"I'm taking responsibility as our value system says we should. My track record is getting things done, and I want to get this done," he wrote on Twitter.
Both candidates expressed alarm over the water crisis that erupted in Flint when government officials switched the city's water source temporarily in April 2014 from the Great Lakes to the Flint River to cut costs. Pollution from the highly corrosive river water then ate into the city's water system, causing lead to leach into the water supply.
"It's raining lead in Flint," Clinton said.
Sanders recalled his visit to the city last month and said, "What I heard and what I saw literally shattered me."
Clinton demanded an investigation to determine the government's responsibility for the water crisis.
"They failed this city," she said.
Sanders also said he would fire anyone responsible for negligence in the government and made a case that the situation was a symptom of a government that had lost its focus on the people.
Super Saturday victories The debate in Flint comes a day after Sanders pulled off morale-boosting Super Saturday victories in caucuses in Kansas and Nebraska, doubling up on Clinton, who won one matchup -- the Louisiana primary.
During the debate, CNN projected that Sanders would win the Maine Democratic caucuses. But Clinton's victory in the Louisiana primary on Saturday, which had the most delegates on offer this weekend, means that her lead in the presidential race of around 200 pledged delegates, remains essentially the same.
Michigan holds its primary on Tuesday.
The Democratic presidential campaign is unfolding amid themes of race, economic opportunity and the problems afflicting blue-collar workers that are crystallized in the city of Flint in an age of globalization.
More coverage on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan
Residents say that even though the water supply has now been switched back to Lake Huron, the damage done to piping in their homes and in the water infrastructure remains severe and they are forced to drink bottled water. Michigan officials are investigating the extent to which lead poisoning has harmed the residents, including children, amid reports of severe rashes, developmental issues and other health problems consistent with lead poisoning.
The debate offered members of the audience directly affected by some of the local issues a chance to question the candidates.
LeeAnne Walters, one of the first people to alert authorities about the Flint water crisis after her children developed health problems, asked the candidates to promise that if they were elected president, they would require the removal of all lead service lines from public water systems in the United States.
Gene Kopf, father of 14-year-old Abigail Kopf, who was shot and badly injured in a rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan, posed a question about gun control.
More than a water crisis Flint's problems are not limited to its water crisis. The city has long been a symbol of economic blight and the human implications of the decline of large-scale industrial manufacturing following the loss of its GM car manufacturing plant. More than 410f Flint's residents live below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census.
When asked about the flight of blue-collar jobs from cities such as Flint, Clinton said she would "stop this kind of jobs exporting."
But Sanders hit back: "I am very glad . . . that Secretary Clinton has discovered religion on this issue."
To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders angrily clashed over auto industry bailouts, guns and ties to Wall Street on Sunday, as underlying tensions in the Democratic presidential race burst into the open at an impassioned CNN debate in Flint, Michigan.
The forum quickly turned into a heated philosophical argument about an economy that Sanders said is weighted against the middle and working classes and is abetted, he said, by close ties between politicians, such as Clinton, and Wall Street financiers.
Sanders accused Clinton of supporting "disastrous" trade policies that contributed to corporate America's decision to move manufacturing from cities like Flint to low-wage economies in Central America and Asia. But she in turn said that Sanders had refused to vote for a bailout for the auto industry that was included in the outgoing Bush administration's attempts to stave off the financial crisis.
Clinton, Sanders clash on middle-class policies Stephen Collinson Profile By Stephen Collinson, CNN Updated 9:38 PM ET, Sun March 6, 2016 | Video Source: CNN
Now Playing Clinton and Sanders... democratic debate clinton sanders campaign contributions orig vstan cws 05_00013826 Bernie Sanders: 'People aren't dumb' Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Clinton, Sanders on the 11 million 'undocumented' Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton criticizes Sanders for attacks on Obama
Sanders: 'Henry Kissinger is not my friend'
Should women vote for Clinton because she's a woman?
How much larger should the U.S. government be? Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton shake hands during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by MSNBC at the University of New Hampshire Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, in Durham, N.H. (AP Photo/David Goldman) MSNBC's Democratic debate in 90 seconds
Hillary Clinton accuses Bernie Sanders of 'artful smear'
Sanders: Obama is a progressive
Hillary Clinton: Sanders' proposals are not achievable Bernie Sanders speaks at the MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016, in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders on Iowa Caucuses: Winner doesn't take all Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks as he debates with Democratic presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during their MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016 in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders: I'm asked to attack Clinton on emails daily Now Playing Clinton and Sanders battle over auto industry bailout democratic debate flint hillary clinton super predators sot_00004011.jpg Hillary Clinton addresses 'super predators' comment
Sanders: White people don't know life in a ghetto
Hillary Clinton: Gunmakers epitomize corporate greed FLINT, MI - MARCH 06: /Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks on during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Whiting Auditorium at the Cultural Center Campus on March 6, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. Voters in Michigan will go to the polls March 8 for the state's primary. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Sanders, Clinton spar over Wall Street ties
Bernie Sanders: I'd fire head of EPA over Flint crisis
Clinton, Sanders rip Michigan over Flint water crisis Flint Debate Hall Stage Timelapse origwx cc_00004216.jpg Watch the Flint debate stage get built Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (L) and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The PBS Democratic Debate in 90 seconds
Who's financing the Democratic campaigns?
What would you do to improve race relations? democratic debate clinton sanders campaign contributions orig vstan cws 05_00013826 Bernie Sanders: 'People aren't dumb' Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Clinton, Sanders on the 11 million 'undocumented' Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton criticizes Sanders for attacks on Obama
Sanders: 'Henry Kissinger is not my friend'
Should women vote for Clinton because she's a woman?
How much larger should the U.S. government be? Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton shake hands during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by MSNBC at the University of New Hampshire Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, in Durham, N.H. (AP Photo/David Goldman) MSNBC's Democratic debate in 90 seconds
Hillary Clinton accuses Bernie Sanders of 'artful smear'
Sanders: Obama is a progressive
Hillary Clinton: Sanders' proposals are not achievable Bernie Sanders speaks at the MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016, in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders on Iowa Caucuses: Winner doesn't take all Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks as he debates with Democratic presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during their MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate at the University of New Hampshire on February 4, 2016 in Durham, New Hampshire. Sanders: I'm asked to attack Clinton on emails daily
Clinton and Sanders battle over auto industry bailout democratic debate flint hillary clinton super predators sot_00004011.jpg Hillary Clinton addresses 'super predators' comment
Sanders: White people don't know life in a ghetto
Hillary Clinton: Gunmakers epitomize corporate greed FLINT, MI - MARCH 06: /Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks on during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Whiting Auditorium at the Cultural Center Campus on March 6, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. Voters in Michigan will go to the polls March 8 for the state's primary. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Sanders, Clinton spar over Wall Street ties
Bernie Sanders: I'd fire head of EPA over Flint crisis
Clinton, Sanders rip Michigan over Flint water crisis Flint Debate Hall Stage Timelapse origwx cc_00004216.jpg Watch the Flint debate stage get built Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (L) and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on February 11, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The PBS Democratic Debate in 90 seconds
Who's financing the Democratic campaigns?
What would you do to improve race relations? democratic debate clinton sanders campaign contributions orig vstan cws 05_00013826 Bernie Sanders: 'People aren't dumb' Story highlights Candidates spar over Wall Street, auto bailouts, gun violence and more Clinton holds delegate lead in Democratic primary battle (CNN)Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders angrily clashed over auto industry bailouts, guns and ties to Wall Street on Sunday, as underlying tensions in the Democratic presidential race burst into the open at an impassioned CNN debate in Flint, Michigan.
The forum quickly turned into a heated philosophical argument about an economy that Sanders said is weighted against the middle and working classes and is abetted, he said, by close ties between politicians, such as Clinton, and Wall Street financiers.
Sanders accused Clinton of supporting "disastrous" trade policies that contributed to corporate America's decision to move manufacturing from cities like Flint to low-wage economies in Central America and Asia. But she in turn said that Sanders had refused to vote for a bailout for the auto industry that was included in the outgoing Bush administration's attempts to stave off the financial crisis.
Flint: It's not just about the water
"If everybody had voted the way he did, I believe the auto industry would have collapsed, taking four million jobs with it," Clinton said.
Clinton also pressed Sanders on guns and accused him of being too close to the National Rifle Association.
"You talk about corporate greed. The gun manufacturers sell guns to make as much money as they can make," Clinton said.
Sanders replied by responding that, effectively, Clinton's arguments would amount to a ban on the manufacture of guns.
At one point, both candidates talked over one another in their determination to make their points about the economy.
"Excuse me, I am talking," Sanders said.
Sanders repeatedly knocked Clinton for her ties to the finance industry and demanded that she release transcripts of her paid speeches to Wall Street firms. Clinton said she will do so when other candidates, including Republicans, agree to do the same.
Clear schisms While the exchanges were intense and revealed clear schisms between Clinton and Sanders, they were largely confined to policy differences, and lacked the personal -- and even vulgar -- tone that characterized the last two Republican debates
Clinton and Sanders opened the debate agreeing on one point: that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder should step down over his response to the toxic water crisis in Flint.
Sanders accused Synder of "dereliction of duty" while Clinton said the governor should "resign or be recalled" -- a comment that represented a new position for the former secretary of state.
Snyder tweeted in his own defense during the debate.
"I'm taking responsibility as our value system says we should. My track record is getting things done, and I want to get this done," he wrote on Twitter.
Both candidates expressed alarm over the water crisis that erupted in Flint when government officials switched the city's water source temporarily in April 2014 from the Great Lakes to the Flint River to cut costs. Pollution from the highly corrosive river water then ate into the city's water system, causing lead to leach into the water supply.
"It's raining lead in Flint," Clinton said.
Sanders recalled his visit to the city last month and said, "What I heard and what I saw literally shattered me."
Clinton demanded an investigation to determine the government's responsibility for the water crisis.
"They failed this city," she said.
Sanders also said he would fire anyone responsible for negligence in the government and made a case that the situation was a symptom of a government that had lost its focus on the people.
Super Saturday victories The debate in Flint comes a day after Sanders pulled off morale-boosting Super Saturday victories in caucuses in Kansas and Nebraska, doubling up on Clinton, who won one matchup -- the Louisiana primary.
During the debate, CNN projected that Sanders would win the Maine Democratic caucuses. But Clinton's victory in the Louisiana primary on Saturday, which had the most delegates on offer this weekend, means that her lead in the presidential race of around 200 pledged delegates, remains essentially the same.
Michigan holds its primary on Tuesday.
The Democratic presidential campaign is unfolding amid themes of race, economic opportunity and the problems afflicting blue-collar workers that are crystallized in the city of Flint in an age of globalization.
More coverage on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan
Residents say that even though the water supply has now been switched back to Lake Huron, the damage done to piping in their homes and in the water infrastructure remains severe and they are forced to drink bottled water. Michigan officials are investigating the extent to which lead poisoning has harmed the residents, including children, amid reports of severe rashes, developmental issues and other health problems consistent with lead poisoning.
The debate offered members of the audience directly affected by some of the local issues a chance to question the candidates.
LeeAnne Walters, one of the first people to alert authorities about the Flint water crisis after her children developed health problems, asked the candidates to promise that if they were elected president, they would require the removal of all lead service lines from public water systems in the United States.
Gene Kopf, father of 14-year-old Abigail Kopf, who was shot and badly injured in a rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan, posed a question about gun control.
More than a water crisis Flint's problems are not limited to its water crisis. The city has long been a symbol of economic blight and the human implications of the decline of large-scale industrial manufacturing following the loss of its GM car manufacturing plant. More than 410f Flint's residents live below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census.
When asked about the flight of blue-collar jobs from cities such as Flint, Clinton said she would "stop this kind of jobs exporting."
But Sanders hit back: "I am very glad . . . that Secretary Clinton has discovered religion on this issue."
To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Republican debate: Marco Rubio swings at Donald Trump.
Marco Rubio was on fire Thursday night.
For weeks, he's resisted taking on Donald Trump, who has eviscerated other Republicans who threatened his status as the front-runner. That reluctance evaporated during the final GOP debate before Super Tuesday as Rubio delivered blow after blow at Trump, attacking him on his immigration, foreign policy and health care positions, along with his business hiring practices.
"You're the only person on this stage that's ever been fined for hiring people to work on your project illegally," Rubio told Trump at the debate airing on CNN.
Rubio and Trump spoke over each other as the senator accused the real estate mogul of hiring Polish workers. Trump dismissed the episode as something that happened decades ago.
"I guess there's a statute of limitations on lies," Rubio said.
Rubio later mocked Trump for having a "fake school," referring to lawsuits aimed at Trump University alleging fraud and deception.
Trump hit back: "Here's a guy that buys a house for a $179,000 -- he sells it to a lobbyist who's probably here for 380,000."
Rubio responded by calling out Trump for his privileged background.
"If he hadn't inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be right now? Selling watches in Manhattan," Rubio said.
And Rubio challenged Trump on foreign policy.
Trump repeatedly stated his support for Israel, billing himself the most "pro-Israel" candidate in the GOP field. But even as he said he was "totally pro-Israel," he also said he didn't believe there was any reason for labeling Israel and the Palestinians as the "good guy" and the "bad guy."
"The position you've taken is an anti-Israel position," Rubio said.
When Trump said he was simply a "negotiator," Rubio shot back: "The Palestinians are not a real estate deal, Donald."
Everything changes March 1
The tough talk comes as Trump heads into the March 1 Super Tuesday contests with remarkable momentum, after consecutive victories in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Rubio has struggled to step out of Trump's shadow and Thursday's debate could mark a pivotal moment as he seeks to convince voters that he is best positioned to be an alternative to Trump and to unite a fractured Republican Party.
Clashing on health care One of the most explosive exchanges between Trump and Rubio came when the candidates were asked to discuss their health care plans.
Trump said he would get rid of barriers between the states --- something that he argued would increase competition. Rubio repeatedly pressed his rival for more details. "What else is a part of your health care plan?"
"When you get rid of the lines, that brings in competition," Trump said.
"Now he's repeating himself," Rubio responded.
"I don't repeat myself. Here's the guy who repeats himself," Trump shot back, referring to Rubio. "I watched him repeat himself five times four weeks ago."
Rubio, appearing amused, quipped: "I saw you repeat yourself five times five seconds ago!"
The senator also accused Trump of reusing the same general points on the campaign trail: "Everyone's dumb, he's going to make America great again, he's gonna win win win, he's winning in the polls."
CNN's Dana Bash cut in to ask whether Trump has anymore more to add to his previously stated proposal on health-care reform.
"No, there's nothing to add. What's to add?" Trump said.
Ted Cruz also went on the offensive, saying Trump had previously donated to Democrats who had worked on the so-called Gang of Eight immigration reform bill. Voters should judge a candidate by looking at their "record before they were a candidate for president," Cruz added.
The conservative firebrand senator came in first-place in the Iowa caucuses but has not been able to notch another win since, and has been forthright about the ramifications of Super Tuesday, especially the significance of his home state of Texas, where there are 155 delegates at stake.
A Monmouth University poll released Thursday put Cruz 15 points ahead of Trump in Texas.
Trump's taxes Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, also played a role in the debate. He sparked controversy Wednesday when he suggested Trump's tax returns could contain a potential "bombshell" and urged the businessman to release his information.
On the debate stage, Trump claimed that he was currently being audited and that he would not release the returns until that process was over.
"I can't release it while I'm under an audit," he said.
Cruz echoed Romney's suggestion that there may be something problematic lurking in Trump's tax returns.
"Donald Trump says he's being audited. I would think that would underscore the need to release those returns," he said said. "He doesn't want to do it because presumably there is something in there that's bad."
Cruz and Rubio said they would release new tax returns within the next two days.
Supreme Court battle Cruz and Rubio also tussled with Trump over replacing Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
When Cruz vowed to nominate principled constitutionalists to the bench as president, Trump shot back: "Justice (John) Roberts was strongly recommended and pushed by Ted."
"Justice Roberts gave us Obamacare. Might as well be called Robertscare," Trump said. "That is a rough thing and I know Ted feels badly about it."
Cruz slammed Trump for donating to Democrats in the past - a sign, Cruz warned, that Trump would get to Washington and "cut a deal" on Supreme Court appointees.
Trump responded by blasting Cruz for being an obstructionist in Congress - "You have to have somebody who can make deals," he said.
Rubio also joined in, saying he doubted Trump would "replace Justice Scalia with someone just like Justice Scalia."
Responding to Fox Trump also responded to former Mexican President Vicente Fox's recent response to Trump's claim that Mexico would pay for his proposed U.S.-Mexico wall.
"I'm not going to pay for that f---ing wall. He should pay for it," Fox told Fusion's Jorge Ramos in an interview published Thursday.
On the CNN debate stage, Trump quipped: "The wall just got 10 feet taller."
"I saw him make the statement. I saw him use the word that he used," Trump added. "This guy used a filthy, disgusting word on television ... He should apologize."
Trump went into the debate facing calls to release his tax returns. Mitt Romney told Fox News on Wednesday that there could be a "bombshell" in Trump's tax returns, a line that signaled anxiety inside the GOP establishment that the billionaire businessman might become the nominee.
Trump struck back in a series of tweets and told CNN's Anderson Cooper, "there is no bombshell at all other than I pay a lot of tax and the government wastes the money."
To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Republican debate: Marco Rubio swings at Donald Trump.
Marco Rubio was on fire Thursday night.
For weeks, he's resisted taking on Donald Trump, who has eviscerated other Republicans who threatened his status as the front-runner. That reluctance evaporated during the final GOP debate before Super Tuesday as Rubio delivered blow after blow at Trump, attacking him on his immigration, foreign policy and health care positions, along with his business hiring practices.
"You're the only person on this stage that's ever been fined for hiring people to work on your project illegally," Rubio told Trump at the debate airing on CNN.
Rubio and Trump spoke over each other as the senator accused the real estate mogul of hiring Polish workers. Trump dismissed the episode as something that happened decades ago.
"I guess there's a statute of limitations on lies," Rubio said.
Rubio later mocked Trump for having a "fake school," referring to lawsuits aimed at Trump University alleging fraud and deception.
Trump hit back: "Here's a guy that buys a house for a $179,000 -- he sells it to a lobbyist who's probably here for 380,000."
Rubio responded by calling out Trump for his privileged background.
"If he hadn't inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be right now? Selling watches in Manhattan," Rubio said.
And Rubio challenged Trump on foreign policy.
Trump repeatedly stated his support for Israel, billing himself the most "pro-Israel" candidate in the GOP field. But even as he said he was "totally pro-Israel," he also said he didn't believe there was any reason for labeling Israel and the Palestinians as the "good guy" and the "bad guy."
"The position you've taken is an anti-Israel position," Rubio said.
When Trump said he was simply a "negotiator," Rubio shot back: "The Palestinians are not a real estate deal, Donald."
Everything changes March 1
The tough talk comes as Trump heads into the March 1 Super Tuesday contests with remarkable momentum, after consecutive victories in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Rubio has struggled to step out of Trump's shadow and Thursday's debate could mark a pivotal moment as he seeks to convince voters that he is best positioned to be an alternative to Trump and to unite a fractured Republican Party.
Clashing on health care One of the most explosive exchanges between Trump and Rubio came when the candidates were asked to discuss their health care plans.
Trump said he would get rid of barriers between the states --- something that he argued would increase competition. Rubio repeatedly pressed his rival for more details. "What else is a part of your health care plan?"
"When you get rid of the lines, that brings in competition," Trump said.
"Now he's repeating himself," Rubio responded.
"I don't repeat myself. Here's the guy who repeats himself," Trump shot back, referring to Rubio. "I watched him repeat himself five times four weeks ago."
Rubio, appearing amused, quipped: "I saw you repeat yourself five times five seconds ago!"
The senator also accused Trump of reusing the same general points on the campaign trail: "Everyone's dumb, he's going to make America great again, he's gonna win win win, he's winning in the polls."
CNN's Dana Bash cut in to ask whether Trump has anymore more to add to his previously stated proposal on health-care reform.
"No, there's nothing to add. What's to add?" Trump said.
Ted Cruz also went on the offensive, saying Trump had previously donated to Democrats who had worked on the so-called Gang of Eight immigration reform bill. Voters should judge a candidate by looking at their "record before they were a candidate for president," Cruz added.
The conservative firebrand senator came in first-place in the Iowa caucuses but has not been able to notch another win since, and has been forthright about the ramifications of Super Tuesday, especially the significance of his home state of Texas, where there are 155 delegates at stake.
A Monmouth University poll released Thursday put Cruz 15 points ahead of Trump in Texas.
Trump's taxes Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, also played a role in the debate. He sparked controversy Wednesday when he suggested Trump's tax returns could contain a potential "bombshell" and urged the businessman to release his information.
On the debate stage, Trump claimed that he was currently being audited and that he would not release the returns until that process was over.
"I can't release it while I'm under an audit," he said.
Cruz echoed Romney's suggestion that there may be something problematic lurking in Trump's tax returns.
"Donald Trump says he's being audited. I would think that would underscore the need to release those returns," he said said. "He doesn't want to do it because presumably there is something in there that's bad."
Cruz and Rubio said they would release new tax returns within the next two days.
Supreme Court battle Cruz and Rubio also tussled with Trump over replacing Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
When Cruz vowed to nominate principled constitutionalists to the bench as president, Trump shot back: "Justice (John) Roberts was strongly recommended and pushed by Ted."
"Justice Roberts gave us Obamacare. Might as well be called Robertscare," Trump said. "That is a rough thing and I know Ted feels badly about it."
Cruz slammed Trump for donating to Democrats in the past - a sign, Cruz warned, that Trump would get to Washington and "cut a deal" on Supreme Court appointees.
Trump responded by blasting Cruz for being an obstructionist in Congress - "You have to have somebody who can make deals," he said.
Rubio also joined in, saying he doubted Trump would "replace Justice Scalia with someone just like Justice Scalia."
Responding to Fox Trump also responded to former Mexican President Vicente Fox's recent response to Trump's claim that Mexico would pay for his proposed U.S.-Mexico wall.
"I'm not going to pay for that f---ing wall. He should pay for it," Fox told Fusion's Jorge Ramos in an interview published Thursday.
On the CNN debate stage, Trump quipped: "The wall just got 10 feet taller."
"I saw him make the statement. I saw him use the word that he used," Trump added. "This guy used a filthy, disgusting word on television ... He should apologize."
Trump went into the debate facing calls to release his tax returns. Mitt Romney told Fox News on Wednesday that there could be a "bombshell" in Trump's tax returns, a line that signaled anxiety inside the GOP establishment that the billionaire businessman might become the nominee.
Trump struck back in a series of tweets and told CNN's Anderson Cooper, "there is no bombshell at all other than I pay a lot of tax and the government wastes the money."
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CNN town hall: Clinton, Sanders make pitch to minority voters.
Clinton is counting on a strong showing in Southern states likely to showcase her dominance among African-American voters, putting the onus on Sanders to try to broaden his support or face falling behind. The Vermont senator clearly appreciates the urgency and is taking an increasingly tough line against the former secretary of state.
He opened the town hall by reiterating his call for Clinton to release transcripts of paid speeches that she made to Wall Street banks after she left the State Department.
"I am happy to release all of my paid speeches to Wall Street -- here it is," Sanders said, with a wave of his hands. "There ain't none."
Clinton, who appeared on stage after Sanders, sidestepped questions about the senator's call for her to release her speeches.
"If everybody does it, and that includes the Republicans -- because we know they have made a lot of speeches," Clinton said.
She said the real issue was about who had the best plan to crack down on Wall Street.
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CNN town hall: Sanders slams 'racist' GOP efforts.
Bernie Sanders accused Donald Trump and others of fomenting a "racist effort" to delegitimize President Barack Obama, four days ahead of the South Carolina Democratic primary in which African-American voters will play a crucial role.
In a CNN town hall meeting Tuesday in Columbia, South Carolina, Sanders portrayed the "birther" controversy that Trump pushed during Obama's first term as part of a Republican strategy to thwart his presidency, based on the mantra "obstruct, obstruct, obstruct."
"We have been dealing in the last seven years with an unprecedented level of obstructionism against President Obama," Sanders said.
Sanders has been criticized by rival Hillary Clinton in recent debates and town halls for not being sufficiently supportive of the President, who remains popular among many Democrats, especially African-Americans. Sanders is under pressure to improve his standing among minorities before South Carolina's primary and the string of Southern contests that follow on March 1, which could tilt the momentum of the Democratic White House race toward Clinton.
Clinton is counting on a strong showing in Southern states likely to showcase her dominance among African-American voters, putting the onus on Sanders to try to broaden his support or face falling behind. The Vermont senator clearly appreciates the urgency and is taking an increasingly tough line against the former secretary of state.
He opened the town hall by reiterating his call for Clinton to release transcripts of paid speeches that she made to Wall Street banks after she left the State Department.
"I am happy to release all of my paid speeches to Wall Street -- here it is," Sanders said, with a wave of his hands. "There ain't none."
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Trump challenged over claim that Bush lied about Iraq.
Donald Trump challenged over 9/11, Iraq War comments.
Donald Trump acknowledged Thursday that he "could have" signaled support for invading Iraq during a 2002 interview with Howard Stern.
"It was probably the first time I was asked that question," the GOP presidential front-runner told CNN's Anderson Cooper during a South Carolina town hall. "By the time the war started, I was against the war."
He also noted he "wasn't a politician" at the time of the interview.
Ahead of Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary, Trump has repeatedly blasted former President George W. Bush for launching the war.
But Buzzfeed posted Trump's interview with Stern earlier Thursday evening. When asked whether he would support an invasion, Trump responded: "Yeah, I guess so."
Trump's criticism of the war could be a risky move in this miliatry-dominated state. One man in the audience confronted Trump for saying that Bush had lied about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Trump on Thursday was pressed several times -- both by the questioner and Cooper -- to clarify whether he believes or would again state that Bush had lied about the issue. Trump danced around the question, finally saying, "I don't know what he did."
"I would probably say that something was going on," Trump said. "I don't know why he went in" to Iraq.
Trump vs. Pope Francis Trump called Pope Francis a "wonderful guy" after the pontiff said Thursday that the GOP presidential front-runner is "not Christian" if he wants to deport undocumented immigrants and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
"I don't think this is a fight," Trump said. "I think he said something much softer than was originally reported by the media."
Trump added he would meet with the Pope "anytime he wants."
Earlier at the town hall, Jeb Bush and John Kasich refused to be drawn into the debate between Trump and the Pope.
Kasich simply said he was "pro-Pope."
"This man has brought more sense of hope and more about the do's in life than the don'ts," Kasich said, referring to the Pope. "This guy has been so humble."
Bush, who is a devout Catholic, didn't criticize the Pope's comments. But he said he personally wouldn't "question people's Christianity."
"I think that's a relationship they have with their Lord and savior and themselves. So I just don't think it's appropriate to question Donald Trump's faith," Bush said. "He knows what his faith is."
Trump, who is dominating most South Carolina polls, continued to pound his closest competitor: Ted Cruz.
The billionaire businessman said the Texas senator "has a problem with the truth."
Trump appeared to side with Marco Rubio after the Florida senator's campaign accused Cruz's team earlier Thursday of photoshopping an image to make it appear as though Rubio is shaking hands with President Barack Obama.
"Oh, it was totally photoshopped," Trump said.
"They even made Marco a lot shorter than he is," Trump said, adding that this was "probably the thing that bothered him the most."
He quipped that other tactics the Cruz campaign has used in this election were "disgusting."
Trump has confounded many political observers with his propensity for colorful, unfiltered and inflammatory language as a candidate. When Cooper asked whether he would take on a different tone as president, Trump suggested he could easily switch back and forth between being politically correct -- and not.
"I can be more politically correct than anybody you've ever interviewed," Trump said.
He added: "I can do whatever I want. . . I deal with society. Society loves me."
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Jeb Bush avoids Trump's Pope fight.
Bush, who is a devout Catholic, didn't criticize the Pope's comments. But he said he personally wouldn't "question people's Christianity."
"I think that's a relationship they have with their Lord and savior and themselves. So I just don't think it's appropriate to question Donald Trump's faith," Bush said. "He knows what his faith is."
Trump will appear at the town hall later in the evening. At a rally earlier in the day on Kiawah Island, he said the Pope's statement was "disgraceful."
Bush shrugged off South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's decision this week to endorse his rival, Marco Rubio.
"I'm marking her down as neutral," Bush quipped.
Pressed by Cooper on how he can still convince voters here that he has momentum, Bush insisted that the momentum is there.
"I do have momentum if you look at the polls and if you look at the crowd sizes of our town hall meetings," Bush said. He pointed to the endorsement he won from South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham as a sign of his readiness to be president.
"He could have supported two of his colleagues, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio," Bush said. "He chose me because he believes that I would be ready to serve on day one as commander in chief and as leader of the free world."
A University of South Carolina student told Bush that it seemed to him marijuana was one of the most frequently used drugs on campus, and asked the ex-governor for his stance on legalization.
Bush said he took issue with the term "recreational drug."
"The terminology is probably a little misleading," Bush said, "because of the potency of this generation of marijuana. It has major impacts -- neurological impacts."
He briefly mentioned his daughter's struggles with addiction, and said he believes the government should "focus a little bit more on treatment and a little less on punishment" of individuals convicted on drug-related charges.
One of the more personally revealing moments for Bush came when a questioner asked him to describe how his wife, Columba, has shaped him as a leader. Bush turned to his wife, who was sitting in the audience next to former first lady Barbara Bush, and said, "Sweetie, this is going to be your anniversary present."
He recalled meeting his wife as a young man in Mexico.
"Five o'clock. I can remember exactly where I was on the town square. I can remember exactly what she looked like to this day," Bush said.
The experience of falling for Columba -- "the most beautiful girl I had ever met in my life" -- Bush said, was like being hit with a "lightening bolt."
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John Kasich at CNN town hall: I'm 'pro-Pope'.
John Kasich refused to be drawn into the war of words between Donald Trump and Pope Francis on Thursday.
At CNN's South Carolina Republican town hall, Kasich simply said he was "pro-Pope."
The Ohio governor was responding to a question about comments in which Francis said Trump is "not Christian" if he wants to deport undocumented immigrants and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
"This man has brought more sense of hope and more about the do's in life than the don'ts," Kasich said. "This guy has been so humble."
Trump will appear at the town hall later in the evening. At a rally earlier in the day at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, he said the Pope's statement was "disgraceful."
Kasich opened the CNN event by reflecting on a campaign trail moment that's quickly gone viral. At a forum in Clemson earlier in the day, a tearful young man confessed to Kasich that after suffering personal losses, he had gone through a very dark period in life. Now, he had found hope in the message that Kasich was taking to voters, he said, prompting the governor to hug the man.
"There are a lot of people out there who are lonely," Kasich told moderator Anderson Cooper. "Could you believe that young man?"
He expressed frustration with the frenetic pace of presidential politics and noted how important it is to "slow down" and listen to people in need.
"We've got to slow down," Kasich told Cooper. "You've got to celebrate other people's wins, and sometimes you've got to sit with them and cry."
Kasich is coming off a strong second-place showing in New Hampshire last week, but with his moderate message, there is little expectation that he will have a strong performance here during Saturday's GOP primary.
When one woman in the audience asked whether he would consider appointing any of his fellow White House hopefuls to his Cabinet, Kasich light-heartedly reminded her that it was much too early in the race.
"Well, look. I'm not going to be measuring like, the drapes. I've got a long way to go. We're really, really early," Kasich said.
He did, however, call one former candidate a "terrific guy" who he would consider appointing to his administration: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
"I like him very much," Kasich said, before saying about the rest of the field: "They all deserve an awful lot of respect. I don't want to fight with them."
Jeb Bush will also attend the town hall this evening. The former Florida governor is campaigning hard for a strong showing in this state, bringing both his brother and mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, out on the campaign trail this week.
The town hall comes as Trump continues to hold a sizable lead in South Carolina. A new CNN/ORC poll released this week had the real-estate mogul on top at 38-percent, followed by Cruz at 22-percent, Marco Rubio at 14-percent and Jeb Bush at 10-percent. Ben Carson and Kasich were at the bottom of the pack, at 6-percent and 4-percent, respectively.
Cruz, Rubio and Carson participated in CNN's first South Carolina town hall Wednesday in Greenville.
At that event, Rubio once again accused Cruz of spreading inaccurate information about his record. Cruz shrugged off being called a liar by both Rubio and Trump, saying: "Both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio are following this pattern -- that whenever anyone points to their actual record ... they start screaming liar, liar, liar."
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Marco Rubio explains why he isn't the GOP's Obama
At CNN's GOP town hall, Marco Rubio explains why he is qualified to be commander-in-chief despite being a first term senator.
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Ben Carson weighs in on Apple, Supreme Court at CNN town hall
Struggling to keep his campaign afloat, Ben Carson said at CNN's South Carolina town hall that if he were president in his last year of office, he would nominate someone to replace late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
"I probably would take the opportunity to nominate someone. Doesn't necessarily mean that person will be acted on or confirmed," Carson said Wednesday night, ahead of the Palmetto State's Republican primary on Saturday. "Why not do it?"
The retired neurosurgeon is opening a forum that will also feature two other Republican candidates, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
Carson also weighed in on the ongoing discussions over whether the cell phone of one of the attackers in the San Bernardino mass shooting should be unlocked.
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Obama confronts his political failure on campaign anniversary
Even as he works to accentuate eight years of achievements, President Barack Obama paused Wednesday to highlight where he readily admits he's failed.
Returning to Springfield, Illinois, site of his presidential campaign launch nine years ago, Obama confronted the gaping shortfall between his lofty 2007 rhetoric on changing the country's political discourse, and the reality of politics today: meaner and more divided than ever.
Obama reflected on his time in the Illinois state Senate when he worked with Republicans, even on issues where they didn't agree with. He contrasted that with current political rhetoric, saying in the state Senate they didn't refer to name calling.
"They trusted each other even if they didn't agree," Obama said. "We didn't call each other idiots or fascists who were trying to destroy America."
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Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders clash at CNN town hall
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders traded barbs Wednesday night over who best embodies progressive values.
At a CNN town hall in Derry, New Hampshire, ahead of next Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary, Sanders slammed Clinton, arguing that she's out of step with the party's base on issues ranging from campaign finance to climate change, trade and the Iraq War.
"I do not know any progressive who has a super PAC and takes $15 million from Wall Street," Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "That's just not progressive. As I mentioned earlier, the key foreign policy vote of modern American history was the war in Iraq. The progressive community was pretty united in saying, 'Don't listen to Bush. Don't go to war.' Secretary Clinton voted to go to war."
Clinton shot back in her session following Sanders, quipping that she was "amused" that the Vermont senator appears to consider himself the "gatekeeper on who's progressive."
"So I'm not going to let that bother me," she said. "I know where I stand."
The tough exchange came on a day of escalating tension between Clinton and Sanders. Since Monday night's Iowa caucuses, which Clinton narrowly won, the two have traded sharp words over the ideological direction of the Democratic Party in the post-Barack Obama era. Still, the race isn't nearly as negative as the Republican primary contest, which was dominated on Wednesday by personal attacks among Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson.
One of the more revealing exchanges came when Cooper referred to Sanders' frequent call for a "political revolution" and asked Clinton what would be wrong with that. Clinton paused before responding, "That's for Sen. Sanders to explain."
And, harkening back to one of her most famous quotes from the 1990s, Clinton said she still believes in a "vast right wing conspiracy."
"Don't you?" she asked. "It's gotten even better funded. They brought in some new multi-millionaires to pump the money in."
Meanwhile, Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, defended his own credentials as a member of the Democratic Party, noting that the party's leadership on Capitol Hill has placed him in high-ranking positions on congressional committees.
"Of course I am a Democrat and running for the Democratic nomination," he said.
Sanders: Last night we began the political revolution
Sanders pushed back on the suggestion that Clinton is a better general-election candidate than he would be. The senator, who has drawn massive crowds to his campaign rallies and has somewhat of a cult following among younger voters, said history shows that Democrats win elections when there is large voter turnout.
There is simply more enthusiasm fueling his campaign than Clinton's, he said: "An objective assessment would say there is more excitement and energy in our campaign."
He also took a shot at Trump, calling him a candidate who doesn't support working Americans. But as much as Sanders doesn't like the Republican's agenda, the senator said he would delight in taking him on in November.
"I want Trump to win the Republican nomination and I would love the opportunity to run against him," he said. "I think we would win by a lot."
He also insisted that he's the underdog in the Democratic race despite his commanding lead in New Hampshire polls.
"Of course we're an underdog. We are taking on the most powerful political organization in the country," Sanders told Cooper in another clear swipe at Clinton. "We started this campaign nationally, as you well know, 40, 50, points behind Secretary Clinton ... I think it's fair to say we have come a pretty long way in the last nine months."
Clinton trying to narrow gap in New Hampshire Polls in New Hampshire suggest the primary will not be as close as the nail-biting Democratic caucuses in Iowa. Sanders, exploiting his high favorability in a state that borders his stomping ground of Vermont, has a strong advantage, leading Clinton in the latest CNN Poll of Polls.
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Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders clash at CNN town hall
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders traded barbs Wednesday night over who best embodies progressive values.
At a CNN town hall in Derry, New Hampshire, ahead of next Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary, Sanders slammed Clinton, arguing that she's out of step with the party's base on issues ranging from campaign finance to climate change, trade and the Iraq War.
"I do not know any progressive who has a super PAC and takes $15 million from Wall Street," Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "That's just not progressive. As I mentioned earlier, the key foreign policy vote of modern American history was the war in Iraq. The progressive community was pretty united in saying, 'Don't listen to Bush. Don't go to war.' Secretary Clinton voted to go to war."
Clinton shot back in her session following Sanders, quipping that she was "amused" that the Vermont senator appears to consider himself the "gatekeeper on who's progressive."
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Sanders: Clinton is 'funded by Wall Street'
Bernie Sanders on Wednesday hammered Hillary Clinton's super PAC's fundraising haul, playing up his $3.5 million in individual contributions following the Iowa caucuses.
He pointed to Clinton's Priorities USA Action, which reported raising $25.3 million in the second half of 2015 -- including, Sanders said, $15 million attached to Wall Street interests.
"That is a very significant difference," he said. "Our campaign is funded by the people. To a significant degree, her campaign is funded by Wall Street and big money interests."
Bernie Sanders: Clinton can't have it both ways
Sanders also questioned Clinton's assertion that she is progressive, pointing to the months she waited before announcing her opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and the Keystone XL pipeline.
"Most progressives that I know really do not raise millions of dollars from Wall Street," Sanders said. "Most progressives that I know are firm from day one in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the TPP agreement. They didn't have to think about it a lot. They were opposed to Keystone from day one, they didn't have to vacillate on that issue."
His comments came the day after Sanders said Clinton is progressive on "some days."
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Clinton, Sanders highlight big differences
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders drew sharp contrasts with each other at a CNN Democratic town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday -- exactly one week before voters there attend the first in the nation caucuses.
Clinton said she was "really touched" by President Barack Obama's praise for her in a recent interview as she tried to portray herself as the most effective potential guardian of his legacy. She pushed back against questions that asked why some younger voters are less enthusiastic about her candidacy than that of Sanders. And pressed on whether she was late in addressing income inequality, she said she has spent decades combating inequality of all kinds.
Clinton asked why young people think she's 'dishonest'
"Don't get discouraged," Clinton said. "It's hard. If it were easy, hey, there wouldn't be any contest. But it's not easy. There are very different visions, different values, different forces at work, and you have to have somebody who is a proven fighter -- somebody who has taken them on and won, and kept going, and will do that as president."
Passionate final argument Sanders, meanwhile, hit Clinton hard over Iraq, trade, the Keystone Pipeline and Wall Street regulation as he drove home a passionate final argument to Iowa voters. He sought to portray himself as the true personification of change in the Democratic race for the White House. He argued that though Clinton has wide experience, she was wrong on key issues.
"We need a political revolution," he said. "We are touching a nerve with the American people who understand that establishment politics is just not good enough."
Bernie Sanders' political career 13 photos: Bernie Sanders' political career Sanders dismissed Clinton's political record, seeking to prove he was closer to the Democratic Party base and just as prepared to be president as Clinton.
"I voted against the war in Iraq ... Hillary Clinton voted for the war in Iraq," Sanders said. "I led the effort against Wall Street deregulation. See where Hillary Clinton was on this issue."
"On day one, I said the Keystone Pipeline was a dumb idea. Why did it take Hillary Clinton a long time before she came into opposition to the Keystone Pipeline? I didn't have to think hard about opposing the Trans Pacific Partnership. It took Hillary Clinton a long time to come on board that."
He also warned unapologetically that taxes would rise if he is elected President, especially to pay for his Medicare-for-all health care plan.
Bernie Sanders will raise taxes to pay for health care
Sanders argued, however, that the taxes are worth it, given what American families will save in premiums. And, living up to his image as a self-declared Democratic socialist, he warned corporations and the richest Americans that they would pay more.
"Yes, you are going to start paying for your fair share of taxes," Sanders said. "I demand that Wall Street start paying its fair share of taxes."
Sense of humor For a candidate who has been caricatured as overly serious, Sanders' sense of humor came through at the town hall. He laughed with ease during exchanges with moderator Chris Cuomo and boasted of his athletic prowess as an elementary school basketball player.
Clinton, meanwhile, hugged Obama close, and said she was deeply affected by an interview that Obama conducted with Politico in which he appeared, without making a formal endorsement, to argue Clinton was uniquely qualified for the presidency.
"I was really touched and gratified when I saw that," Clinton said, relating how her relationship with her former 2008 Democratic primary rival developed into a close friendship when she served as his first-term secretary of state.
The Democratic presidential candidates appeared one after the other for a half hour each at the town hall meeting at Drake University. The forum will showcase the contrast emerging between Clinton, the national front-runner and Obama's first secretary of state, and Sanders, who is mounting a stronger than expected challenge.
Long shot candidate Martin O'Malley also appeared on stage and argued that he represented a generational change in politics that neither Sanders nor Clinton could match.
Latest polling Latest polling shows Clinton and Sanders locked in a tight contest in Iowa. In the most recent CNN Poll of Polls, Sanders edges Clinton 46-percent to 44-percent in Iowa, with O'Malley at 4-percent.
Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 50 photos: Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight
And in a new CNN/ORC national poll published on Monday, Clinton led Sanders 52-percent to 38-percent with former Maryland Gov. O'Malley way back on 2-percent. Though the survey showed a significant cushion for Clinton, her advantage was smaller than at any time since September. The poll showed women, non-whites, self-identified Democrats, and those over age 50 breaking sharply for Clinton. Men, white voters, independents who lean Democratic and younger voters are more likely to support Sanders.
The Iowa contest is particularly important to Clinton, who lost the state in 2008, setting in motion Obama's path to the White House. A victory for Sanders could reshape the entire Democratic race while a Clinton win could quell jitters in her camp and help put her on the path to the nomination.
Clinton, however, insisted she wasn't worried.
"I'm proud of the campaign we've run and what we've put out there before the American people," she said. "It's a tough campaign and it should be because it's the toughest job in the world."
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Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders drew sharp contrasts with each other at a CNN Democratic town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday -- exactly one week before voters there attend the first in the nation caucuses.
Clinton said she was "really touched" by President Barack Obama's praise for her in a recent interview as she tried to portray herself as the most effective potential guardian of his legacy. She pushed back against questions that asked why some younger voters are less enthusiastic about her candidacy than that of Sanders. And pressed on whether she was late in addressing income inequality, she said she has spent decades combating inequality of all kinds.
Clinton asked why young people think she's 'dishonest'
Clinton asked why young people think she's 'dishonest' 02:47 "Don't get discouraged," Clinton said. "It's hard. If it were easy, hey, there wouldn't be any contest. But it's not easy. There are very different visions, different values, different forces at work, and you have to have somebody who is a proven fighter -- somebody who has taken them on and won, and kept going, and will do that as president."
Passionate final argument Sanders, meanwhile, hit Clinton hard over Iraq, trade, the Keystone Pipeline and Wall Street regulation as he drove home a passionate final argument to Iowa voters. He sought to portray himself as the true personification of change in the Democratic race for the White House. He argued that though Clinton has wide experience, she was wrong on key issues.
"We need a political revolution," he said. "We are touching a nerve with the American people who understand that establishment politics is just not good enough."
Bernie Sanders' political career 13 photos: Bernie Sanders' political career Sanders dismissed Clinton's political record, seeking to prove he was closer to the Democratic Party base and just as prepared to be president as Clinton.
"I voted against the war in Iraq ... Hillary Clinton voted for the war in Iraq," Sanders said. "I led the effort against Wall Street deregulation. See where Hillary Clinton was on this issue."
"On day one, I said the Keystone Pipeline was a dumb idea. Why did it take Hillary Clinton a long time before she came into opposition to the Keystone Pipeline? I didn't have to think hard about opposing the Trans Pacific Partnership. It took Hillary Clinton a long time to come on board that."
READ: Town hall fact check
He also warned unapologetically that taxes would rise if he is elected President, especially to pay for his Medicare-for-all health care plan.
Bernie Sanders will raise taxes to pay for health care
Bernie Sanders will raise taxes to pay for health care 00:59 "We will raise taxes. Yes we will," Sanders said.
Sanders argued, however, that the taxes are worth it, given what American families will save in premiums. And, living up to his image as a self-declared Democratic socialist, he warned corporations and the richest Americans that they would pay more.
"Yes, you are going to start paying for your fair share of taxes," Sanders said. "I demand that Wall Street start paying its fair share of taxes."
Sense of humor For a candidate who has been caricatured as overly serious, Sanders' sense of humor came through at the town hall. He laughed with ease during exchanges with moderator Chris Cuomo and boasted of his athletic prowess as an elementary school basketball player.
Clinton, meanwhile, hugged Obama close, and said she was deeply affected by an interview that Obama conducted with Politico in which he appeared, without making a formal endorsement, to argue Clinton was uniquely qualified for the presidency.
"I was really touched and gratified when I saw that," Clinton said, relating how her relationship with her former 2008 Democratic primary rival developed into a close friendship when she served as his first-term secretary of state.
The Democratic presidential candidates appeared one after the other for a half hour each at the town hall meeting at Drake University. The forum will showcase the contrast emerging between Clinton, the national front-runner and Obama's first secretary of state, and Sanders, who is mounting a stronger than expected challenge.
Long shot candidate Martin O'Malley also appeared on stage and argued that he represented a generational change in politics that neither Sanders nor Clinton could match.
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O'Malley: We need to shake out of 'this trickle-down nonsense'
O'Malley to critics: I'm in it to win it
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Bernie Sanders: We need a political revolution
During the Iowa Democratic town hall, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders talks about why his campaign has become so popular.
Bernie Sanders confronts the 'electability' question
Bernie Sanders unapologetically warned on Monday that taxes would rise if he is elected President, an admission that could please his liberal base but trigger criticism from Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Speaking at an intimate Democratic town hall in Des Moines broadcast by CNN, Sanders was asked how he would pay for his single-payer, Medicare-for-all proposal.
"We will raise taxes. Yes we will," Sanders said.
Sanders argued, however, that the taxes are worth it, given what American families will save in premiums. And, living up to his image as a self-declared Democratic socialist, he warned corporations and the richest Americans that they would pay more.
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Democratic Presidential Candidates in this debate: Hillary Clinton, Former Secretary of State Martin O'Malley, Former Governor of Maryland Bernie Sanders, United States Senator
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Opening Debate Candidates: Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana Rick Santorum, Former United States Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator from South Carolina George Pataki, Former Governor of New York
About the arrangement of candidates Candidates are arrange by position in the polls Closer, more intimate.
CNNDebate
Trump: "I could tone it down a little tonight."
Question: Is Jindal wrong for attackin his party's front-runner? Candidates come out swinging at Trump: He's not a Republican.
Question to Lindsey Graham: Why would so many of your constituents rather have Donald Trump as the GOP nominee than you?
Question, Hugh Hewitt to George Pataki: Would you vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump? Pataki: Look what Trump did to Atlantic city? Five-thousand people lost their jobs.
Question: Do voters see your service in government as a liability and not an asset? Graham: I hope you believe that experience matters.
Question, Dana Bash to Rick Santorum: Why would you disagree with Jindals support for a secure pathway to citizenship once the border is secure? Santorum: We should be asking what is in the best interest of American and the Americans here. Jindal: I'm not for amnesty.
Question: Why do you disagree with Graham's support for ending birthright citizenship? Pataki: We need an intelligent immigration policy. Graham: We're not going to deport 11 million people. We start with criminals and ensuring immigrants learn to speak English. Graham: Amnesty does nothing.
Question to Bobby Jindal: Does the U.S. have any obligation to allow thousands of refugees fleeing ISIS into this country? Jindal: We are going to hunt down ISIS. America is the most compassionate nation in the world. Jindal: Insist on assimilation and integration into this country. Graham: I'm blaming Barak Obama for this mess. I'm going to fix it.
Question, Dana Bash to Graham: Do you believe the other candidates on stage aren't fit for the Oval Office? Graham: We need a regional army to defeat ISIS or they are coming here. Santorum: Once ISIS established territorial integrity they are able to recruit for jihad. Jindal: These are barbarians. We need to hunt them down and kill them.
Question, Jake Tapper to Jindal: How do you strike a balance between security vigilance and anti-Muslim discrimination? Jindal: We're at war today radical Islamic terrorists.
Question: Was Pataki right to say he'd fire the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses?
Question: Can Graham effectively be the GOP nominee after calling Hillary Clinton a "great choice" to be Secretary of State? Jindal: It's time to be bring term limits.
Question: Trump and Bush want to raise taxes on hedge fund managers; do you agree? Pataki: I would throw out the entire corrupt tax code. Jindal: I am for ending carve outs. Flat tax code, yes.
Question: Would you offer a tax plan like Bush's proposal that limits home mortgage deductions? Santorum: I'm proposing a 20/20 plan. 200n income tax, corporate tax and capital gains. Pataki: I would keep the home mortgage deduction.
Question: Is Santorum wrong for supporting an increase in the federal minimum wage?
Question: Would you authorize a military strike on Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons? Graham: The worst nightmare in the world is a radical Islamist with a nuclear weapon.
Question, Hugh Hewitt for Pataki: Santorum says that nuclear scientists who develop a bomb for Iran should be warned they aren't safe; would that work? Pataki: We are going to reject this deal on day one. Santorum: A nuclear Iran is the end.
Question: Is a confrontation approach to Russia's Vladimir Putin better than Trump's approach of negotiation? Jindal: It's time to have representatives in Washington, D.C. that have a backbone.
Qeustion: What can you offer that no other candidate can offer? Pataki: I can get broad support and win this election with a sweeping conservative agenda. Santorum: I went to Washington as an outsider and can shake it up. Jindal: I'm a doer not a talker. I understand what's at stake. Graham: I will win a war that we can't afford to lose.
Contributors and guests during this debate are Sara Murray, CNN Political Correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, CNN Senior Washington Correspondent
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This series kicks off on September 16th with the Republican Presidential Candidate Debate from the Reagan Library.
In this promo for the series, CNN's Jake Tapper welcomes you to what will be an ever growing collection of podcasts focused on the 2016 Presidential campaign and the many debates that will come before the nominations and election.
You'll be able to listen to all of our debates from the 2016 Presidential campaign. Once the debate on CNN TV is over you will get the full unedited audio here, within 30 minutes. We'll also give you some special shows with analysis about the debates and campaign from time to time. So click subscribe, and follow along with us as CNN covers the 2016 Presidential campaign like nobody else can. . . on TV, online, in our mobile apps, and now podcasts too.
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