Donald trump a oneterm president. So what changed thursday night . Did the frontrunners solidify their positions or give new hope to the challengers . Pete buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar are here today. The gop response from texas senator ted cruz plus our powerhouse roundtable. Well break down the politics, smoke out the spin, the facts that matter this week. Announcer from abc news, its this week. Here now, chief anchor, George Stephanopoulos. Good morning, and welcome to this week. The top ten democratic contenders shared the same stage for the first Time Thursday night. Who won, who lost, how much changed not entirely clear. Probably the way it should be still five months from the first votes. What is clear, the ideological and political debate that divides this field is far from settled. The candidates and the democratic voters are now vying for all wanting to defeat President Trump. What it takes to win, what comes next, the big open questions. Two of the candidates are here today. We begin with the mayor of south bend, Pete Buttigieg, mayor, thank you for joining us this morning. Thanks, good to be with you. I want to get to the debate but first that breaking news from the persian gulf. Those drone attacks on the Saudi Oil Facilities that threaten a big discorruption in the global oil supply. Weve seen secretary of state mike pompeo call out iran. President trump called the Saudi Crown Prince with a message of support. If you were in the oval office right now, how would you respond . If i were in the oval office, my focus would be on making sure this doesnt escalate into further instability, conflict and not only danger to World Oil Supply but danger to peace. Look, right now, there is more than enough destabilizing the middle east and the persian gulf without fears that a president could destabilize it further with the next tweet. We need to make sure right now that we create options to prevent things from escalating further, and since this appears to be spillover from the yemen conflict, making sure that the United States is playing a constructive role in guiding that conflict toward resolution thats the question. What is that constructive role on both fronds towards saudi arabia and iran, on the one hand, many analysts have said the United States is giving too much unequivocal support to saudi arabia over the last several years. On the other hand, iran has also been a destabilizing factor there. President trump had considered this french proposal to extend a line of credit to iran, ease the sanctions in return for a meeting. Would you do that . Well, it makes sense to use whatever leverage we have with iran. The problem is the president has actually reduced our leverage by unilaterally removing us from the iran nuclear deal, the jcpoa. Look, the good news in a case like this when you think about the United States ability to be a constructive force is that we have leverage with both sides. We have leverage with the saudis because of our alliance and have had leverage with iran. The problem is, were either taking our own options off the table or not using them well. Youve seen the saudis telling the limits of our friendship with things like the killing of an american resident and journalist and weve seen iran responding i would say predictably with escalation and provocation after what the president did to take us out of the nuclear deal. Were moving in the wrong direction but its not too late for us to be a constructive force toward peace and stability in the region. I want to stay on Foreign Policy and thursday nights discussion of afghanistan. You said the u. S. Must stop endless wars and then added this if theres one thing weve learned about afghanistan, from afghanistan, its that the best way not to be caught up in endless war is to avoid starting one in the first place. The wall street journal called that a startling claim. The idea that the United States started this war. What did you mean by that . Wasnt the war started by Osama Bin Laden from afghanistan . Of course, it was, and thats why we acted in afghanistan and rightly so. What im saying is that wars are extremely difficult to end. You know, today is the day that i left afghanistan five years ago, and i thought i was one of the very last troops there. We are still there. We are still debating how to get out. So the lesson is when were looking at the possibility of new conflicts erupting like some of the talk around iran, wed better remember how hard it was and is to resolve even a war that we had no choice but to be drawn into. So when you say the u. S. Started the war, you just misspoke . I did not say the u. S. Started war. What im saying is the lesson is that wars are difficult to end, but lets be very clear, we went to war in afghanistan because the United States was attacked, and right now our mission in afghanistan should be to ensure that we are never again attacked as a consequence of something happening in that country. Something i believe we can achieve without an openended commitment of ground troops. How do you feel about the debate three days out . I was struck by something David Axelrod told the New York Times today. He said that he felt that no one made the broadest, most appealing case for change on that stage. Do you agree . Well, in my biased opinion i, of course, think i did. Look, what we need is ideas that are bold enough to actually meet the challenge of the moment were in and also capable of unifying the country. Its why, for example, i described how medicare for all who want it can work in a way that creates that public alternative, gets everybody covered, but unlike the medicare for all vision that senator sanders and warren have, it doesnt dictate that to the American People and risk further polarizing them which is difficult as a governing strategy not just politically speaking. Look, we need to unify this country. Its not going to be about papering over our differences or watering down our values. Its forming solutions that engage the american majority. Sometimes from following Politics Today you would forget that there is an american majority that believes that we need universal health care. There is an american majority for gun law, commonsense gun law thats going to save american lives. There is an american majority for immigration reform, higher wages, choice, pretty much everything that our party is advancing. Shame on us if we cant get and gather a majority of americans who already agree with us on a majority of issues and use that not only to win an election but to govern well. You jumped on one of the contenders, Julian Castro, after he made that inaccurate suggestion that Vice President biden didnt remember what he was saying at the debate. But it did raise all these questions again about Vice President bidens age and fitness for office and cory booker right after the debate had this to say on that. This is a lot of people who are concerned about joe bidens ability to carry the ball all the way across the end line without fumbling. At one point hes talking about people in communities like mine listening to record players. I dont remember the last time i saw a record player. Do you share that concern . Thats for the voters to decide. Look, each one of us is competing based on our abilities and based on our vision and i think the candidate who has the best abilities and vision is going to prevail. I think we can lay out the differences without hitting below the belt, and thats what i plan to continue to do as a candidate. You have made this case for generational change. And thats one of your big pitches. Youre only 37 years old. One of the other candidates, andrew yang, told the cedar rapids gazette, its difficult for someone born in the 1940s to have a natural understanding of the problems facing America Today. Is that part of your pitch as well . I dont think that anyone should be disqualified as long as youre old enough constitutionally to run, which means being over 35. I do think that coming from a newer generation, coming from my generation gives you a different kind of perspective on some of these issues. Look, when we talk about, for example, the fact that by 2050 we have got to be Carbon Neutral as an economy, you know, lord willing, im planning to be here to see if we made it happen. I have a very personal stake in issues from that to the debt and the deficit. Something thats not a fashionable topic among democrats but certainly for my generation that expects to be here when some of these fiscal time bombs go off. A real concern. And i think that perspective needs to be at the table right now at a time when around the world were seeing more and more elected leaders from france to new zealand to el salvador coming from my generation when three out of the last four president s were born within a few weeks of each other. Finally while you were on the statement thursday night in houston, the president was in baltimore giving one of his campaign rallytype speeches, and it included some digs at you. Lets listen. They say, buttigieg is two points up in the state of texas against President Trump. I said, i dont think so. Do you think buttigieg is winning texas . Ive had him up to here. Whats the best way to respond to that bluster . I mean, you cant take it that seriously other than im very curious to know what pollster let him know that im beating him in texas by two points. Thats news to me but its very good news if its true. Mayor buttigieg, thanks for joining us this morning. Thank you. We are joined now by minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar. Thanks for joining us this morning. I think youre in iowa. Thanks, george. I want to begin with breaking news with you as well on something you had direct involvement in as a member of the Senate Judiciary committee the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh. The New York Times has a new report out revealing a separate sexual allegation from his time at yale that was not investigated by the fbi and that the fbi failed to interview at least 25 people who may have had corroborating information on the allegations against kavanaugh. Julian castro put a tweet out on that overnight saying, its more clear than ever that Brett Kavanaugh lied under oath. He should be impeached and congress should review the failure of the department of justice to properly investigate the matter. Just a couple of minutes ago the president weighed in as well saying that democrats are telling lies about him. Kavanaugh should sue and that democrats are trying to influence his opinion. Do you believe this is grounds for impeachment . Should the Justice Department be reviewed . My views on Justice Kavanaugh are very clear, george. I think most people remember my questioning of the justice when he went so far as to ask me if i blacked out and had to apologize to me. I strongly opposed him based on his views on executive power which will continue to haunt our country as well as how he behaved including the allegations that we are hearing more about today. My concern here is that the process was a sham. I dont think you can look at impeachment hearings without getting the documents that the house would have to get the documents and the attorney general is shielding documents. If you recall, we were given this moment just a few days every other hour to look at the documents related to other allegations that have been called in on the fbi tip line. I cant reveal what we saw. But i can tell you it was documents of this size, and you could only look at one copy while other senators were in there, and it was a mix, not triaged, many calls to a tip line mixed in with actual calls from people that seemed to have information. I think the whole thing was a sham and that those documents need to be turned over as well as the documents that the white house hid from his time in the white house counsels office, all of that needs to come forward to even look at a proceeding like that, and to do any of this, george, you need a new president. You need a new attorney general that respects the law and that is just not happening with this guy. So i go back to the fundamental case i made at the debate, i dont want to be the president for half america. I want to be the president for all of america. And to win and move this country forward on those things, the mayor was just talking about on Climate Change and some order in how we deal with the rest of the world and doing something about health care and pharmaceutical prices, you need to fire up our base, yes, theyre fired up, but bring in moderate republicans and independents, something i have shown time and time again i can do. Youve done it in the state of minnesota but there is a real tension there between the two sides of your message thursday night. On the one hand you said you want to be the candidate for those who feel stuck in the middle of extremes in politics and on the other a house divided cant stand and democrats are united. Fundamentally arent democrats as we saw on that stage divided on some of the biggest issues we face right now from health care to guns . We have different views on policy but i what unites us is stronger. We dont want to throw out the Affordable Care act and put people out with preexisting conditions so that they cant get insurance. Thats what the president wants to do. We want to move on pharmaceuticals, but the point that i made here was that if you want to throw 149 Million People off of their insurance and thats the Sanders Warren bill, if you want to throw them off in four years, well, then im not your candidate because i dont think you should be throwing people off their current insurance in four years, and if you want to have a 16 trillion plan and a 20 trillion economy then im not your candidate, but if you want to move forward with someone with bold ideas thats going to do something about health care and believes that the work doesnt end on election day but begins on inauguration day, then sign up with me. You heard senator warrens response on thursday night, quote, no one likes their insurance companies. Is that an adequate response to the concern you raised . No. Of course, theres major issues with insurance companies, and i would push them, and i would have a nonprofit, noninsurance Company Option to bring the prices down. Thats what barack obama wanted to do from the very beginning with a public option and ive been pushing those pharmaceutical Companies Since then and i day i get in as president , id be able to get it done. Allow seniors to negotiate better prices for their drugs and make sure we can bring in less expensive drugs from other countries. But the answer that they have and it is on page 8 of the bill as i pointed out at the debate literally says that in four years 149 million americans would not be able to have their current insurance. I dont think thats what people want. I dont think its a bold idea. I think its a bad idea. You also saw that big idea from beto orourke on thursday night calling for a mandatory buyback. You said youd prefer a voluntary buyback and we should focus on extending background checks right now. But how concerned are you that the ideas being pushed are actually going to push the Democratic Party over the course of this primary fight into a place where its going to be much more difficult to win the general election . We just had massive shootings and a loss of life that was unprecedented in texas, in ohio, at a festival in california. So i want to make clear, i want to see an assault weapon ban. Ive supported that way back when i was prosecutor and took that with me based on the everyday gun violence i saw in minnesota. I brought that to the senate. So i think the smartest thing to do is, one, right now push Mitch Mcconnell to allow for votes on universal background checks and my bill to not allow domestic abusers to get guns. Then when im president , i will get that assault weapon ban passed as well as a limit on magazines. If we had those in place, that dayton shooter wouldnt have been able to kill all those people in 30 seconds. And i do prefer a voluntary buyback. I think thats a smarter way to do this, and i dont really look at the politics of this, george. I look at after battling this for years and leading on this and sitting across from President Trump in the white house and watching while for nine times he told me he wanted to see universal background checks and then meeting with the nra the next day and folding, im tired of this. I will be a president that wont fold, and i want to get things done for the people of this country. Youre getting some good reviews for your performance on thursday night but youre still stuck near the bottom of the pack in the polls. How do you build on that . Whats your breakout strategy . Well, i think it started on that debate night because i had an opportunity with just ten people up there for people to see my vision for the country and how i can win this and how we dont just need to win the presidency, we also have to win the senate, and that means winning in states like colorado and arizona and alabama and how important that is to get things done. And that gave me that moment where here in iowa today opening offices in Council Bluffs and other places and then from there, im doing a blue wall tour to show those states like pennsylvania and michigan and wisconsin that we need to win to win this election. And so my argument is im from the middle of the country. I was one of only three women up on that stage and also im som