From nbc news, the democratic president ial debate. Live from las vegas, nevada. [ applause ] good evening, everyone, im lester holt, welcome to las vegas. Everything is on the line tonight, with just three days before the critical nevada caucuses. Here with me on the stage tonight, nbc news moderator of meet the press, chuck todd. And white house chief msnbc correspondent hallie jackson. Also, vanessa ock. And john ralston who has covered nevada politics for more than three decades. The rules are this tonight, candidates will get 1 15 to answer each question, and 45 seconds for followups. Now that the stage has narrowed to six candidates, we encourage each of you to directly engage with each other on the issues. Lets get to our first question. Since the last time you all shared the stage, senator sanders has surged into the lead nationally in the democratic race, and theres a new person on the stage tonight, mayor michael bloomberg, a former republican who spent millions of his own dollars to run in this race. What hasnt changed, a majority of democratic voters still say their top priority is beating President Trump. Senator sanders, the first question to you, mayor bloomberg is pitching himself as a centrist, who says hes best positioned to win in november. Why is your revolution a better bet . In order to beat donald trump, were going to need the largest voter turnout in the history of the United States. Mr. Bloomberg had policies in new york city of stop and frisk, which went after africanamerican and latino people in an outrageous way. That is not a way youre going to grow voter turnout. What our movement is about is bringing working class people together, black and white and latino, native american, asianamerican around an agenda that works for all of us and not just the billionaire class. And that agenda says that maybe just maybe we should join the rest of the industrialized world, guarantee health care to all people as a human right. Raise that minimum wage to a living wage of 15 an hour, and have the guts to take on the fossil fuel industry. Because their short term profits are not more important than the future of this planet and the need to combat Climate Change. Those are some of the reasons we have the strongest kparn to defeat donald trump. So i mayor bloomberg, can senator sanders beat President Trump . I dont think theres any chance of the senator beating President Trump. You dont start out by saying i have 160 Million People im going to take away the Insurance Plan that they love. Thats just not a way that you go and Start Building the coalition that the sanders camp thinks they can do. I dont think theres any chance whatsoever. And if he goes and is the candidate, we will have donald trump for another four years, and we cant stand that. Id like to talk about who were running against. A billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse faced lesbians, and no im not talking about donald trump, im talking about mayor bloomberg. Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women. And of supporting racist policies like red lining and stop and frisk. Look, ill support whoever the democratic nominee is, but understand this. Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another. This country has worked for the rich for a long time. And left everyone else in the dirt. It is time to have a president who will be on the side of working families and be willing to get out there and fight for them. That is why i am in this race. And that is how i will beat donald trump. Senator, we have to go to senator klobuchar, what do you think the path is from this stage to the white house . I think the path is a high voter turnout. Im the one on this stage who had the highest voter turnout, when i led the ticket, as well as bringing in rural and suburban voters, and ive done that as well. Im the only one with the receipts to have done that in republican Congressional Districts over and over again. I want to say this, i welcomed mayor bloomberg to the stage. I thought that he shouldnt be hiding behind his tv ads. So i was already for this big day. And then i looked at the memo from his Campaign Staff this morning, and it said he thought three of us should get out of the way. That is what his campaign said. Because we should pave the way for him to become the nominee. I have been told as a woman, someone no one thought would still be standing up on this stage, but i am because of pure grit and the people out there. Ive been told many times to wait my turn and to step aside. And im not going to do that know. And im not going to do that because a Campaign Memo from mayor bloomberg said this morning, that the only way we get a nominee is if we step aside for him. I think we need Something Different than donald trump. I dont think you look at donald trump and say, we need somebody richer in the white house. Mayor bloomberg, heres your opportunity to respond. Who can beat donald trump. And who can do the job if they get into the white house. I would argue i am the candidate that can do both of those things. I am a new yorker, i know how to take on an arrogant conman like donald trump, that comes from new york. Im a mayor. Was a mayor. I know how to win a complicated diverse city. Im a manager, i knew what to do after 9 11 and brought the city back stronger than ever. Im a philanthropist who didnt inhair ilt his money but made his money. And im 13e7bding that money to get rid of donald trump the worst president weve ever had. If i can get that done, it will be a great contribution to america and my kids. In terms of who can beat donald trump, it says joe biden is best equipped to beat donald trump. It says i can beat him in those tossup states too, the states we have to win. Im ahead by 8 points across the board. In terms of being able to beat donald trump. Im better positioned to beat him in your poll. The mayor says that he has a great record. The fact of the matter is, he has not managed his city very, very well when he was there. He didnt get a lot done. He has stop and frisk, throwing close to 5 million young black men up against a wall. And when we came along in our administration and said, were going to send in a moderator a mediator to stop it, he said, thats unnecessary. Were going to get a chance to talk about the mayors record, but in terms of who is best prepared to beat donald trump, look at your poll and what it says. Mayor buttigieg, you want to weighin . We have to wake up as a party. The only candidates left standing will be Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg. The two most polarizing figures on this stage. And most americans dont see where they fit if they have to choose between a socialist who thinks capital inch is the root of all evil, and a billionaire that thinks power ought to be the root of all power. Lets put forward someone whos actually a democrat. Look we shouldnt have to choose between one candidate who wants to burn this party down and another candidate who wants to buy this party out. We can do better. Senator sanders, are you polarizing . If speaking to the needs and the pain of a long neglected working class is polarizing, i think you got the wrong word. What we are trying finally to do is to give a voice to people who after 45 years of work are not making a nickel more than they did 45 years ago. We are giving a voice to people who are saying, were sick and tired of billionaires like mr. Bloomberg, seeing huge expansions of their wealth while a half a Million People sleep out on the street tonight. What we are saying, maybe its time for the working class for this country to have a little bit of power in washington, rather than your Billionaire Campaign contributors. First of all. Its okay. My campaign is fueled by hundreds of thousands of contributors. Including 46 billionaires. Among the hurricanes of thousands of contributors. And look, weve got to unite this country to deal with these issues, youre not the only one who cares about the working class, most americans believe we need to empower workers. As a matter of fact, youre the one who is at war with the Culinary Union right here in las vegas. We have the support of unions all across this country. The division im putting forward has the support of American People. We can deliver Health Care Without taking it away from anyone. We can empower workers and lift wages without polarizing this country. And we can build a Movement Without having legions of our supporters online and in person. Democratic figures and Union Leaders alike. Senator warren, i have a question for you. Vice President Biden accused senator sanders supporters of bullying Union Leaders here with malicious, vicious, misogynistic things. Are senator sanders and making it harder to unify in november . Ive said many times before, we are all responsible for our supporters and we need to step up. Thats what leadership is all about. But the way we are going to lead this country and beat donald trump is going to be with a candidate who has rocksolid values and who actually gets something done. When mayor bloomberg was busy blaming africanamericans and latinos for the housing crash of 2008, i was right here in las vegas, literally, just a few blocks down the street, Holding Hearings on the banks that were taking away homes from millions of families. Thats when i met mr. Estrada, one of your neighbors. He came in to testify, and he said he thought hed done everything right with wells fargo. But what had happened . They took away his house in a matter of weeks. This man stood there and cried while he talked about what it was like to tell his two little daughters that they might not be in their elementary school, that they might be living out of their van. I spent the next years making sure that would never happen again. Wall street fought us every inch of the way on a consumer agency. They lost. And i won. We need a candidate with unshakeable values and a candidate who can actually get something done for working people. Thank you, senator. Thats why im in this race, and thats how ill beat donald trump. Senator sanders. We have over 10. 6 Million People on twitter and 99. 9 of them are decent human beings, are working people, are people who believe in justice, compassion, and love. And if there are a few people who make ugly remarks, who attack trade Union Leaders, i disown those people, they are not part of our movement. Let me also say what i hope my friends up here will agree with is that if you look at the wild west of the internet, talk to some of the africanamerican women on my campaign. Talk to senator nina turner. Talk to others. And find the vicious, racist, sexist attacks that are coming their way as well. So i would hope that all of us understand that we should do everything we possibly can to end the viciousness and ugliness on the internet. Our campaign is about issues. Its about fighting for the working families and the middle class. It is not about vicious attacks on other people. Senator, when you say that you disown these attacks, and you didnt personally direct them, i believe you. Well, thank you. But at a certain point youve got to ask yourself, why did this pattern arise . Why is it especially the case among your supporters. I dont think it is especially the case, by the way. Thats just not true. No. If you want to talk to some of the women on my campaign, what you will see is the most ugly sexist, racist attacks that are i wont even describe them here, theyre so disgusting. Let me Say Something else, not being too paranoid. All of us remember 2016. And what we meant what we remember is efforts by russians and others to try to interfere in our election. And divide us up. Im not saying thats happening. But it would not shock me. I saw some of those tweets regarding the culinary workers union. I have a 30year, 100 prounion voting record. You think i would support or anybody supports me would be attacking Union Leaders . Its not nibble. Leadership is about what you draw out of people, its about how you inspire people to act. Right now were in this toxic political environment. Leadership isnt just about policy. I think, at least in broad terms, were largely pulling in the same direction on policy. But leadership is also about how you motivate people to treat other people. I think you have to accept some responsibility and ask yourself what it is about your campaign in particular that seems to be motivating this behavior more than others. Because in order to turn the page on the trump era, were going to need a president , not just a candidate who can win but a president , who moves forward i have an idea how we could stopn e internet, we could nomat candidate of president of the United States. That could go a long way. Really what is at the core of this issue between senator sanders and the Culinary Union, these are hardworking people, housekeepers like elizabeth and i met with last night, who have Health Care Plans that have been negotiated over time, sweat, and blood. And that is the truth for so Many Americans right now. Senator, thank you. There are 149 million americans that would lose their Current Health insurance senator klobuchar, thank you. Under senator sanders bill, thats what it says on page 8. And i dont think we should forget that. I want to turn it over to my colleague chuck todd. Senator sanders, i want to stay on this topic on the issue with the Culinary Union. Obviously their leaders are warning their members about that your Health Care Plan will take away their Health Care Plan, take away private insurance completely. There are some democrats who like you a lot but worry that this plan, medicare for all, is going to take away private insurance and that it goes too far. Are they right . No. Let me be very clear. Two points. For 100 years, from Teddy Roosevelt to barack obama, this country has been talking about the need to guarantee health care for all people. And yet today, despite spending twice as much per capita, chuck, twice as much, as any other major country on earth, we got 87 million who are uninsured or underinsured. We got over 60,000 people who die every year because they dont get to a doctor on time. Were getting ripped off outrageously by the greed and corruption of the pharmaceutical industry which in some cases charges us 10 times more for the same drugs because of their price fixing. 500,000 people go bankrupt every year because they cant afford medical bills. Let me be very clear for my good friends in the culinary workers union, a great union. I will never sign a bill that will reduce the Health Care Benefits they have. We will only expand it for them, for every union in america, and for the working class of this country. Senator warren, you were all in on medicare for all, then you have since came up with a transition plan. Is it because of the impact on unions . I want to be clear. Ive been to the Culinary Unions health care facilities. Theyre terrific. You dont want to shut them down, you want to expand them, you want to see them all across nevada, all across this country. But we need to get everybodys Health Care Plan out here. Mayor buttigieg really has a slogan that was thought up by his consultants to paper over a thin version of a plan that would leave millions of people unable to afford their health care. Its not a plan, its a power point. And amys plan is even less. Its like a postit note, insert plan here. Bernie has started very much has a good start. But instead of expanding and bringing in more people to help, instead his campaign relentlessly attacks everyone who asks a question or tries to fill in details about how to actually make this work. And then his own advisers say, eh, probably wont happen anyway. Look, health care is a crisis in this country. We need my approach to this is we need as much help for as many people as quickly as possible. And bring in as many supporters as we can. And if we dont get it all the first time, take the win and come back into the fight to ask for more. Guys, im going to get everybody in. They need our help on this. Mayor buttigieg, she name checked you first, ill let you go first. Name checked me second. Well, okay. You too. Im more of a microsoft word guy. If you look at my plan, i dont know if there are any power points on it but you definitely find the document on peteforamerica. Com. Youll see that it is a plan that solves the plan, makes sure there is no such thing as an uninsured american, and does it without kicking anybody off the plan that they have. This idea that the Union Members dont know whats good for them is the exact kind of conned sense and arrogance that makes people skeptical of the policies weve been putting forward. Here we have a plan that the majority of americans support. Do you realize how historic that is . That the American People already in a way far beyond what was true even 10 years ago in what was available to president obama at the time, a powerful american Majority Ready to undertake the biggest, most progressive reform weve had in health care in 50 years, just so long as we dont force it on anybody. What is wrong with that . Can i respond to that . Senator klobuchar. I think the postit note came first, senator. I must say i take personal offense, since postit notes were invented in my state. 3m. So my plan is a public option. And according to all the studi