22 Zingy and WTF Moments From the Third Democratic Debate
Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley took the stage at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, Saturday to take part in the third Democratic debate — and the second Democratic debate in a row scheduled in the television ratings boneyard of a Saturday evening. The debate came just two days after the Sanders campaign was found to be improperly accessing Clinton campaign data in a DNC database, and one day after the Sanders campaign filed a lawsuit against the DNC for revoking its access to that database, alleging the organization was trying to “tip the scales” in Clinton’s favor.
It wasn’t Sanders or Clinton, though, who seemed to be smarting for a fight on Saturday: Martin O’Malley battled valiantly against moderators David Muir and Martha Raddatz to make his voice heard, but the force was strong with Hillary Clinton. She clocked 45 minutes of speaking time, ten minutes more than Bernie Sanders and a full 22 minutes more than the former governor of Maryland, according to Politico.
Here were the top moments of the evening.
1. “We should never surrender [our principles] to fascist pleas of billionaires with big mouths.” -Martin O’Malley, apparently referencing Donald Trump
2. “He’s becoming ISIS’s best recruiter.” -Hillary Clinton, also referencing Trump
3. “Yes. I apologize.” -Bernie Sanders, for improperly accessing Clinton campaign data
4. “ISIL training videos are telling lone wolves the easiest way to buy a combat assault weapon in America is at a gun show, and it’s because of the flip-flopping, political approach of Washington that both of my two colleagues on this stage have represented there for the last 40 years.” -Martin O’Malley
5. “Let’s calm down a little bit, Martin.” -Bernie Sanders, following O’Malley’s impassioned answer about guns
6. “Yes, let’s tell the truth, Martin.” -Hillary Clinton, in response to the same speech
7. “Let’s maybe have some rules here, commentators.” -Bernie Sanders
8. “I applaud his record in Maryland, I just wish he wouldn’t misrepresent mine.” -Hillary Clinton on Martin O’Malley
9. “Nope. Not yet, Gov. O’Malley. I’ll call on you when we come to you.” -Moderator Martha Raddatz
10. “Maybe the backdoor is the wrong door.” -Hillary Clinton on encryption
11. “I worry that the secretary is too much into regime change and a little bit too aggressive without knowing what the unintended consequences might be.” -Bernie Sanders
12. “With all due respect, senator, you voted for regime change with respect to Libya.” -Hillary Clinton
13. “May I offer a different generation’s perspective on this?” -Martin O’Malley, in response to a Bernie Sanders answer on ISIS