HOUSTON — The 10 highest-polling 2020 Democratic Presidential candidates are take the stage for the ABC News and Univision debate in Houston.
Here's how the night is unfolding:
9:30 p.m.: What have you learned from personal setbacks
Biden: "My dad had an expression. He said, 'Joey, it's not a question of succeeding, whether you get knocked down, it's how quickly you get up.' And he said, 'you never explain and never complain.'"
Warren: Talks about her love for teaching ... "I've known what I wanted to be since second grade" ... but by the time she graduated high school she says her family didn't have money for a college application ... "Here's resilience. I said, 'I'll go to law school.' ... I practiced law for about 45 minutes and then went back to my first love, teaching. And that's the reason I'm standing here today is because I got back up, I fought back. "
Sanders: "Resilience, to me, means growing up in a rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn. The son of an immigrant who came to this country without a nickel in his pocket. Professional resilience means, to me, running for U.S. Senate in Vermont and getting 1% of the vote."
Buttigieg: "As a military officer serving under 'Don't ask, Don't tell', and as an elected official in the state of Indiana when Mike Pence was governor, at a certain point, when it came to professional setbacks, I’d wonder whether just acknowledging who I was, was going to be the ultimate career-ending professional setback."
Yang: "I was an unhappy lawyer for five whole months, and I left to start a business. My company flopped. I lost investors, hundreds of thousands of dollars, I still owed 100,000 in school debt. But I kept working in small growth companies for another 10 years and eventually had some success. After I had some success, I still remembered how hard it was."
O'Rourke: "Everything that I've learned about resilience I've learned from my hometown of El Paso. In the face of an act of terror that was directed at our community, in large part by the president of the United States, that killed 22 people and injured many more, we were not defeated by that, nor were we defined by that."
9:27 p.m.: Protesters interrupt the debate; are removed from the debate hall after nearly a minute of yelling; Biden was in the middle of answering a question when the protests broke out
9:20 p.m.: Social injustice
9:05 p.m.: Public Education
Yang: "We need to pay teachers more, because the data clearly shows that a good teacher is worth his or her weight in gold."
Buttigeig: "Step one is appoint a secretary of Education who actually believes in public education. If we want to get the results that we expect for our churn, we have to support and compensate the teaching profession. Respect teachers the way we do soldiers and pay them more the way we do doctors."
Warren: "I think I'm the only person on this stage who has been a public school teacher... Money for public schools should stay in public schools ... not got anywhere else ... I've made my commitment ... we will have a secretary of education who has been a public school teacher."
Sanders: "We are going to cancel all student debt in this country and we are going to do that by imposing a tax on Wall Street."
Castro: It's a myth that charter schools are better than public schools.
Booker: "People are talking about raising teacher salary. We actually did it in Newark, New Jersey. And we didn't stop there. We were a city that said, we need to find local solutions that work for our community."
8:55 p.m.: Global Warming
O'Rourke: I will take action on climate change "regardless of political consequences." ... "We will make sure that we get to net zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than the year 2050, that we are halfway there by 2030, that we mobilize $5 trillion over the next ten years to do that, that we invest here in Houston, Texas, with pre-disaster mitigation grants to protect those communities that are vulnerable to flooding, given the fact that this town has seen three 500-year floods in just five years."
Klobuchar: "On day one, I will get us back into the international climate change agreement. On day two, I will bring back the clean power rules that president Obama had worked on."
Warren: "We need to work on every front on climate change. It is the threat to every living thing on this planet and we are running out of time."
Harris: ""When I've been in the United States Senate for now the last two and a half years and I look at our counterparts, the Republicans in the United States Senate, they must be looking at their children and then when they look at the mirror, I don't know what they see, but it's a lack of courage."
8:43 p.m.: Military and bringing the troops home
David Muir asked Warren about keeping her promise to bring troops home starting now. Warren responded, "What we're doing right now in Afghanistan is not helping the safety and security of the United States, it is not helping the safety and security of the world, it is not helping the safety and security of Afghanistan."
Biden: "We don't need those troops there. I would bring them home."
Buttigieg, the only military veteran on stage, advocates against 'endless wars' ... "If there's one thing we've learned about Afghanistan, it’s that the best way not to be caught up in endless war is to avoid starting one in the first place. And so when I am president, an authorization for the use of military force will have a built in three-year sunset."
Yang: "I've signed a pledge to end the forever wars ... we have to start owning what we can and can't do. We're not very good at rebuilding countries."
8:35 p.m.: Trade Policies
Sanders: Trump doesn't have a clue ... "Trump thinks that trade policy is a tweet at three in the morning."
Biden: "Senator Warren is correct, at the table has to be labor, and at the table have to be environmentalists. The fact of the matter is, China, the problem isn't the trade deficit, the problem is they're stealing our intellectual property."
Sanders: "I gotta say to my friend Joe Biden. Joe and I strongly disagree on trade. I helped lead the opposition to NAFTA and TNTR, which cost this country over 4 million good paying jobs"
Booker: Trump is using a national security waiver to put tariffs on Canada.
8:30 p.m.: Chinese Tariffs
FAST FACT -- ABC News/WaPo Poll shows that Americans, 3-1, say Pres. Trump's trade and economic policies have increased the chance of a possible recession
Klobuchar: "(Trump) has assessed these tariffs on our allies, he's put us in the middle of the trade war and treating our farmers and workers like poker chips in one of his bankrupt casinos."
8:15 p.m.: Immigration reform
Yang: "My father grew up on a peanut farm in Asia with no floor and now his son is running for president. That is the immigration story." ... "I am the opposite of Donald Trump in many ways. He says, 'build a wall.' I'm going to say to immigrants, 'come to America, because if you come here, your son our daughter can run for president.'"
Warren: "Immigration does not make us weaker, immigration makes us stronger. I want to see us expand legal immigration and create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, but also for their grandparents and for their cousins."
8:10 p.m.: Why should Latinos trust you?
Biden: "What Latinos should look at, comparing this president to the president we have is outrageous, number one. We didn't lock people up in cages. We didn't separate families." Moderator Jorge Ramos challenges Biden -- "You didn't answer the question."
"Well, I did answer the question," Biden responded.
"Did you make a mistake with those deportations," Ramos pushed.
"The president did the best that was able to be done," Biden replied.
"How about you?" Ramos questioned.
Biden: "I'm the vice president of the United States."
Castro: My problem with Biden and Booker are that every time something good about Pres. Obama comes up they say "I was there, I was there, I was there, that's me too." ... but every time somebody questions part of the administration they both say "well, that was the president."
Biden: "I stand with Barack Obama all eight years. Good, bad and indifferent. That's where I stand. I did not say I did not stand with him."
FAST FACT: ABC News/WaPo Poll shows 89% of American voters support background checks for all gun purchases
Biden praises O'Rourke for his response to the El Paso shooting; "The way he handled what happened in his hometown is meaningful. To look into the eyes of those people, to see those kids, to understand those parents, you understand the heartache. But this is the problem. This is the problem."
O'Rourke: "Hell yes" we're going to take your AK-47's, AR 15's (large applause erupts from crowd); says there is common ground -- "some gun owners are willing to give up weapons"
Harris: "People asked me in El Paso...do you think Trump is responsible for what happened? And I said, 'Well, look, obviously he didn't pull the trigger, but he's certainly been tweeting out the ammunition."
Booker: "I'm happy that people like Beto O'Rourke are showing such courage now and coming forward and also now supporting licensing. But this is -- what I'm sorry about, I'm sorry that it had to take issues coming to my neighborhood or personally affecting Beto to suddenly make us demand change"
Klobuchar: "If you want action now, we've gotta send a message to Mitch McConnell. We can't wait until one of us gets in the White House. We have to pass those bills right now...We cannot spare another innocent life."
7:45 p.m.: Criminal justice reform
Klobuchar defends her record: "That's not my record" when pressed on her tenure as a prosecutor where dozens of black men were killed by police. "When I was there, the way we handled these police shootings, I actually took a stand to make sure outside investigators handled them."
Harris asked about her record as a prosecutor: "I'm glad you asked me this question, and there have been many distortions of my record. Let me be very clear. I made a decision to become a prosecutor for two reasons. One, I've always wanted to protect people and keep them safe and second, I was born knowing about how this criminal justice system in America has worked in a way that has been informed by racial bias."
7:40 p.m.: Racism in America
"Why are you the most qualified candidate to address this divide?"
Debate transitions from health care to racism with candidates discussing how they can unite the country ... attacks turn from each other back to Pres. Trump.
O'Rourke: "Racism in America is endemic. It is foundational...I'm going to follow Sheila Jackson Lee's lead and sign a reparations bill that will allow us to address this at its foundation. But we will also call out the fact that we have a white supremacist in the white house and he poses a mortal threat to people of color all across this country."
Castro praises O'Rourke for his response to the El Paso shooting; "We need to root out racism and I believe we can do that, because that doesn't represent the vast majority of Americans who do have a good heart. They need a leader to match that and I will be a president that matches that."
Booker: "Racism exists, the question isn't who isn't a racist, it's who is and isn't doing something about racism"
Buttigieg: Systemic racism proceeded "this president and even when we defeat him, it will be with us. That's why we need a systemic approach to dismantle it"
7:37 p.m.: The gloves come off
Castro attacks Biden: "Are you forgetting what you said just two minutes ago?"
Castro to Biden: "I'm fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama, and you're not." Biden responds, "That'll be a surprise to him."
Buttigieg: This is why presidential debates are becoming unwatchable.
Castro: That's called an election
Klobuchar: A house divided can not stand
7:25 p.m.: Health care debate
Biden: Cancer is personal to me ... and people need hope NOW ... they won't go bankrupt under my plan
Sanders: 500,000 Americans are going bankrupt because they suffer a terrible disease ... under my plan they won't go bankrupt if they get cancer.
Biden: The option I'm proposing is a Medicare for Choice ... listen, no one up here has said how much Medicare for All will cost.
Buttigieg: "The problem, Senator Sanders with that damn bill that you wrote and that Senator Warren backs, is that it doesn't trust the American people. I trust you to choose what makes the most sense for you"
Klobuchar: "While Bernie wrote the bill, I read the bill and on page 8 ... it says that we will no longer have private insurance as we know it. I don't think that's a bold idea. It's a bad idea."
7:18 p.m.: First question to former Vice President Joe Biden
Biden challenges candidates on how they will pay for their plans -- including healthcare.
Sanders to Biden: "Every study done shows that 'Medicare for All' is the most cost effective approach to proving health care to every man, woman and child in this county. I wrote the damn bill, if I may say so."
Warren: Big corporations will pay more, middle class will pay less. "The paths to America's middle class have gotten a lot smaller and a lot narrower."
Sanders: No one in America will pay more than $200/year for RX drugs. We need a health care system that guarantees it for all Americans; not a system that provides $100 M a year for drug companies.
Bernie Sanders to Joe Biden on health care: "Every study done shows that Medicare-for-all is the most cost effective approach to proving health care to every man, woman and child in this county. I wrote the damn bill, if I may say so"
7:00 p.m.: Meet the candidates
The 2020 Democratic candidates introduce themselves on stage at TSU
Joe Biden: I refuse to postpone taking on the challenges of today -- education, climate change ... we're the best equipped nation to take on these challenges ... let's get moving ... "This is the United States of America. There's never been a single solitary time when we've set our mind to something and we're not able to do it ... There's enormous, enormous opportunities once we get rid of Donald Trump."
Elizabeth Warren: I was raised in Oklahoma but I"m glad to be in Texas tonight ... I got my degree at Univ. of Houston when it only cost $50/semester ... discusses her challenges as a working mom ... students are "crushed by debt" and families can't afford childcare. I know what's broken and I know how to fix it and I'm going to lead the fight to get it done.
Bernie Sanders: Here's what you don't hear in the media ... we can and we will defeat Trump ... the most dangerous figure in the history of our country ... but we must do more ... a handful of billionaires control this country and I'm willing to take them on ... we will raise minimum wage ... we will address climate change and transform our energy system away from fossil fuel
Kamala Harris: I have a few words for Donald Trump: You've tried to use hate, intimidation and fear and over 12,000 lies to distract from your failed policies ... but here's what you don't get ... Americans are so much better than this ... the vast majority have more in common than what separates us. "Now President Trump you can go back to watching Fox News."
Pete Buttigieg: Americans are divided and we need to rise to the challenges ahead of us; the Navy veteran and mayor says "good politics is about the day to day lives of all Americans." We came together on 9/11 -- Imagine if we can sustain that unity ... that's what the presidency is for.
Andrew Yang: Everything revolves around the all-mighty dollar ... The entrepreneur says his campaign will give 10 American families $1,000 a month (this is something he wants to do for all Americans if elected)
Cory Booker: Discusses his tenure as mayor in New Jersey; discusses unifying America
Beto O'Rourke: Racism and violence has been welcomed out into the open and into my hometown of El Paso, Texas. Gunman was "inspired to kill by our president."
Amy Klobuchar: "Houston We have a problem! We have a president who would rather lie than lead." You're going to hear a lot of ideas ... and I have a better way. If you're tired of the noise and nonsense, you have a candidate in me.
Julian Castro: The Texas native welcome viewers to his home state; promises a democratic house, senate and White House. "There is life after Donald Trump." Wants universal pre-K and healthcare. Says we need to excite young Americans for a "bold future". Wants to "turn Texas Blue."
7:00 p.m.: The debate begins!
The 2020 Democratic Debate is underway in Houston. 3,500 people are in the crowd for the debate at Texas Southern University.
6:50 p.m.: Candidates take the stage
The 2020 Democratic candidates take the stage at Texas Southern University in Houston Texans. The crowd erupts as each candidate walks out from backstage.
6:48 p.m.: Debate minutes away
ABC News debate moderators take the stage.
6:43 p.m.: National Anthem
TSU Student Brianna Lindsey sings the National Anthem
6:40 p.m.: Battleground Texas
"It's great to be in this battleground and let me reiterate: This is a battleground, my friends!" - DNC Chair Tom Perez.
6:38 p.m.: Gun violence recognition
Victims of gun violence are in the debate hall and were recognized during pre-debate speeches. "Americans are more likely to killed by guns than in car accidents," DNC Chair Tom Perez said. Perez criticized Texas Gov. Abbott for recent gun laws that loosen restrictions.
6:24pm: Pre-debate activities underway
Texas Southern University president welcomes debate audience to their campus.
6:18 p.m.: ABC welcomes crowd
ABC News president James Goldston welcomes crowd to Texas Southern University. GMA co-host Michael Strahan sends video message; crowd erupts into loud cheer for Strahan. Strahan is a TSU alumni.
5:15 p.m. Debate fast facts
- Two Texans will be on the debate stage tonight, former U.S. Housing Secretary Julián Castro and former congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke.
- This will be the first time front runners Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren will appear on the same debate stage
- Billionaire investor and activist Tom Steyer will meet the DNC's qualifying threshold for the October debate. That means at least 11 candidates will qualify. It's unclear if that means there will be two nights of debates or just one night.
4:40 p.m. Trump campaign takes to the skies
The Trump campaign is flying a banner over the location of tonight’s Democratic debate.