In the boxing match that has become the U.S. Senate seat race in Massachusetts, incumbent Elizabeth Warren has relentlessly tried to tie her opponent to President Donald Trump as often as possible, while Republican Geoff Diehl’s has repeatedly questioned whether Warren’s priority is Massachusetts or a presidential run in 2020.
On nearly every issue brought up during Sunday night’s debate, Warren and Diehl showed stark differences in their approach. Whether they were talking about gun regulations, climate change or taxes, they agreed on little. Here are the key defining moments of the debate:
Diehl's main attack on Warren's political ambitions:
"She doesn't even want this position," Diehl said. He repeated this line of attack throughout the debate.
Who wasn’t there:
Supporters of the third-party candidate Shiva Ayyadurai, who was not invited to debate, disrupted the event when the moderator brought up Warren’s recent DNA test revealing that she did indeed have Native American ancestry. Ayyadurai’s supporters, and the candidate himself, have turned that news into a campaign point, calling the Independent “a real Indian.” During the debate a supporter wearing a “Shiva” shirt stood up and made some inaudible disruption. The audio to the video stream was cut for a few seconds while law enforcement removed the protester. Another protester tried to disrupt Warren as she was speaking later in the debate as well.
Name calling:
It wasn’t acceptable in pre-school, but pre-school didn’t have Twitter. Warren has received criticism for name calling both the president and his supporters. While she acknowledged that she has done that, she pivoted back to the president and the rhetoric he has used. Warren then listed off that Diehl has traveled to the border with white supremacists, attended a rally orchestrated by an anti-Muslim group, and defended Trump's attacks against a Latino judge, among others. "Look, he stayed on as Trump's campaign chairman even after the Access Hollywood tapes came out," she said.
Guns:
During the debate, Diehl said that he would like to see gun licenses treated like driver licensees and that they could be taken across state lines. In stark contrast, Warren held to increasing legislation around firearms. "People want to see some sensible gun safety rules put in," she said.
Diehl on Harvard:
Diehl mentioned the discrimination trial that Harvard is involved in calling the situation "really disappointing ... Taking people not because of the best and the brightest, but because they want to change the dynamic mix of the state." He said that admission should be given to students based off of hard work.
Warren on more transparency in government:
Warren addressed the lack of public trust in government during the debate. "One way that we try to rebuild confidence is through transparency," she said. Warren has recently released ten years of tax returns, her DNA test and her employment record. "I am an open book," she said.