- Title: Inside the spin room: candidates on how to take on Trump
- Date: 16th October 2019
- Summary: WESTERVILLE, OHIO, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS) BACK OF U.S. SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN OF MASSACHUSETTS AND NETWORK HOSTS AND REPORTERS ON STAGE PROFILE OF WARREN ON STAGE DURING INTERVIEW REPORTERS / BACK OF FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BETO O'ROURKE TALKING TO REPORTERS ON BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BETO O'ROURKE OF TEXAS, SAYING: "I want to make sure that we renew all those alliances and return to our friends and our allies, and change the course that Donald Trump has set us on, where instead he has embraced strong men and thugs, dictators around the world, and turned us back on our allies and our friends. To meet any foreign policy challenge whether that is getting out of the wars we're already in, or meeting the greatest challenge that we face, which is confronting climate change before it's too late. We can't do any of that on our own. We will need friends and allies around the world, so building, rebuilding those friendships so badly damaged by this president is really important." U.S. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS WALKING PAST PHOTOGRAPHERS, REPORTERS VARIOUS, HARRIS TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS OF CALIFORNIA, SAYING: "The net result of that is not only that there's been an abandonment of friends. Not only that they will be then led to slaughter, not only that there will be, he has given a get out of jail free card to at least ten thousands ISIS fighters, but, in addition, this whole scenario has also now empowered and actually been to the betterment of Russia, Iran, (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) Assad, and ISIS. And everyone needs to be clear about what this is. Donald Trump represents a real national security threat to the United States of America. And this is yet another example just that fact." (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY JULIAN CASTRO, SAYING: "That it's a mess that president Trump had this shadow government essentially through Rudy Gulliani, probably a criminal enterprise, trying, for political gain and for the financial gain of some people. It's exactly the worst kind of politics. It's exactly the kind of corruption that Americans say they don't want. And Donald Trump said he was going to go in and trying to drain the swamp, that he is the most corrupt president that we've ever had." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR CORY BOOKER OF NEW JERSEY, SAYING: "Look, the next debate is going to have, looks like right now, eight people qualified. I'm glad to be one of those folks. Having four less people, of course, it's going to give more of an opportunity for people to hear my ideas, my heart, and my spirit. But it is what it is. All twelve of us had the same kind of stage and I feel that people saw what I'm about tonight, and, again, we have to have a leader that will unify all democrats, excite and engage the full breadth of our party to take on the biggest presidential challenge." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR OF MINNESOTA, SAYING: "We need to build the blue wall around those states, win them, and make pay for it. And you do that by focusing on policies that are actually going to get done and make a difference in their lives. They've had it with gameshow hosts. They've had with someone who'd rather lie than lead. They want something different. I made the case that it's me." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BUSINESSMAN ANDREW YANG, SAYING: "I'm one of only two candidates on that stage tonight that ten percent of Donald Trump voters said they would support in general election. So, if democrats are looking for someone to beat Donald Trump, I'm their surest bet as there is on that stage tonight." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BUSINESSMAN TOM STEYER, SAYING: "We're going to have to convince our allies that he was a one-time mistake, that America is back, and that he was a mistake, and we should just try to forget those four years." ROSARIO DAWSON, CORY BOOKER'S GIRLFRIEND, EMBRACING STEYER SPIN ROOM
- Embargoed: 30th October 2019 07:05
- Keywords: Andrew Yang Cory Booker Bernie Sanders Kamala Harris Joe Biden Pete Buttigieg Tom Steyer Julian Castro Beto O'Rourke Tulsi Gabbard Amy Klobuchar Elizabeth Warren
- Location: WESTERVILLE, OHIO, UNITED STATES
- City: WESTERVILLE, OHIO, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1CIBT3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Democratic presidential candidates descended the stage after the debate at the Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, on Tuesday (October 15) and reinforced their messages on how they're planning to compete with current U.S. President, Republican, Donald Trump.
"I'm one of only two candidates on that stage tonight that ten percent of Donald Trump voters said they would support in general election," said businessman Andrew Yang.
The candidates also spoke to President's current foreign policy, including relationships with the European Union and Mexico.
"I want to make sure that we renew all those alliances and return to our friends and our allies," said former U.S. Representative from Texas, Beto O'Rourke. "And change the course that Donald Trump has set us on."
U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California talked about recent Turkish offense in Northern Syria that targeted U.S. allies, Kurds.
"He (Trump) has given a get out of jail free card to at least ten thousands ISIS fighters," said U.S. Senator from California Kamala Harris. "But, in addition, this whole scenario has also now empowered and actually been to the betterment of Russia, Iran, Assad, and ISIS."
The democratic debate comes at a critical time, as former Vice President Joe Biden has seen his once solid lead in opinion polls in the Democratic race diminished by Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leader of the party's progressive movement, who has steadily risen over the past two months.
It also comes as all the Democratic contenders fight to be heard through the din of impeachment news, with less than four months remaining until the first nominating contest in Iowa on February 3, 2020.
(Production: Kevin Fogarty / Aleksandra Michalsk) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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