The very first Democratic primary debate kicked off June 26 in Miami, Florida. The first 10 candidates (out of the 20 chosen to participate in the debates) debated on just a few of the issues that matter most to Americans, such as immigration, gun reform, climate change and racial justice.

The democratic participants in the first round included Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Tulsi Gabbard, Tim Ryan, John Delaney, Beto O'Rourke, Julián Castro, Bill de Blasio and Jay Inslee. Arguably, an overwhelmingly crowded field, the candidates were challenged to prove to America why they should be the next president of the United States.

Here are the 6 most memorable moments from the first democratic debate.


1. Elizabeth Warren opened the debate with a solid answer to the first question.

Elizabeth Warren has rolled out, what seems to be, a plan for almost every critical social issue plaguing the United States today. From expanding voting access to abortion to universal childcare and, most recently, disposing of billions in student loan debt, the Massachusetts senator proved she is serious about becoming the United States' next president. 

Warren jumped right to it. “Who is this economy really working for?” she asked. “It’s doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top.” She continued her response, acknowledging that the economy might be working for “giant oil companies” and those who want to invest in prisons, but made clear that it's not for struggling Americans.

2. Beto O'Rourke and Cory Booker surprised audience with their semi-fluent Spanish.

Former Texas congressional leader Beto O’Rourke was asked whether or not he would support a 70% tax on wealthy individuals, and his response caught many off guard. First, he didn’t quite answer the question, as he proceeded to talk about the state of the economy. And secondly, he gave the same response in Spanish. 

During O’Rourke’s response, Twitter caught New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker's facial expression, which almost immediately went viral, and the collective responses were nothing short of hilarious.

Surprisingly, just minutes after O'Rourke's Spanish response, when asked about his thoughts on immigration, Booker also responded in Spanish. Hence, another Twitter uproar of jokes commenced. 

3. Julian Castro proved he’s committed to reproductive justice and acknowledged transgender community.

Castro was asked whether health care plans would include abortion rights. He broke ground with his response, mentioning the transgender community. Though, according to HuffPost, instead of “transgender,” Castro may have meant to say trans men and non-binary folks. 

"I don't only believe in reproductive freedom, I believe in reproductive justice,” said Castro. “ A person's right to choose is under assault. I would appoint judges to the bench who support Roe v. Wade."

I don’t believe in only reproductive freedom, i believe in reproductive justice. All women — and that includes the trans community — have the right to an abortion. #DemDebate— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) June 27, 2019

Julian Castro is the only candidate to even attempt to expand the conversation to include transgender folks thus far. #DemDebate— Charlene Carruthers (@CharleneCac) June 27, 2019

Castro was the first person to mention the Equality Act and trans women. #DemDebate— Tre'vell Anderson (@TrevellAnderson) June 27, 2019

When abortion rights are championed, usually the focus is on cis-women. Castro impressed the audience with his decision to take the conversation a step further, as these recent, threatening abortion laws will also impact the transgender and non-binary community. 

4. Castro and O'Rourke got into a heated debate over immigration.

One of the most important issues impacting our country remains immigration. Most recently, the viral image of a young father and his toddler daughter after drowning as they attempted to cross the border has heightened the conversation around the need for strengthening safety for immigrants. Castro and O'Rourke exchanged a few words regarding whether or not immigrants seeking asylum should be criminalized.

"As a member of Congress, I helped to introduce legislation that would ensure we don't criminalize those seeking asylum and refuge in this country," O'Rourke said.

"A lot of the folks that are coming are not seeking asylum. A lot of them are undocumented immigrants," argued Senator Castro.  

5. Gun violence was a hot topic.

During a segment on gun violence and gun reform, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio mentioned his understanding of the serious need for gun reform in this country by commenting on his experience raising "a Black son.” Twitter was not impressed.

6. Candidates discussed how they plan to secure the Black vote.

Rachel Maddow, one of the moderators for the evening, asked the question we were all waiting for. "What have you done for Black and Latino voters that should enthuse them about going to the polls for you?"

In her answer, Amy Klobuchar focused on her past work to increase and strengthen economic power in minority communities.

Castro took the conversation a step further. "We have to recognize racial and social justice." He mentioned Dylann Roof, who murdered nine Black members of the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and how he was "apprehended without incident" by police. Castro went on to raise the question, "But what about Eric Gardner and Tamir Rice or Sandra Bland.."

Some candidates had some big moments, while others may have to step their game up in the next debate. From immigration to gun reform to the importance of gaining the Black vote, the candidates have their work cut out for them in the coming months to tackle tough issues and prove why they should be the next president of the United States.

Stay tuned for the next debate on Thursday, June 27 to see what the rest of the candidates have to say.

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