Democrats kick off 2020 contest

In the first of a two-night debate lineup, 10 Democrats kicked off the 2020 presidential primary season in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday night with exchanges on universal health care, immigration, corporations' impact on small businesses, and gun control.

One answer that got the internet buzzing was former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke replying in both English and Spanish. The gambit seemed to draw a glare from New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who himself later answered a question in Spanish.

NBC debate moderator Savannah Guthrie asked O'Rourke about taxes on the rich, and in part he said "we need to include each person in the success of this economy" in Spanish, before continuing with his response.

Charlie Mahtesian, a senior political editor for politico.com, said the partial answer in Spanish "felt gimmicky to me right out of the gate".

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts clearly had the most air time of any candidate through the debate's first hour and 20 minutes.

"Who's this economy really working for?" Warren asked loudly at the start.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared to take the most confrontational approach, interrupting the debate in three instances to push his progressive agenda on income inequality.

"This is supposed to be the party of working people," he riposted to O'Rourke, who said he backed a tax plan that was fair to everyone. "Yes, we are supposed to be for a 70 percent tax rate on the wealthy," de Blasio said in support of Warren's plan.

The other candidates on the stage included Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, representatives Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Tim Ryan of Ohio, former Housing and Urban Development secretary Julián Castro of Texas and former US representative John Delaney of Maryland.

US President Donald Trump, as he had hinted, tweeted one word on the debate: BORING!