Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney John DelaneyCoronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Rep. Rodney Davis Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer says Trump right on China but wrong on WHO; CDC issues new guidance for large gatherings The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says country needs to rethink what 'policing' means; US cases surpass 2 million with no end to pandemic in sight MORE, a former Maryland congressman, fired back at his progressive opponent Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline Democratic senators ask inspector general to investigate IRS use of location tracking service MORE (D-Mass.) Tuesday after Warren's shot at him during the debate.

In a standout moment in the debate, Warren said, “I don't understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can't do and shouldn't fight for.”

It was a direct dig at Delaney, a moderate and outspoken critic of Warren’s progressive agenda which he deemed “fairy tale” policies.

Delaney didn’t have a chance to respond on stage Tuesday, but defended himself on Fox News after the debate. ADVERTISEMENT

“That sounds like someone who doesn't want to defend her policies,” Delaney said. “Imagine saying to John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE when he said we should go to the moon by the end of the decade, ‘Well, I think we should go to the moon next month, so why are you even calling for that? It’s not aggressive enough.’ We need big ideas but it needs to be workable.”

Delaney doubled down Wednesday morning on "Fox & Friends" saying, “It’s a dishonest, kind of lazy response,” the Washington Post reports.

Delaney, who has failed to gain traction among the crowded field, said a candidate has to answer three questions regarding policies: “Is it a workable idea, how do you pay for it, and how are you gonna get it done?”

“I have big ideas for all the important issues,” he said, noting infrastructure, public education, health care and climate change. “All my plans are workable. I tell people how I’m going to pay for them and I tell people how I’m going to get it done.”

A Warren campaign spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Warren is one of the most progressive candidates in the race and has risen to the top tier of the field. Her campaign became known for leading the way in policy proposals, so much so that “I have a plan for that” became a Warren 2020 de facto slogan.

The former Harvard Law School professor detailed her plans on numerous occasions to voters and reporters. One of Warren’s key proposals, a wealth tax, would be the basis of funding her progressive agenda.