The tone for the evening was set from Warren’s first answer, prompting glee on social media

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

It only took nine debates and eight months, but the Democratic candidates for president have finally taken their gloves off and gone for each other. And – with the likely exception of Mike Bloomberg’s supporters – it seems that most viewers have been delighted.

Julian Zelizer (@julianzelizer) While Trump sits in the Oval Office, this is what the Democratic debate stage looks like tonight. pic.twitter.com/GdDRsHi6Ir

From the very start of the Las Vegas debate, the tone for the night was set. It all kicked off when Elizabeth Warren branded Michael Bloomberg a “billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians” in her first answer.

Bloomberg was then attacked from all sides over his problematic legacy as mayor and history of unsettling remarks about women.

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) Warren’s opening salvo on Bloomberg set the tone for the rest of the debate. He was unable to come back from this. pic.twitter.com/tHwoRL7Soc

Soon enough, a light backdrop of memes and jokes began to accompany the tearing apart of Bloomberg, who had just joined the debate stage for the first time since announcing his candidacy in November.

For many, the general message was a simple “RIP”:

Adam Best (@adamcbest) Time to update Bloomberg's Wikipedia page...



Date of death: 2/19/2020

Place: Democratic Debate stage

Cause: Elizabeth Ann Warren#DemDebate

Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) Some dudes would pay a lot of money for the humiliation Warren is giving Bloomberg for free #DemDebate

Andrew Todd (@mistertodd) Bloomberg arriving at the debate pic.twitter.com/LtHLSspeyF

Erika Stallings (@quidditch424) Did Bloomberg forget to spend money on debate prep?

However, Bloomberg wasn’t the only candidate getting beaten up on stage. The other big battle of the night was between Senator Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Things started to go awry when she asked Buttigieg if he was calling her “dumb”, after he criticized her recent inability to name the president of Mexico.

Democratic debate: key takeaways from the bust-up in Las Vegas Read more

The two continued to lay into each other at any given opportunity, their obvious mutual dislike serving as an inspiration to those watching the debate online:

Brandy Jensen (@BrandyLJensen) amy klobuchar will never be president but if she was her first act would razing south bend, indiana to the ground out of spite

Zach Heltzel (@zachheltzel) Pete:



Amy Klobuchar: pic.twitter.com/FWzcspMtvV

In the end the general consensus seems to be that Warren’s attacks on Bloomberg won her the debate. And she definitely triumphed across two semi-significant metrics: she had the longest speaking time out of any of the candidates and was the most-tweeted-about candidate of the night.

Meanwhile, the biggest loser of the night was unambiguously Bloomberg, who, after spending more than $400m to get into the race, may be starting to get buyer’s remorse.