How to watch the second 2020 Democratic presidential debate
The Democratic presidential primary candidates are in Detroit this week for the second round of Democratic debates. Tuesday night's debate saw a handful of moderate candidates taking aim at the leading progressives on stage over the feasibility of their proposals with varying degrees of success.
Wednesday's matchup could show more confrontation between leading candidates, as they fight to raise their profiles — along with their polling numbers and donor figures — so they can make it to the next round, when the party's higher thresholds for both these categories kicks in.
Democratic debate schedule
- Dates: Tuesday, July 30 and Wednesday, July 31
- Time: 8 to about 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan
Debate full recap from night one
Ten candidates sparred over everything from climate change to health care to reparations for slavery, with many of the lower-polling candidates using the opportunity to take shots at the frontrunners.
- Full recap: Warren and Sanders defend progressive turf on first night of Detroit Democratic debates
- Top takeaways from the second Democratic primary debate
- With Detroit debate, Democrats plot a comeback in Michigan
How to watch the second 2020 Democratic debate
- TV broadcast: CNN
- Free online stream: CNN.com, CNN apps, or on fuboTV – start a free trial
- Additional coverage: Watch CBSN for live coverage of the debates before, during and after, and follow the CBS News live blog here for updates in real time.
How do the Democratic candidates qualify for the debate?
To qualify for the second round of debates, candidates had to fulfill one of two criteria: either get 65,000 donors to their campaigns, with at least 200 donors in 20 different states, or obtain at least 1% in three polls recognized as legitimate by the committee.
The Democrats have been split into two groups across two consecutive nights totaling four hours. Ten candidates were randomly chosen to appear on each night.
Second Democratic debate rules
According to CNN, candidates will have 60 seconds to answer questions from the moderators and 30 seconds for rebuttals and responses. Candidates at the debate will deliver opening statements and closing remarks.
DNC debate candidates for July 31
Candidates will appear onstage from left to right
- Michael Bennet
- Kirsten Gillibrand
- Julián Castro
- Cory Booker
- Joe Biden
- Kamala Harris
- Andrew Yang
- Tulsi Gabbard
- Jay Inslee
- Bill de Blasio
DNC debate candidates from July 30
Candidates will appear onstage from left to right
- Marianne Williamson
- Tim Ryan
- Amy Klobuchar
- Pete Buttigieg
- Bernie Sanders
- Elizabeth Warren
- Beto O'Rourke
- John Hickenlooper
- John Delaney
- Steve Bullock
Candidates who did not qualify for the debate
- Seth Moulton
- Tom Steyer
- Mike Gravel
- Joe Sestak
- Wayne Messam