Democrat Candidates Rip CNN, NYT for Failing to Prioritize Climate Change at Debate

Several 2020 Democrat candidates are ripping CNN and the New York Times for failing to prioritize climate change during Tuesday night’s debate.

The candidates – many of whom have referred to climate change as an “existential threat” – slammed the hosts of the Democrat debate for failing to feature climate change as a central topic of discussion.

“Climate change is an existential crisis—and yet there were no questions about it in last night’s #DemDebate,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) lamented.

“We need to take bold action now to end the climate crisis before it’s too late. And I’ve got a plan for that”:

Climate change is an existential crisis—and yet there were no questions about it in last night's #DemDebate. We need to take bold action now to end the climate crisis before it's too late. And I've got a plan for that. pic.twitter.com/XqJwLDH9DC

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) October 16, 2019

“Three hours and no questions tonight about climate, housing, or immigration,” Julián Castro wrote, calling climate change an “existential threat”:

Three hours and no questions tonight about climate, housing, or immigration.

Climate change is an existential threat. America has a housing crisis. Children are still in cages at our border.

But you know, Ellen.#DemocraticDebate

— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) October 16, 2019

“The ecological crisis has gotten worse and worse, decade after decade, and yet the corporate media still refuse to take it seriously,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who proposed a $16 trillion Green New Deal, wrote.

“We will not bring about the political change needed to tackle the climate emergency until we address this,” he added:

The ecological crisis has gotten worse and worse, decade after decade, and yet the corporate media still refuse to take it seriously.

We will not bring about the political change needed to tackle the climate emergency until we address this. pic.twitter.com/6MIbAu8izH

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 16, 2019

“An entire debate without a single question on climate change––the existential issue facing not just our country, but our entire planet,” Tom Steyer (D) remarked.

“I am prepared to use the emergency powers of the presidency to take on the climate crisis and protect the American people,” he added:

An entire debate without a single question on climate change––the existential issue facing not just our country, but our entire planet. I am prepared to use the emergency powers of the presidency to take on the climate crisis and protect the American people.

— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) October 16, 2019

Last night, I left the debate stage even more determined to talk to Americans and push harder for a larger, more specific conversation on the climate crisis. We cannot continue to plan our future without concrete plans to deal with our global reality. Climate change cannot wait.

— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) October 16, 2019

“Three hours. Not one question about the climate crisis,” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) tweeted, also slamming CNN and the Times for failing to focus on LGBT rights and immigration:

Three hours.

Not one question about the climate crisis.

Not one question about LGBTQ+ rights.

Not one question about immigration.

These issues are too important to ignore. #DemDebate

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 16, 2019

While it is true that the debate did not focus on any of those subjects, CNN recently hosted a seven-hour town hall entirely devoted to climate change, as well as a marathon town hall on LGBT rights.

CNN has not, however, held a town hall event devoted entirely to immigration – a topic of interest to voters on both sides of the political aisle.

Former presidential candidate Gov. Jay Inslee (D), who based his short-lived presidential campaign entirely on the issue of climate change, described CNN and the Times’ lack of focus on the climate crisis as “completely inexcusable”:

Not one single question about the climate crisis.
Not one single question about the climate crisis.
Not one single question about the climate crisis.

This is the existential crisis of our time. Not one single question, and that’s completely inexcusable. #DemDebate

— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) October 16, 2019