Podcast
CNN Debates
Hosted by CNN · EN
From Town Halls to Political Debates, CNN hosts open forums that give our audience the chance to hear directly from the people shaping their world. Politicians and newsmakers alike answer the tough questions from CNN's top anchors and political experts. Subscribe to get the full, unedited audio from these special events.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Stand Up: The Students of Stoneman Douglas Demand Action
Feb 23, 201801:50:43Tap to summarizeOn February 14, a former student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17. One week after the horrific mass shooting, the victims' classmates, parents and community members attended a nationally televised CNN town hall moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper.
Transcribe →Third and final Presidential Debate of 2016: Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton
Oct 20, 201601:47:02Tap to summarizeThird and final Presidential Debate of 2016: Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton
Transcribe →Second 2016 Presidential debate from Washington University
Oct 10, 201601:41:19Tap to summarizeSecond 2016 Presidential debate from Washington University
Transcribe →VP Debate Pence Vs Kaine
Oct 5, 201601:26:50Tap to summarizeVP Debate Pence Vs Kaine
Transcribe →Presidential Debate: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Hofstra University
Sep 27, 201601:34:39Tap to summarizeClinton, Trump clash in first debate: CNN's Reality Check Team vets the claims. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump clashed Monday in their first head-to-head debate of the general election season, with Trump in particular straying from the truth, CNN's Reality Check Team found. The team of reporters, researchers and editors across CNN listened throughout the debate and selected key statements from both candidates, rating them true; mostly true; true, but misleading; false; or it's complicated. Clinton claimed Trump "thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese," a charge Trump immediately denied. Who's telling the truth? On November 6, 2012, Trump tweeted, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
Transcribe →Town Hall With Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan
Jul 13, 201601:00:11Tap to summarizeHouse Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday defended his endorsement of Donald Trump -- despite his frequent differences with the presumptive GOP nominee -- saying the only alternative is giving the presidency to Hillary Clinton. "It is a binary choice," Ryan said at a CNN town hall hosted by Jake Tapper. "It is either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. You don't get a third option." But the challenge facing Ryan was clear when he was asked a question by Zachary Marcone, a Republican who said he couldn't support Trump because he is "openly racist." "Can you tell me, how can you morally justify your support for this kind of candidate?" Marcone asked. Ryan didn't address the premise of the question, reiterating his stance that opposing Trump amounts to supporting Clinton. He pledged to always speak his mind when he disagrees with Trump but argued that the best chance for conservatives to have their priorities signed into law is with the businessman in the White House and pointed to the ability of the next president to nominate Supreme Court justices. As he spoke of the next president's ability to choose Supreme Court nominees and influence the high court over the long term, Ryan criticized Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The 83-year-old justice is the subject of controversy after she told CNN this week that Trump is a "faker" who is driven by his ego. "I think it is out of place in an appointed branch of government. That shows bias to me," Ryan said. "I don't think that is something she should have done."
Transcribe →Libertarian Town Hall with Gary Johnson and Bill Weld Hour. 1
Jun 23, 201600:31:49Tap to summarizeIn an election cycle full of surprises -- and unprecedented dissatisfaction with the major party candidates -- voters got a look at a couple of fresh faces Wednesday night in a town hall event live on CNN. Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, flanked by his running mate Bill Weld, used the opportunity to introduce himself to voters and slam the existing Washington order. "The two-party system is a two-party dinosaur, and they're about to come in contact with the comet here," Johnson told CNN's Chris Cuomo. Weld, a former Massachusetts Republican governor who once worked in President Ronald Reagan's Justice Department and wanted to serve as an ambassador in the Clinton administration, said "that duopoly down there in Washington is not getting a lot done." "It's almost like the parties exist more for the purpose of slandering each other than they do for having constructive approaches to legislation," Weld said. "We like to think we're going to be the third way." READ: What is Libertarianism? Despite their contempt for the current state of 2016 politics, the libertarians showed positive indifference to the political battles being waged on the campaign trail. When it came to Hillary Clinton attacking Donald Trump's business record or Trump calling Clinton corrupt, Johnson said he would "leave that to others." "I don't think either of us are going to engage in any sort of name-calling," Johnson said. "We're going to keep this to the issues, and the issues are plenty." The two had cordial words for Clinton and President Barack Obama, but were quick to voice their differences with Trump. "Starting with immigration, starting with free trade, going on and on and on, killing the families of Muslim terrorists. Really, it's what's coming out of his mouth that I really have issues with," said Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, of Trump. Weld, who regularly condemns Trump, cast his rhetoric as dangerous.
Transcribe →Libertarian Town Hall with Gary Johnson and Bill Weld Hour. 2
Jun 23, 201600:32:37Tap to summarizeIn an election cycle full of surprises -- and unprecedented dissatisfaction with the major party candidates -- voters got a look at a couple of fresh faces Wednesday night in a town hall event live on CNN. Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, flanked by his running mate Bill Weld, used the opportunity to introduce himself to voters and slam the existing Washington order. "The two-party system is a two-party dinosaur, and they're about to come in contact with the comet here," Johnson told CNN's Chris Cuomo. Weld, a former Massachusetts Republican governor who once worked in President Ronald Reagan's Justice Department and wanted to serve as an ambassador in the Clinton administration, said "that duopoly down there in Washington is not getting a lot done." "It's almost like the parties exist more for the purpose of slandering each other than they do for having constructive approaches to legislation," Weld said. "We like to think we're going to be the third way." READ: What is Libertarianism? Despite their contempt for the current state of 2016 politics, the libertarians showed positive indifference to the political battles being waged on the campaign trail. When it came to Hillary Clinton attacking Donald Trump's business record or Trump calling Clinton corrupt, Johnson said he would "leave that to others." "I don't think either of us are going to engage in any sort of name-calling," Johnson said. "We're going to keep this to the issues, and the issues are plenty." The two had cordial words for Clinton and President Barack Obama, but were quick to voice their differences with Trump. "Starting with immigration, starting with free trade, going on and on and on, killing the families of Muslim terrorists. Really, it's what's coming out of his mouth that I really have issues with," said Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, of Trump. Weld, who regularly condemns Trump, cast his rhetoric as dangerous.
Transcribe →Democratic Debate - Brooklyn - Hour 02
Apr 15, 201601:06:17Tap to summarizeBernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both came out swinging in a fiery, high-stakes debate on CNN Thursday night, as he cast doubt on her judgment and she criticized his command of policy and his record on guns. Sanders accusing Clinton of "lacking the kind of judgment we need to be the kind of president we need." The Vermont senator said Clinton's support for the Iraq War and "disastrous trade agreements," and the fact that a pro-Clinton super PAC accepts funds from Wall Street, made him "question her judgment." Clinton shot back, calling those attacks "phony." "Sen. Sanders did call me unqualified," she said. "I've been called a lot of things in my life -- that was a first." The two candidates then clashed on the issue of Wall Street. When asked to name a single policy decision Clinton made as senator that showed she was favoring the banks, Sanders said that when the "greed and recklessness and illegal behavior of Wall Street" led to the financial crisis, he had called on the big banks to be broken up -- while Clinton was "busy giving speeches to Goldman Sachs." Clinton shot back: "He cannot come up with any example because there is no example ... It's always important -- it may be inconvenient -- but it's always important to get the facts straight." When she also said that she had called out the big banks for the actions, Sanders took a mocking tone. "Oh my goodness, they must have been really crushed by this," he said, asking whether her statements came before or after "receiving huge sums" from the banks in speaking fees. Clinton was pressed by CNN co-moderator Dana Bash on why she would not release the transcripts from the speeches she made to Goldman Sachs and put the issue to rest. Clinton answered: "There isn't an issue. When I was in public service serving as the senator from New York, I did stand up to the banks." Clinton -- as she has in the past -- asked that there be the "same standard for everybody," saying she would be happy to release the transcripts if other presidential candidates, including Donald Trump, did the same. She then turned the tables on Sanders and his tax returns, saying: "Set the same standard on tax returns. Everybody does it -- and then we move forward." Sanders, who has come under pressure to release his tax returns, vowed on the CNN debate stage to release his previous year's return on Friday. Returns from earlier years, he said, would also be released "very shortly." The two also displayed intense friction over gun control. Throughout the election, Clinton has criticized Sanders' record in Congress on gun control -- an attack she once again made forcefully on Thursday night. Clinton accused Sanders of having made a "commitment to the NRA" to oppose a waiting period for background checks on gun purchases -- and slammed the senator for voting against the so-called "Brady bill" five times. While speaking of the crime bill Clinton's husband Bill ushered in as president, Sanders called a term she had used in the 1990s -- superpredator -- "a racist term." She has since said it was a word she shouldn't have used. The debate in Brooklyn comes just five days before the crucial New York primary contest here. However, Clinton began with an oblique attack on the GOP, defending the "New York values" that Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, has used as a pejorative. Speaking of her days representing the state in the U.S. Senate, she said, "We worked hard to really keep New York values at the center of what we are and what we do together." RELATED: #Dem Debate comes to media's home turf The heated debate also quickly exposed tensions between Clinton and Sanders on the issue of income inequality -- specifically, raising the minimum wage. Asked whether she would sign a bill raising the federal minimum wage to $15, Clinton responded: "Of course I would." That response drew this skeptical reaction from Sanders: "I am sure a lot of people are very surprised to learn that you support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That's just not accurate." In one of the most animated exchanges of the evening, the two candidates began to talk over one another, eventually prompting moderator Wolf Blitzer to intervene. "If you're both screaming at each other, the viewers won't be able to hear either of you," Blitzer said. The crowd, for its part, was much rowdier than at previous Democratic debates, cheering and hissing throughout the event. Sanders insisted that while he has long been fighting to raise the national minimum wage to $15, Clinton had only advocated to raise it to $12. "$12 is not good enough, we need $15 an hour," Sanders said. Until recently, the Democratic race had remained relatively tame, largely devoid of the personal attacks and heated rhetoric that have characterized the GOP contest. But as the race has dragged on into April, there has been a shift. In recent days, Sanders has questioned Clinton's judgment and credibility, pointing to her relationship with Wall Street and vote for the Iraq War. Clinton, meanwhile, has had harsh words for Sanders, sharply questioning whether he is capable of executing the promises embedded in his lofty rhetoric. And Clinton and her aides had been signaling for days that they planned to hit Sanders for his views on gun control, particularly his belief that victims of gun violence should not be able to sue gun and ammunition manufacturers. The likelihood that this issue would become a flashpoint on Thursday skyrocketed earlier in the day when a judge in Connecticut ruled that the suit between the families of Sandy Hook victims and the manufacturer of the gun used in the 2012 shooting there could go forward. The viability of the lawsuit was in doubt because of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a law Sanders supported that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Clinton hit Sanders for the law at a roundtable on gun violence on Monday and is likely to do so again Thursday night. Sanders is also poised to have to address the latest controversy that has engulfed his campaign: On Wednesday, surrogate Paul Song said at a campaign rally that the Democratic party must stop electing "corporate Democratic whores." Sanders quickly disavowed those comments, calling them "inappropriate and insensitive." The debate is taking place at Brooklyn Navy Yard, located across the East River from Manhattan, making it a home-turf battle for both candidates. Clinton served as a New York senator for eight years and Brooklyn is the location of her campaign headquarters, while Sanders was born and raised in the borough. RELATED: NYC First Lady 'Bernie is getting desperate' Polls show Clinton is likely to defeat Sanders in New York, and even as she enjoys a sizable delegate lead, it is critical for Clinton that she win this state. The Democratic race so far has proven Sanders to be an unexpectedly durable candidate whose popularity among liberals and younger voters has helped to expose the vulnerabilities in Clinton's candidacy. The New York race comes after a string of victories for Sanders in states including Wyoming, Wisconsin, Idaho and Utah. If Sanders were to eke out a win in New York, it would deal a serious blow to Clinton and strengthen the narrative that it is taking Clinton much longer than initially expected to clinch her party's nomination.
Transcribe →Democratic Debate - Brooklyn - Hour 01
Apr 15, 201600:53:25Tap to summarizeBernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both came out swinging in a fiery, high-stakes debate on CNN Thursday night, as he cast doubt on her judgment and she criticized his command of policy and his record on guns. Sanders accusing Clinton of "lacking the kind of judgment we need to be the kind of president we need." The Vermont senator said Clinton's support for the Iraq War and "disastrous trade agreements," and the fact that a pro-Clinton super PAC accepts funds from Wall Street, made him "question her judgment." Clinton shot back, calling those attacks "phony." "Sen. Sanders did call me unqualified," she said. "I've been called a lot of things in my life -- that was a first." The two candidates then clashed on the issue of Wall Street. When asked to name a single policy decision Clinton made as senator that showed she was favoring the banks, Sanders said that when the "greed and recklessness and illegal behavior of Wall Street" led to the financial crisis, he had called on the big banks to be broken up -- while Clinton was "busy giving speeches to Goldman Sachs." Clinton shot back: "He cannot come up with any example because there is no example ... It's always important -- it may be inconvenient -- but it's always important to get the facts straight." When she also said that she had called out the big banks for the actions, Sanders took a mocking tone. "Oh my goodness, they must have been really crushed by this," he said, asking whether her statements came before or after "receiving huge sums" from the banks in speaking fees. Clinton was pressed by CNN co-moderator Dana Bash on why she would not release the transcripts from the speeches she made to Goldman Sachs and put the issue to rest. Clinton answered: "There isn't an issue. When I was in public service serving as the senator from New York, I did stand up to the banks." Clinton -- as she has in the past -- asked that there be the "same standard for everybody," saying she would be happy to release the transcripts if other presidential candidates, including Donald Trump, did the same. She then turned the tables on Sanders and his tax returns, saying: "Set the same standard on tax returns. Everybody does it -- and then we move forward." Sanders, who has come under pressure to release his tax returns, vowed on the CNN debate stage to release his previous year's return on Friday. Returns from earlier years, he said, would also be released "very shortly." The two also displayed intense friction over gun control. Throughout the election, Clinton has criticized Sanders' record in Congress on gun control -- an attack she once again made forcefully on Thursday night. Clinton accused Sanders of having made a "commitment to the NRA" to oppose a waiting period for background checks on gun purchases -- and slammed the senator for voting against the so-called "Brady bill" five times. While speaking of the crime bill Clinton's husband Bill ushered in as president, Sanders called a term she had used in the 1990s -- superpredator -- "a racist term." She has since said it was a word she shouldn't have used. The debate in Brooklyn comes just five days before the crucial New York primary contest here. However, Clinton began with an oblique attack on the GOP, defending the "New York values" that Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, has used as a pejorative. Speaking of her days representing the state in the U.S. Senate, she said, "We worked hard to really keep New York values at the center of what we are and what we do together." RELATED: #Dem Debate comes to media's home turf The heated debate also quickly exposed tensions between Clinton and Sanders on the issue of income inequality -- specifically, raising the minimum wage. Asked whether she would sign a bill raising the federal minimum wage to $15, Clinton responded: "Of course I would." That response drew this skeptical reaction from Sanders: "I am sure a lot of people are very surprised to learn that you support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That's just not accurate." In one of the most animated exchanges of the evening, the two candidates began to talk over one another, eventually prompting moderator Wolf Blitzer to intervene. "If you're both screaming at each other, the viewers won't be able to hear either of you," Blitzer said. The crowd, for its part, was much rowdier than at previous Democratic debates, cheering and hissing throughout the event. Sanders insisted that while he has long been fighting to raise the national minimum wage to $15, Clinton had only advocated to raise it to $12. "$12 is not good enough, we need $15 an hour," Sanders said. Until recently, the Democratic race had remained relatively tame, largely devoid of the personal attacks and heated rhetoric that have characterized the GOP contest. But as the race has dragged on into April, there has been a shift. In recent days, Sanders has questioned Clinton's judgment and credibility, pointing to her relationship with Wall Street and vote for the Iraq War. Clinton, meanwhile, has had harsh words for Sanders, sharply questioning whether he is capable of executing the promises embedded in his lofty rhetoric. And Clinton and her aides had been signaling for days that they planned to hit Sanders for his views on gun control, particularly his belief that victims of gun violence should not be able to sue gun and ammunition manufacturers. The likelihood that this issue would become a flashpoint on Thursday skyrocketed earlier in the day when a judge in Connecticut ruled that the suit between the families of Sandy Hook victims and the manufacturer of the gun used in the 2012 shooting there could go forward. The viability of the lawsuit was in doubt because of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a law Sanders supported that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Clinton hit Sanders for the law at a roundtable on gun violence on Monday and is likely to do so again Thursday night. Sanders is also poised to have to address the latest controversy that has engulfed his campaign: On Wednesday, surrogate Paul Song said at a campaign rally that the Democratic party must stop electing "corporate Democratic whores." Sanders quickly disavowed those comments, calling them "inappropriate and insensitive." The debate is taking place at Brooklyn Navy Yard, located across the East River from Manhattan, making it a home-turf battle for both candidates. Clinton served as a New York senator for eight years and Brooklyn is the location of her campaign headquarters, while Sanders was born and raised in the borough. RELATED: NYC First Lady 'Bernie is getting desperate' Polls show Clinton is likely to defeat Sanders in New York, and even as she enjoys a sizable delegate lead, it is critical for Clinton that she win this state. The Democratic race so far has proven Sanders to be an unexpectedly durable candidate whose popularity among liberals and younger voters has helped to expose the vulnerabilities in Clinton's candidacy. The New York race comes after a string of victories for Sanders in states including Wyoming, Wisconsin, Idaho and Utah. If Sanders were to eke out a win in New York, it would deal a serious blow to Clinton and strengthen the narrative that it is taking Clinton much longer than initially expected to clinch her party's nomination.
Transcribe →