The Slatest

Clinton, Sanders Spar Over Debate Date in Reflection of Tense Democratic Race

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton shake hands before the Univision News and Washington Post Democratic Presidential Primary Debate on March 9 in Miami. 

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In case we needed a reminder of just how acrimonious things have become in the Democratic primary contest, the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigns publicly fought over the timing of a debate before the April 19 New York primary. So far, any kind of resolution seems to be far off.

Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon wrote a couple of snarky messages on Twitter and then issued a statement accusing the Sanders campaign of rejecting three dates for a debate. “The Sanders campaign needs to stop with the games,” Fallon said in the statement. “Over the course of the last week we have offered three specific dates for a debate in New York, all of which the Sanders campaign rejected.”

First, Clinton offered April 4 in the evening, but Sanders rejected that because he wanted a date after the April 5 Wisconsin primary. “We then offered the night of April 14th and that was rejected by Sanders,” Fallon added. “While we preferred to do an evening debate on the 14th, we then agreed to a debate on Good Morning America on April 15, understanding that the Sanders campaign had already agreed to this forum. That, too, was rejected.”

Sanders’ camp quickly shot back as spokesman Michael Briggs released a statement of his own. “We are very pleased that Secretary Clinton finally has accepted our request for a debate about the needs of New York and America,” Briggs said. Still, “the dates and venues she has proposed don’t make a whole lot of sense. The idea that they want a debate in New York on a night of the NCAA finals—with Syracuse in the tournament no less—is ludicrous. We have proposed other dates which they have rejected.”

The NCAA basketball championship is April 4. Briggs’ statement did not make reference to the April 14 or April 15 dates. ABC has confirmed it put forward the offer to host a debate on Good Morning America, saying it would reach a different audience from the prime-time debates.

This tussle over a debate date comes as tensions on the Democratic trail are increasing as the key primaries of Wisconsin and New York are approaching. On Friday night, Sanders said Clinton should apologize to him after she accused his campaign of lying about contributions from fossil fuel companies. “Secretary Clinton owes us an apology. We were not lying. We were telling the truth,” Sanders said.

Read more Slate coverage of the Democratic primary.