Buttigieg Put on Defensive at Debate Over Pricey Fundraisers

Campaign cash emerged as a new dividing line in the Democratic Party’s high-stakes primary fight on Thursday night as two leading White House hopefuls clashed over how best to beat back President Donald Trump's sprawling reelection campaign. Seven candidates shared the stage in Los Angeles in what was their party’s final presidential debate of 2019, but it was Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who saw the most incoming fire on the debate stage. Elizabeth Warren seized on his reliance on wealthy donors while Amy Klobuchar challenged his experience in what opened as a tame event but intensified as time went on.