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Elizabeth Warren opened the library at the Democratic debate and read every single candidate for filth

Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren (Ethan Miller/Getty)

Elizabeth Warren went after Mike Bloomberg, Amy Klobuchar, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders in a shade-filled performance at the NBC News Democratic Debate.

Warren warned that “she grew up fighting” as she launched an astonishing series of attacks on her rivals.

The Massachusetts senator set the tone with her opening remarks on businessman Mike Bloomberg, comparing the former New York mayor to another well-known billionaire.

“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against,” Warren said. “A billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians’. And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about mayor Bloomberg.”

Claiming that Bloomberg has “a history of hiding his tax returns, harassing women and supporting racist policies like and stop-and-frisk,” she warned: “Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another.”

Bloomberg found himself under attack from all angles, and defended himself by claiming he had cut down on the number of stop-and-frisks once he realised that the policy was unfairly targeting the African-American community. In fact, he had defended the policy until a judge ordered it be changed.

When Warren pressed him to release women who have made accusations against him from the non-disclosure agreements they had signed, “so we can hear their side of the story”, Bloomberg said he would not.

“None of them accuse me of doing anything other than, maybe they didn’t like a joke I told,” he replied to groans.

He defended his treatment of women by pointing out that his foundation is run by a woman and largely staffed by women.

“In my company, lots and lots of women have big responsibilities, they’re paid exactly the same as men.”

When asked for her thoughts on this, Warren retorted: “I hope you’ve heard what his defence was: I’ve been nice to some women.”

Twitter users were thrilled by Bloomberg’s debate defeat, declaring his campaign’s cause of death as “Elizabeth Ann Warren”.

Elizabeth Warren fires shots at Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar.

Bloomberg wasn’t the only one in the line of fire, as Warren also had strong opinions on both Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar’s health care plans.

Both the former South Bend, Indiana mayor and the Minnesota senator – who finished a surprise third in the New Hampshire primary – are running on centrist platforms, and are against Warren’s Medicare For All initiative.

But for Warren, neither candidate has a strong enough alternative. Buttigieg, she said, merely has a “slogan thought up by consultants to paper over a thin version of a plan that would leave millions unable to afford their healthcare”.

It’s not a plan, it’s a PowerPoint. And Amy’s plan is even less. It’s like a post-it note, insert plan here.

Turning to the senator, she added: “Amy, I looked at your plan. It’s two paragraphs.”

Buttigieg was also attacked for “taking money from big donors and changing his position so it makes it unclear what it is he stands for – other than his own advancement”.

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders didn’t escape Elizabeth Warren’s wrath.

Warren criticised Joe Biden for sidling up to Republican senate leader Mitch McConnell while serving as Vice President.

“According to The New York Times, the last time that Mitch McConnell was on the ballot, the vice president stood on the Oval Office and said: ‘I hope that Mitch gets reelected so that I can keep working with him.’

“Well Mitch did get reelected he did not have an epiphany, instead he blocked nearly everything that Barack Obama tied to pass and he stole a Supreme Court seat from the Democrats.”

Bernie Sanders got off relatively lightly, but was criticised for failing to keep his supporters in line.

Referring to the online behaviour of some “Bernie Bros” who have been accused of harassment, Warren told Sanders: “I’ve said many times before, we are all responsible for our supporters and we need to step up. That’s what leadership is all about.”

Unsurprisingly, Warren was roundly declared the winner of the debate. However it remains to be seen whether her performance will be enough to boost her campaign, which has stumbled following her poor showing in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries.

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