Kamala Harris Shuts Down Generational Argument At Democratic Debate

When Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) turned the Democratic debate stage into a battleground over which generation should carry the presidential torch, it was Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) — not the moderators of the event — who restored order.

“Hey guys, you know what?” she interjected. “America does not want to witness a food fight, they want to know how we’re going to put food on their table.”

Just moments earlier, Swalwell had cited a past interaction with Biden to argue that it was time for a new generation to lead the way.

“Joe Biden was right when he said it was time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans 32 years ago,” he said. “He’s still right today.”

The stage quickly erupted into chaos, with Swalwell, Biden, Sanders, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg all attempting to get a word in. But it was Harris who ended up with sole control of the spotlight.

Her response garnered significant applause from the audience and silenced the stage — providing her with an opening to launch an attack on the state of the economy under President Donald Trump.

She spoke about people around the country working two or three jobs to put food on their tables and provide for their families — calling out Trump for using the stock market and unemployment rates to measure the health of the economy.

“Well, you have people in America who are working — they’re working two and three jobs, so when we talk about jobs, let’s be really clear,” she said. “In our America, no one should have to work more than one job to have a roof over their head and food on their table.”

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.