Biden: ‘What’s a revolution going to do?’

Joe Biden attacked Bernie Sanders’ plan for Medicare for All, suggesting that Sanders’ call for a political revolution would not lead to any concrete policy results. 

“We have problems we have to solve now. What’s a revolution going to do? Disrupt everything in the meantime?” Biden said, urging people to support his more incremental health care plan.

“Bernie still hasn’t told us how he is going to pay for it,” Biden said of Medicare for All. 

Bernie laughed off Biden’s attacks and defended the need for “real change.”

Sanders, Biden on their best practices for battling the coronavirus

Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are both washing their hands a lot.

Both candidates detailed their own virus-avoidance practices — lots of hand washing and hand sanitizer — during Sunday’s debate.

“Joe and I did not shake hands,” Sanders said.

“I don’t have any of the underlying conditions that you’ve talked about,” Biden said, omitting that him being 77 years old puts him at higher risk for worse outcomes with coronavirus. “I’m taking all the precautions everyone should be taking. I wash my hands God knows how many times a day.”

What consequences should China face for initially covering up the coronavirus?

When asked whether China should be held accountable for initially covering up the coronavirus, both Biden and Sanders criticized the Chinese government for their actions but highlighted the need to work with other countries during a time of global crisis. 

“One of the consequences is we have got to learn that you cannot lie to the American people. You cannot be less than frank about the nature of the crisis,” Sanders said. “Now is the time, by the way, to be working with China. They are learning a lot about this crisis. And in fact, we have got to work with them, we have got to work with the World Health Organization, we have got to work with Italy, we’ve got to work with countries around the world.”

Biden also touched on the need for researchers to have been in China early on in order to better understand the virus.

“I insisted the moment this broke out, that we should insist on having our experts in China to see what was happening and make it clear to China there would be consequences if we did not have that access,” Biden said. 

Chinese scientists reportedly knew about the virus as early as December, but were ordered by government officials to suppress evidence.

Thirty minutes into the 11th Democratic debate and it’s all talk about coronavirus, health care and the economy.

Follow along with the NBC News debate topic tracker.

‘Results, not a revolution’

Biden took a swipe at Sanders after the Vermont senator responded to a question by saying the pandemic crisis could be an opportunity to tackle income inequality.

“People are looking for results, not a revolution,” Biden said.

Sanders, responding a moment later said, “God willing, this crisis is going to end, and we’re going to have to develop an economy where people aren’t living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to put food on the table.”

Biden once more hit back, saying that the federal government needed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic first — “and then we move on to change the economy.”

“First things first,” Biden said.

In a sense, that “first things first” mentality has been at the heart of Biden’s campaign messaging since he launched it.

From the start, Biden’s campaign was built  around one priority: Getting rid of Trump. And now? A new top priority is combating the pandemic. 

Either way, it’s a convenient way to fight off Sanders’ longer-term goals of tackling broad, structural changes in the federal government.

Which virus are we talking about?

Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden had trouble remembering which virus has got the world shutting down businesses and avoiding gatherings and handshakes. Several times, Sanders referred to the Ebola virus before catching himself followed by Biden, who mentioned SARS.

Sanders: ‘What happens to the millions of workers?’

Sanders argued the economic fallout would be another huge part of this pandemic. 

“What happens to the millions of workers who may end losing their jobs?” he said.

Sanders began to argue that the federal government should create a way to send checks to Americans to make them “whole,” but moderators said they’d be discussing economic affects later.

Biden clear about intent to call up military

Biden, asked if he’d call up the military to help combat the pandemic, answered clearly in the affirmative.

“It is a national emergency,” he said. “I would call up the military.”

“They have the capacity to build out 500-bed hospitals,” he said.

“This is like a war,” Biden had said a moment earlier. “And in a war, you do everything you need to take care of your people.”