Seven candidates went head-to-head last night in what was the final Democratic debate to be held in 2019.
The representatives went on the attack, targeting each other over everything from policy proposals to their election race tactics.
It made for a contentious affair, with rising star Pete Buttigieg receiving the lion's share of the heat from his fellow candidates who questioned the 37-year-old's level of experience in national politics.
The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Minnesota senator responded by saying his experience as an Afghanistan war veteran and being an elected official as "a gay dude in Mike Pence's Indiana" had prepared him plenty.
Mr Buttigieg has been rising fast in the polls of the early primary states.
However, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren also pushed Mr Buttigieg over his fundraising tactics, an argument she has been making for weeks.
In the heated exchange, Ms Warren criticised Mr Buttigieg for a fundraiser he held at a private Napa winery and said: "Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next President of the United States."
Mr Buttigieg countered her argument by revealing he was the least wealthy candidate on stage and said he would receive contributions from anyone wanting to defeat the current President, Donald Trump.
The topic of Mr Trump and his impeachment, a process mainly led by the Democratic Party, was only briefly discussed despite it setting the news agenda for weeks previous.
Joe Biden, the former vice-president to Barack Obama and the alleged target of Mr Trump's phone call to the Ukrainian President, said he sought to "restore the integrity of the office of the Presidency".
Mr Biden then became the but of a joke made on Twitter by Mr Trump's former press secretary Sarah Sanders, who wrote that she did not understand Mr Biden when he spoke.
The tweet was in reference to Mr Biden formerly having a stutter. Ms Sanders deleted the tweet and has faced a backlash for mocking his speech impediment.
Ms Warren and Bernie Sanders swore to push back against corruption in American politics which they claimed had flourished under Mr Trump.
Mr Sanders came out on top in the debate overall and received the least amount of scrutiny from his fellow candidates.
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang who is in the running, spoke the least throughout the debate but his lack of a tie, and some of his quotes were the most discussed by viewers. Mr Yang's core message is $1,000 universal basic income.
The debate closed with a final quirky question from the moderator who asked: "Would you prefer to ask for forgiveness or give someone a gift?"
Much has been made of the answers given which appeared to be split down gender lines: the two women candidates asked for forgiveness and all the men chose gifts.
