The Des Moines branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Des Moines Register and KCCI-TV on Saturday held an economic forum with the 2020 Democrats.
Each of the candidates focused on the typical topics.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) talked about what it was like growing up as black man in America with various interactions with police.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reiterated his previous position that "economic rights are human rights" and even talked about Medicare For All.
"If you're sick and you can't go to the doctor, you're not free," Sanders said. "If you can't afford an education, you're not free."
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang reiterated his plan to provide Americans with $1,000 a month.
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro argued that the Democratic Party needs to reach minorities in swing states.
"If (the nominee) can't connect with those communities, they simply should not be at the top of the ticket," Castro told reporters following the forum. "It's too risky. You're playing into the Republicans' hands. You're giving Donald Trump the same playbook he won with in 2016."
But the highlight of the entire forum: when the moderator asked billionaire Tom Steyer, point blank, how people of color can trust "another rich, white man in the oval office."
"You are a billionaire. How do you relate to people in this room and can minorities trust another rich, white man in the oval office?" the moderator asked.
It was obvious Steyer was caught off guard by the question.
Steyer is a billionaire who made his money as a hedge fund manager, with his net worth estimated around $1.6 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world. Back in 2012, him and his wife took the "Giving Pledge," saying they would give at least half their wealth to charities during his lifetime or in his will. The pledge, however, is non-binding and doesn't offer any real details about just how much money the Steyers plan to donate. The Steyers are also ranked as one of the Democratic Party's biggest donors.
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