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WATCH: College Students Had A Surprising Favorite In Night One Of The Democratic Debate

Beth Baumann
Beth Baumann  |  June 27, 2019 1:35 PM

Following Wednesday night's debate, NBC News sat down with six college students to get their reaction to the Democratic candidates and who stood out to them.

In a rather interesting exchange, five out of the six college students said former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro came out on top. The reason? He talked policy and substance.

Apparently the small group of college students weren't the only ones who felt that way. According to Castro's campaign, they saw a nice uptick in individual contributions and donors since the last night's debate. And the media has taken notice, as he has seven various TV interviews scheduled for Thursday.

During an interview on MSNBC, Castro said it was evident he had a great performance during the debate.

"Clearly, I had a great night. I went in there and, the truth is, before last night, there were a lot of American voters who hadn't had the opportunity to hear from me," Castro explained. "The media has focused, in these last few months, on some of the other campaigns."

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He said he's had a great response in Iowa and New Hampshire.

"Last night, people saw that I have a strong track record of getting things done. I have the right experience. I have a strong vision for the future of the country," Castro said.

He also made it clear that American voters want to know if Democratic candidates can "stand up to" President Donald Trump. 

"Can you handle yourself? Can you handle your own?" Castro asked. "And I more than held my own last night."