6 Moments That Mattered at the Democratic Debate in Brooklyn

Brooklyn, New York -- Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders met Thursday night in Brooklyn ahead of the state’s primary on April 19 for their ninth presidential primary debate, hosted by CNN, and the exchanges between the two Democratic candidates got fiery.

Sanders and Clinton, who both have ties to New York, sparred on various topics including minimum wage, gun control, national security and Clinton’s paid speeches to Wall Street companies.

Here are the moments that mattered at Thursday night’s debate:

1. Talk About Judgment

Hillary Clinton wasted no time to launch assaults on Sanders. Just minutes in to the debate, she hammered her opponent hard for his recent botched interview with the New York Daily News.

“If you go and read, which I hope all of you will before Tuesday, Senator Sanders' long interview with The New York Daily News, talk about judgment,” she said, “And talk about the kinds of problems he had answering questions about even his core issue: breaking up the banks.”

“When asked he could not explain how that would be done, and when asked about a number of foreign policy issues, he could not answer about Afghanistan, about Israel, about counter-terrorism,” she added. “Except to say if he had some paper in front of him, maybe he could.”

Earlier, Sanders said that while he believes Clinton has “the experience and intelligence to be a president,” he does question her judgment, noting her Iraq War vote, her record on trade and her campaign’s Super PACs.

2. Speech Transcripts Vs. Tax Returns

Clinton has been asked repeatedly to release the transcripts of her speeches to Wall Street firms. During the debate she again stressed she "did stand up to the banks," but would not commit to releasing them. She did however turn the tables back on to Sanders.

"I have said, look--there are certain expectations when you run for president. This is a new one, and I've said, if everybody agrees to do it, because there are speeches for money on the other side. I know that," Clinton said before pivoting to tax returns calling on both Sanders and Donald Trump to release their tax returns, as she has, but refusing to release her speech transcripts.

"Let's set the same standard for everybody," Clinton said about the speech transcripts. "When everybody does it, okay, I will do it, but let's set and expect the same standard on tax returns. Everybody does it, and then we move forward.”

Sanders pledged to release last year's tax return tomorrow, but would only say the rest of his returns would come out soon.

"Look, I don't want to get anybody very excited," Sanders said. "They are very boring tax returns. No big money from speeches, no major investments. Unfortunately -- unfortunately I remain one of the poorer members of the United States senate. That's what that will show."

3. Unintended Consequences

Another contentious issue tonight was the 1994 crime bill that former President Bill Clinton passed. The Clintons have repeatedly come under fire during this campaign for the legislation, which many say led to the high mass incarceration rate among African-Americans seen today.

Just last week, Bill Clinton got into a fiery exchange with Black Lives Matters protesters in Philadelphia over the bill. In that exchange, Clinton defended his wife's 1996 use of the word "super-predator" and tonight Sanders called it "racist."

Clinton apologized for the consequences of the bill tonight when asked if she regretted her advocacy of the legislation.

"I'm sorry for the consequences that were unintended and that have had a very unfortunate impact on people's lives," Clinton said.

4. The Fight for Fifteen

Clinton appeared to slightly shift her position on minimum wage during a back and forth with Sanders on the topic.

When asked if she would sign a $15 minimum wage bill as president, Clinton, who has called for raising the federal minimum wage to $12, replied: “Of course I would.”

The response raised eyebrows for Sanders. "I am sure a lot of people are very surprised to learn that you supported raising the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour,” he said.

Clinton clarified that her position has not changed –- and that she still supports $12 nationally and $15 only in some cities with higher cost of living, such as New York and L.A.

"No, wait a minute, wait a minute,” she said. “The minimum wage at the national level right now is $7.25, right? We want to raise it higher than it ever has been, but we also have to recognize some states and some cities will go higher, and I support that.”

5. Gun Control

Sanders acknowledged the small victory that the families of Sandy Hook victims won in court today when a judge ruled their lawsuit against gun manufacturers could proceed. Last week, Sanders came under fire after telling the New York Daily News that he did not believe the group had a right to sue manufacturers. During the debate he said he did not think he owes the victims’ families an apology, but that he supports them and “anyone else who wants the right to sue.”

As she often does on the trail, Clinton condemned Sanders’ vote to grant liability protections to gun manufacturers, calling it an “absolute abdication of responsibility.” Clinton went a step further as well and accused Sanders of doing the NRA’s bidding when he voted that way.

Earlier this week, Clinton held a campaign event in Long Island with a family member of a Sandy Hook victim who has called on Sanders to apologize.

6. Going to the Convention?

Sanders' campaign has been talking recently about fighting all the way to the Democratic convention in Philadelphia in July. Tonight, Sanders said he will win.

"I think we're going to win this nomination to tell you the truth," Sanders said. "Look, let me acknowledge what is absolutely true. Secretary Clinton cleaned our clock in the deep south, no question about it. We got murdered there That is the most conservative part of this great country. That's the fact. But you know what, we're out of the deep south now."

Sanders noted his campaign's momentum and their victories in seven of the last eight states.

Clinton, however, was quick to explain her wide delegate lead. She ended with a mention of unity, coming at the conclusion of an incredibly divisive two hours for the candidates and the party.

"We will unite the party and have a unified convention," she said.