Sanders-Warren debate clash over sexism fuels their campaign fundraising

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Sanders clashes with Warren over sexism allegations

Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren sparred over the disputed CNN report that Sanders had allegedly told Warren in December 2018 that a woman could not realistically become president; Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy reports from Des Moines, Iowa.

The on-stage salvos between Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren at Tuesday’s Democratic presidential nomination debate in Iowa over whether or not he told her a woman couldn't win the presidency in the 2020 election are actually paying off for both candidates in terms of fundraising.

In an update to his supporters on Wednesday night on Twitter, Sanders announced that in the past two days “including the period following the recent debate last night, we have received more than 200,000 contributions totaling nearly $4 million.”

AUDIO RELEASED OF TESTY ON-STAGE POST-DEBATE SANDERS-WARREN CLASH

The populist lawmaker, who’s making his second straight White House run, added that “I say that not to boast about money. Money is money. But that just indicates the kind of support that we are receiving, 200,000 contributions in the last two days alone.”

And he added that 25,000 of those contributions were from first-time donors to his campaign, touting that “if that’s not momentum, then I don’t know what momentum is.”

The Warren campaign tweeted out soon after the debate ended that they “just had our all-time best fundraising hour of a debate, with the most donations ever during a debate day. LFG, Team Warren!”

Fox News reached out to Warren’s campaign on Thursday morning for an update on their cash haul the past two days but had yet to receive a response at the time this report was published.

The biggest headline coming out of the prime-time debate was the clash between the two progressive standard-bearers in the Democratic presidential field over the disputed CNN report that Sanders had privately told Warren in private December 2018 meeting that a woman could not realistically become president in 2020. The meeting took place as both lawmakers were each gearing up to launch White House bids.

“Well, as a matter of fact I didn’t say it," Sanders insisted at the debate. And minutes later he unequivocally denied that the conversation took place.

Warren said she disagreed with the notion that a woman candidate couldn’t defeat President Trump in November’s general election.

"Bernie is my friend and I’m not here to try to fight with Bernie,” she also explained, before saying it was important to take the issue of sexism "head-on."

But at the end of the debate, Warren refused to shake Sanders’ hand as the two appeared to have a brief, heated conversation.

CNN on Wednesday night released audio of that exchange.

"I think you called me a liar on national TV," Warren is heard saying on the recording.

"What?" responded Sanders.

"I think you called me a liar on national TV," Warren repeated.

"You know, let's not do it right now. If you want to have that discussion, we'll have that discussion," Sanders replied.

"Anytime,” she quickly fired back.

"You called me a liar," he interjected. "You told me -- all right, let's not do it now."

The clash came as Sanders' fundraising continues to soar – he hauled in $34 million the past three months, far more than any other Democratic candidate – and his poll numbers have jumped. At the same time, Warren’s seen her fundraising and poll numbers dip.

Fox News' Andrew Craft contributed to this report.