Markey, Moulton Trade Punches In Contentious U.S. Senate Democratic Primary Debate

An increasingly contentious Democratic challenge for the state's junior U.S. Senate seat ratcheted up another notch on Monday as U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton traded accusations during a televised debate four weeks before the state primary.

Markey accused Moulton of playing to the "MAGA" base in Washington, throwing trans children "under the political bus" for his comments following the last presidential election and abusing his status on the House Armed Services Committee for personal gain.

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Moulton focused his attack on Markey's inability to turn policy into meaningful action during his 50 years on Capitol Hill, repeatedly hammering Markey for supporting a war in Iraq under President George W. Bush under false pretenses, which Moulton served in, and questioned the number of times that Markey's name appears in the Epstein Files for meeting with someone Moulton characterized as an "Epstein lobbyist."

"Why would you even take a meeting with a lobbyist on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein?" Moulton asked. "How could you do that long after he was convicted?"

"What you are doing right now is absolutely reprehensible," Markey responded. "I have never met Jeffrey Epstein. I don't know Jeffrey Epstein. I have been calling for the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein since day one."

Markey seized on Moulton's post-election remarks last year that he would not want his two girls getting "run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete" in accusing Moulton of "throwing trans children under the political bus."

Moulton cited his support for trans-rights legislation and opposition to Trump attacks on the trans community, while also taking time to apologize for any pain that his comments from 2024 caused.

"You are valued and I will always have your back," Moulton said.

At the time, he used the trans reference to illustrate how he feels Democrats must be more open to debate on issues where Americans may not agree.

Markey positioned himself as the true progressive in the race when it came to advocating for Medicare for All, renewable green energy and opposition to Trump and his military agenda — charging Moulton with supporting a defense budget that allowed for the onset of the Iran War.

Moulton responded by chastising Markey for his vote to support the Iraq War more than two decades ago.

"I have seen Americans lose their lives because of your vote to send us to war in Iraq," Moulton said. "So do not question my commitment to peace in the Middle East."

Both candidates said they supported both the abolition of ICE and a path to citizenship for the 11 million people estimated to be in this country without current legal status.

Moulton also accused Markey of not fully revealing his tax records, indicating how much taxes he pays in Maryland compared to Massachusetts, as well as his health records at age 80 while seeking another six-year term.

"People ought to ask what are you going to be able to accomplish in the next six years that you haven't been able to in the last 50?" Moulton asked.

Markey said he would step down if he felt he could no longer serve effectively because of his health, the same way he would expect Moulton, or any other senator, to do in that case, regardless of age.

The winner of the Sept. 1 primary will face Republican challenger John Deaton in the November general election.

"Tonight's debate between Ed Markey and Seth Moulton should be watched by every Massachusetts voter," Deaton said in a statement Monday night. "If you do, I’ll win in a landslide.

"What we witnessed was not a contest of ideas or a serious discussion of the problems facing working families in this state. It was two career politicians arguing over which one is more corrupt than the other."