UMVA has learned that a heated debate between two top candidates vying to unseat Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey erupted on Tuesday night, with sharp attacks flying back and forth on a range of critical issues.
Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton and Republican attorney John Deaton went head-to-head on everything from President Donald Trump's influence to sanctuary policies and Israel, with Markey noticeably absent from the fray.
Moulton made a concerted effort to tie Deaton to Trump, a figure who remains deeply unpopular in Massachusetts, despite Deaton's claims of independence and never having voted for the president.
"You may say you're independent, you may say you haven't voted for him, but you're just going to enable his agenda," Moulton charged, warning that sending a Republican to Washington would be a grave mistake for Bay State voters.
Deaton fired back, saying Massachusetts needs someone like him to "stand up for America and working people," and unleashing a profanity-laced blast at both major parties, declaring, "'F' the Republican Party. 'F' the Democrat Party — they all suck."
The Republican candidate also took a swipe at Markey for skipping the debate, branding him "too much of a coward to be here tonight," while Moulton leapt to the senator's defense, characterizing him as a "lifelong public servant" worthy of respect.
On immigration, the candidates starkly diverged, with Moulton calling for the prosecution of ICE officials involved in Trump's mass deportation agenda, and Deaton advocating for expanded legal immigration paired with a "zero tolerance" stance on illegal immigration.
Deaton also rejected the idea of abolishing ICE, dismissing it as a mere "slogan," while Moulton backed conditional aid to Israel, arguing that the U.S. should not blindly support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Deaton took a hardline stance on foreign aid, vowing not to support additional funding to Israel, Ukraine, or other countries unless it directly serves American and Massachusetts interests, and also leveling criticism at Moulton over his past interactions with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
