Moulton, Deaton Clash Over Trump and ICE in 1 Massachusetts Senate Debate as Markey Skips
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 17
Moulton, Deaton Clash Over Trump and ICE in 1 Massachusetts Senate Debate as Markey Skips
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 17
Summary
One debate Tuesday put Seth Moulton and John Deaton head-to-head as they traded sharp attacks while Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, the incumbent they hope to unseat, did not appear.
Trump and immigration drove the sharpest split: Moulton cast Deaton as an enabler of the president’s agenda, while Deaton said he never voted for Trump and backed expanded legal immigration with zero tolerance for illegal entry.
ICE became a flashpoint when Moulton called for prosecuting officials involved in Trump’s mass deportation agenda, and Deaton rejected abolishing the agency as an election-year slogan.
Israel and foreign aid exposed another divide, with Deaton opposing more funding for Israel, Ukraine or others unless it clearly benefits Americans, while Moulton backed conditional aid and said he returned AIPAC donations.
Markey’s absence still hung over the race: Deaton called him a coward, Moulton defended his public service while urging generational change, and both challengers remain underdogs in a state where Markey is popular.