“Billionaires In Wine Caves” Is Our New Meme About Rich Donors

membership ticker

Please help us finish strong!

We’re not shy about asking you to help pay for the journalism you rely on—especially this time of year. To have any chance of making our budget goal before the December 31 end of our fiscal year, we need contributions from many of you who have never pitched in before. Equally important, we need steadfast donors who have given before to stick with us and continue your support. We can’t afford to come up short. Please donate now, if you can.

Elizabeth Warren really didn't like Pete Buttigieg's recent fundraiser held in a wine cave.PBS

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

The biggest fight of the night—by far—has been about whether Democratic candidates should accept donations from rich people. Billionaires in particular, and “billionaires in wine caves,” to be super specific about it. (This was Elizabeth Warren’s jab at Pete Buttigieg for his recent big-dollar fundraiser held in an underground wine cellar.)

This is . . . dispiriting. I get that Democratic candidates are mostly going to agree with each other about most things, so you’re not going to see a ton of sniping. But can it really be true that the single most contentious fight among Dems is a debate about fundraising tactics?