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Bilingual debate responses by Beto, Booker light up social media

Cory Booker's reaction to Beto O'Rourke speaking Spanish during Wednesday's debate had social media going wild.
Credit: AP
From left, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney pose for a photo on stage before the start of a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Dueling displays of Spanish from two candidates during Wednesday night's Democratic presidential debate in Miami had a lot of people taking notice online and on the debate stage. 

It all began when former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke switched over to Spanish in the middle of an answer. 

The immediate reaction from New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker sent social media into a frenzy of posts and video clips featuring his expression.

In addition to Coal Run, Kentucky, Mayor Andrew Scott's tweet, reporters Yamiche Alcindor of PBS and Ariane Datil of WUSA9 in Washington, D.C. were among others chiming in.

Later on, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker offered viewers some of his linguistic dexterity.

Which had some deleting their earlier Gifs on Booker's reaction. 

Former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro also broke into Spanish, as well as moderator Telemundo anchor Jose Diaz-Balart. 

Fellow White House hopefuls Andrew Yang and Marianne Williamson also admitted that their language skills may not be up to those of their peers. 

Yang, Williamson and eight others take the stage Thursday in the second night of the debates on NBC.

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