Hillary Clinton’s “excuse me” got a much different response than Bernie Sanders’.
At the debate in Flint, Michigan, Sunday, the Vermont Senator objected to Clinton interrupting him by saying “excuse me” somewhat indignantly—a heated moment that led some people to accuse him of being patronizing or just tone deaf.
On Wednesday night, the former Secretary of State had her own “excuse me”, which was the second most-tweeted moment of the debate, according to Twitter.
At the debate in Miami, Clinton was blocking Sanders from interrupting her response to a question about whether bipartisan support is necessary to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“Excuse me, excuse me,” Clinton said while continuing to talk over Sanders who sought to jump into the discussion with mention of legislation he called the “comprehensive climate change legislation in the history of the United States Senate.”
The moment was tense. For about 20 seconds, Clinton finished her statements while Sanders pointed and shook his finger at the moderators, questioning whether or not he was called on to speak.
“Did you ask me to speak?” Sanders repeated. “Madam Secretary, when he asked me to speak…”
Clinton’s response was praised by some as showing her toughness.
But others saw it as evidence of a double standard against men.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com