Democratic debate: Kamala Harris and Joe Biden clash in defining moment from Thursday night's debate

California Sen. Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden clashed over race on Thursday night.

SALT LAKE CITY — One of the defining moments of Thursday night’s Democratic debate came during the second hour in a fiery exchange between California Sen. Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Harris pushed Biden “to answer for his role in legislation that criminal justice experts say helped lay the groundwork for the mass incarceration that has devastated America’s black communities,” according to The New York Times.

Watch the moment below:

Kamala Harris to Joe Biden: "I do not believe you are a racist ... but it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country." pic.twitter.com/R9NUdwtlUw
— Axios (@axios) June 28, 2019

WATCH: Harris says she doesn't think Biden is a racist, but she talks directly to Biden about his having worked with segregationists on the issue of school busing. pic.twitter.com/eIMAdYDeAn
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 28, 2019

Harris said to Biden, "I do not believe you are a racist and I agree with you when you commit yourself to ... finding common ground. But it was personal and actually very hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two senators who built their careers on segregation of race.”

Harris asked Biden whether he agreed that he was wrong to oppose busing in America.

"I did not oppose busing in America. I opposed busing by the department of education,” Biden said.

Harris replied, "...But that is where the federal government must step in."

Twitter reacted to the moment.

.@KamalaHarris going for the kill here. @JoeBiden seems surprised and struggling to defend this kind of direct response
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) June 28, 2019

Harris pic.twitter.com/YGK7gqCBgo
— Drew Cline (@DrewHampshire) June 28, 2019

Defining moment of the debate. pic.twitter.com/5Pb8d8ZmZj
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) June 28, 2019

Kamala Harris just devastating there
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) June 28, 2019

welp
— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) June 28, 2019

I hadn't realized that @KamalaHarris was a beneficiary of busing. The evidence is that busing did work to improve American educational outcomes, even if it provoked a political backlash. And since 1988, U.S. public schools have become increasingly segregated by race.
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) June 28, 2019