US Senator Elizabeth Warren took the first step towards a 2020 presidential run yesterday, becoming the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to Republican President Donald Tr
Doina Chiacu washington
January 1 2019 2:30 AM
US Senator Elizabeth Warren took the first step towards a 2020 presidential run yesterday, becoming the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to Republican President Donald Trump.
Ms Warren, a liberal firebrand from Massachusetts who has frequently clashed with Mr Trump, said she had formed an exploratory committee, which will allow her to begin raising money as part of what is expected to be a crowded Democratic field before the 2020 election.
Warren released a video outlining her vision of a path to opportunity for all Americans, not just the wealthy.
« Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, and take care of themselves and the people they love, » she said in a Twitter post. « That’s what I’m fighting for, and that’s why I’m launching an exploratory committee for president. I need you with me. »
Warren said in September she would take a « hard look » at running for the Democratic nomination. The former Harvard Law School professor campaigned with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and attacked Mr Trump as an « insecure money-grubber » driven by greed and hate.
Mr Trump has cast aspersions on Ms Warren’s claim to Native American ancestry, referring to her as ‘Pocahontas’. In October, Warren released DNA analysis she said supported her assertion she had Native American lineage that goes back six to 10 generations.
Trump, who had promised $1m to her favourite charity if she took a DNA test that showed she had Native American blood, greeted the results with a shrug, saying, « Who cares? »
Mr Trump’s use of the name Pocahontas refers to a 17th century Native American woman associated with the British colony in Jamestown, Virginia. His mocking reference has drawn criticism from some Native American groups while others criticised Ms Warren for trying to lay claim to a tribal nation.
