Warren's Texas Bar Card Shows She Handwrote 'American Indian' as Her Race
A 1986 Texas Bar Association document signed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren shows that she wrote in “American Indian” as her race.
The document was revealed Tuesday by The Washington Post.
The document shows Warren wrote “American Indian” in the area where she could specify her race.
Warren’s claims of Native American ancestry began roughly at the time she filled out the card and continued through the present day.
Last year, she took a DNA test in an attempt to buttress her claims of Cherokee descent, though it didn’t help her case much.
Last week, she privately apologized for the test, which she publicized, and for her claims of Native American heritage. However, that met with some cynicism from Native Americans.
“This still isn’t transparent,” said Twila Barnes, a Cherokee genealogist, according to The New York Times. “She needs to go public and say she fully takes responsibility and that the DNA test was ridiculous. There is still something about this that feels off.”
Conservative criticism has been unrelenting.
This is so embarrassing … @SenWarren is a TOTAL FRAUD.
It’s pretty obvious she used “American Indian” on forms to get ahead.
Imagine if a WHITE REPUBLICAN had done this.. there would be calls for them to resign immediately. WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE?!?!?! #Warren pic.twitter.com/gF6owuv3CM— Stephanie Hamill (@STEPHMHAMILL) February 6, 2019
This is from Elizabeth Warren’s registration for the Texas Bar, filled out in her own hand and calling herself “American Indian.” She has insisted she never used that identity to “get ahead.” You decide. pic.twitter.com/3ykomyAMKp
— Brit Hume (@brithume) February 6, 2019
Warren also said she apologized for identifying as Native American when at the University of Pennsylvania and at Harvard University.
A GOP spokesman said that’s not good enough.
“For the seven years this has been in the news, Elizabeth Warren has refused to apologize. Now, four days before her formal presidential launch, she’s issued a politically opportunistic apology that doesn’t go nearly far enough,” Republican National Committee spokesman Mike Reed said in a statement, according to Fox News.
Warren has said she will officially launch her 2020 presidential campaign on Saturday.
“Warren pretended to be a minority to climb the Ivy League ladder – a lie that will continue to haunt her presidential ambitions,” Reed’s statement said.
Some Democrats agree.
“It’s a distraction,” said Democratic New Hampshire House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, according to another Fox News report.
“I think it’s something that just keeps her off message and anytime you can’t talk about what you want to talk about, that doesn’t help.”
New Hampshire radio host Arnie Arnesen, the Democratic candidate for governor in 1992, told Fox that “this drip, drip, drip is not good politics.”
“Either you do a dump or you don’t do a dump. I think part of the problem is she probably forgot. But here’s the other problem. When you’re running for president and you know this is an issue for you, you have investigators investigate you,” Arnesen said.
“All politicians do that. I did that.”
Mo Elleithee, the founding executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, told Fox that in and of itself the new revelation is not a candidacy-killer, but it gives opponents a ready weapon.
Elleithee, who served as spokesman for the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2008 as well as the communications director for the Democratic National Committee, said Warren had better be ready.
“It’s clear this is going to be something that Republicans hit her on. It’s going to continue to be something that the press asks about and so she’s got to nip it in the bud,” he said.
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