Trump calls Elizabeth Warren 'Pocahontas' at White House event honoring Native American code talkers

pulse

November 27, 2017 8:18 PM

At a White House event honoring the last surviving Native American code talkers, Trump revived his disparagement of Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas."

President Donald Trump called Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas" again on Monday.
This time, he made the remark at an event honoring three of the last surviving Native American code talkers.

At a White House event on Monday honoring three of the last surviving Native American code talkers, President Donald Trump revived his controversial "Pocahontas" moniker for Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

"You were here long before any of us were here," Trump told the three code talkers, each of whom is about 90 years old, to his right. "Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her 'Pocahontas.' But you know what, I like you, because you are special. You are special people. You are really incredible people."

Trump praised the code talkers' bravery and said, "From the heart, from the absolute heart, we appreciate what you've done."

Trump has called Warren, elected to the Senate in 2013, "Pocahontas" repeatedly for more than a year.

The attack is based on one by former GOP Sen. Scott Brown, now the US ambassador to New Zealand, who was Warren's opponent during her 2012 Senate bid. Brown accused her at the time of using her Native American ancestry to her advantage after reports surfaced that she listed herself as a minority in a years-old directory of law professors.

Peter MacDonald, a code talker who served in the Marines during World War II, had delivered a speech on their service before Trump's comment. He later praised Trump for having military leaders serve in important roles in the administration.

Trump said he did not need to read his own speech as MacDonald's was so good.

Responding to Trump on MSNBC, Warren said it was "deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur."

When pressed during Monday's briefing on why Trump thought the remark was appropriate, the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, accused Warren of "lying" about her heritage.