U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Monday an analysis of her DNA backs up her claims of Native American heritage.
The move launched a counterassault on President Donald Trump for his years of ridicule over her claimed ancestry.
Trump has regularly mocked Warren over her undocumented ancestry claims by calling her Pocahontas and the DNA analysis Warren released Monday found "strong evidence that a DNA sample of primarily European descent also contains Native American ancestry from an ancestor in the sample's pedigree 6-10 generations ago."
For almost the entire time she has been in politics, Warren has dealt with controversy over identifying herself as of American Indian heritage, including listing herself as a minority in an Association of American Law Schools legal directory. Though the announcement of the DNA analysis comes just more than three weeks before her election contest against Republican Geoff Diehl, Monday's revelation appeared to be more focused on Trump. Warren has said she will seriously consider running for president in 2020.
"The first Native American in our family that can be proved is generations back, and the geneticist says there could be others. No matter," Warren wrote in an email to supporters. "It's my family, and -- like it or not Donald Trump -- my family's stories are supported by this test."
Trump in July joked that he would toss a DNA kit at Warren if the two met on a debate stage and offer her $1 million if she was able to demonstrate American Indian ancestry.
"Who cares?" Trump said Monday morning when asked about the DNA test, according to CNN. When asked about his offer to donate $1 million to charity if Warren could prove Native American heritage, Trump responded: "I didn't say that. You better read it again."
Warren on Monday also launched a "fact squad" website with information about her heritage, documents detailing her employment and a video in which Warren's relative talk about Trump's attacks on their family's tree.
"OK, I get it: Donald Trump doesn't seem to care about facts. He may keep right on slandering the Native American community. He may continue disrespecting Native American war heroes. He may stir up hate whenever and wherever he can," Warren wrote.
David Axelrod, a former aide and strategist to President Barack Obama who is now a CNN commentator, called Warren's new video about her American Indian heritage "extraordinary video to surface even before you enter the race.
"It says: 1)@SenWarren is 100% running. 2)She thinks this Pocahontas crap is a potential problem. 3)She wants to dispose of it now, lest she be Birtherized. The risk I’m sure she considered? This elevates it," Axelrod tweeted Monday morning.
This report was originally published by State House News Service.
