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Warren Avoids Answering Whether Her Criticism of the 'One Percent' Is Hypocritical

September 22, 2017

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) was evasive this week when a conservative radio host asked her on camera how she can rail against America's top "one percent" when she is a multi-millionaire herself.

WRKO's Jeff Kuhner began questioning Warren after getting a picture with her.

"You often say, and I agree with you, that the 99 percent are getting shafted by the one percent," Kuhner said. "Let me ask you this: A lot of people, especially my listeners, say you live in Cambridge, you have a $2 million mansion, plus you're a multi-millionaire yourself. So how can you rail against the one percent when you are and live like the one percent?"

Warren did not directly answer the question, instead describing how she did not grow up rich.

"So let me make clear: I wasn't born in Cambridge; I was born into a family where my daddy worked one job after another and ended up as a janitor," Warren said.

"But you are part of the one percent? You are a multi-millionaire and have a mansion in Cambridge, do you not? It's worth north of $2 million," Kuhner said.

"I had opportunities because America invested in kids like me," Warren responded.

"And that's the reason I'm in public office, so I can make sure the next kid—" she continued before Kuhner cut her off.

"Yeah, I know. But you are part of the one percent and you're railing on the one percent," he interjected. "You don't see the hypocrisy there?"

"It's not hypocrisy. This is whether you believe in opportunity or not, and I believe in opportunity," Warren said as her handler rushed her down the hall.

Warren, a former Harvard law professor, is worth between $3.7 million and $10 million, according to a CNN report from 2015. Those figures do not include her three-story Victorian home in Cambridge, Mass., which is worth about $2 million.