A Navajo code talker and U.S Marine Corps veteran said on Tuesday that he was not offended by President Donald Trump's "Pocahontas" remarks about Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), but he was "puzzled" by them.
CNN political analyst Joshua Green tweeted he had spoken to Thomas Begay and talked to him about the Monday meeting at the White House where the president mentioned his "Pocahontas" nickname for the Democratic senator, taking a swing at her unsubstantiated claim of Native American ancestry.
"Just met Thomas Begay who was ‘puzzled’ but not offended by Trump's Pocahontas quip: ‘The Marines made us yell ‘Geronimo’ when we jumped out of planes + that didn't offend me either,’" Green tweeted.
Just met Thomas Begay who was "puzzled" but not offended by Trump's Pocahontas quip: "The Marines made us yell 'Geronimo' when we jumped out of planes + that didn't offend me either." pic.twitter.com/6wOonggocE
— Joshua Green (JoshuaGreen.bsky.social on
) (@JoshuaGreen) November 28, 2017
"You were here long before any of us were here," Trump said on Monday during an Oval Office ceremony honoring the Navajo code talkers. "Although, we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas."
Many, especially on the left, have criticized Trump for the remarks and his use of "Pocahontas." Warren referred to the nickname as a "racial slur."