Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren refused to answer questions about whether or not she has Native American heritage in a public appearance Thursday, Fox Boston reports:
At an appearance in Brookline, her first in more than a week, Warren would not answer questions about the issue. She has not produced any documents to show for it, and critics say she should show some proof.
"We believe that Ms. Warren just needs to come clean and admit that she has no evidence," Twila Barnes, a Cherokee genealogist and historian told FOX 25.
A new Suffolk University poll shows the Cherokee issue has not hurt Warren in the polls. She's in a dead heat with Senator Scott Brown.
Transcript of the exchange:
REPORTER: Elizabeth, can you put this issue to bed and tell us whether or not you are, in fact, a member of a minority group?
WARREN: So, I—middle class families are getting hammered. I’ve been out talking to people about this all across the commonwealth, and what they care about is what Washington is going to do about that. My Republican opponent has made it clear what he will do. He voted to double the interest rates on student loans—REPORTER: [interrupting] Members of the Cherokee Nation want to know. They say you should come clean.
WARREN: I have made the facts clear, and what I’m trying to do is talk about, in this Senate race, what matters to America’s families – what matters to the families of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts…
REPORTER: So will you tell us whether or not…
WARREN: Scott Brown has hammered on my family, at the same time that now, middle class families are also getting hammered on. This is the issue and it’s my job in this campaign to talk about those issues.
REPORTER: Well, why did you claim you were a minority…
WARREN: This is what matters to the families.
REPORTER: And then stop?
MAN: I can’t stop her when she’s in the sequence.
REPORTER: Why did you claim you were a minority and then stop?
WARREN: I have told you. I have answered these questions. I am going to talk about what’s happening to America’s families. It’s what people across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tell me is important to them, and it’s what I’m going to continue to do.
REPORTER: Don’t you think it’s an important issue to address?
WARREN: I have talked about the issues that are most important to the families of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The families themselves have made this clear. I have answered the questions about my background, about my family, and I am talking about what matters to the people of Massachusetts. They have said what they care about is that middle class families are getting hammered. This election will be decided based on whose side you stand on. Scott Brown has hammered those families harder – he just voted to double the interest rate on student loans, and--
REPORTER: [unclear] any documentation?
WARREN: I have worked for middle-class families for all of my life. I’ve spent the last 30 years out there advocating on behalf of America’s middle class. And that’s what I’m going to talk about.
REPORTER: But you’re not answering the question.
WARREN: It’s what I got in this race to talk about and it’s what I’m going to continue to talk about.