Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) repeatedly dodged ABC host George Stephanopoulos' questions Sunday about whether Hillary Clinton would be influenced by her ties to the banking industry should she run for president.
Warren, appearing on This Week to promote her book "A Fighting Chance," previously criticized Clinton when she was a New York senator for accepting $140,000 in campaign contributions from banking industry executives and feared she would "bow to big business." Sunday, the only direct comment she made about Clinton was that she thought she was "terrific."
Yet, when Stephanopoulos asked if she still feared that, Warren would only return to her talking points decrying Wall Street run amok.
"Look, I have made it clear throughout this book, and really what I've been working on for the last 25 years that I'm worried a lot about power in the financial services industry and I'm worried about the fact that basically, starting in the '80s, you know, the cops were taken off the beat in financial services," she said. "What bothers me now, they still strut around Washington. They block regulations that they don't want, they roll over agencies whenever they can."
"Will they roll over Hillary Clinton?" Stephanopoulos asked.
"Well, they break the law and still don't end up being held accountable for it and going to jail," Warren said. "One of the things that I focus on really hard throughout this book is that is one of the prime examples of how the playing field is tilted, and how we've got to push back against it."
Stephanopoulos pressed again. "Do you think Hillary Clinton will push back?"
"I'm going to keep talking about this issue and I'm going to keep pushing on this issue," she said.
Stephanopoulos, who worked in President Clinton's White House, moved on, never pointing out Warren had not once directly answered his questions about Hillary Clinton.
Full exchange:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You have been pretty clear as we showed it in Jeff Zeleny's piece, you're not running for president in 2016. It seems like you just affirmed it again. You also signed a letter earlier this year encouraging Hillary Clinton to run. So is she your candidate in 2016?
ELIZABETH WARREN: All of the Democratic women of the Senate urged Hillary Clinton to run and I hope she does.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You hope she does and if she does, she's your candidate?
WARREN: Hillary is terrific.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You said she's terrific many times. You say that again in this book "A Fighting Chance," but this book leaves out something of a pointed criticism from your earlier book, "The Two-Income Trap." There, you praised first lady Hillary Clinton for her opposition to this bankruptcy bill pushed by the big banks, but go on to talk how she, as New York senator seemed she could not afford that principled position. "Senator Clinton received $140,000 in campaign contributions from banking industry executives in a single year. Big banks were now part of Senator Clinton's constituency. She wanted their support and they wanted hers -- including a vote in favor of "that awful bill." So, are you worried that somehow she'll bow to big business--those were your words in that book--if she becomes president?
WARREN: Look, I have made it clear throughout this book, and really what I've been working on for the last 25 years that I'm worried a lot about power in the financial services industry and I'm worried about the fact that basically, starting in the '80s, you know, the cops were taken off the beat in financial services. These guys were allowed to just paint a bull's-eye on the backsides of American families. They loaded up on risk. They crushed the economy. They got bailed out. What bothers me now, they still strut around Washington. They block regulations that they don't want, they roll over agencies whenever they can.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Will they roll over Hillary Clinton?
WARREN: Well, they break the law and still don't end up being held accountable for it and going to jail. One of the things that I focus on really hard throughout this book is that is one of the prime examples of how the playing field is tilted, and how we've got to push back against it. It's a central issue for me. It's something that i'm going to keep talking about. I'm going to keep talking about it with everyone.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you think Hillary Clinton will push back?
WARREN: I'm going to keep talking about this issue and I'm going to keep pushing on this issue.