Senator Elizabeth Warren was interrupted at a Georgia campaign event by a protester who heckled the presidential candidate with the words, "Why did you lie?"
Footage from CBS46 appears to show the man shouting the phrase before being dragged off with a "Warren 1/2020" sign in tow. The "1/2020th" slogan is a jab at the Massachusetts senator's claims to Native American ancestry.
Warren said, "Be easy, be easy… It's okay, it's okay," in response to the disruption, before the crowd launched into a chant of, "Warren, Warren," as the man was removed from the event.
Warren already heckled by someone in red shirt holding a "1/2020th" sign. Escorted out of the gym while the crowd chanted "Warren!"
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) February 16, 2019
The "1/2020th" mock campaign logo references a DNA test Warren took to prove her Native american heritage. Back in October, she released results that showed she had between 1/64 and 1/1,024 Native American genes, according to The Boston Globe.
"The facts suggest that you absolutely have a Native American ancestor in your pedigree," Stanford University genetics professor Carlos Bustamente told Warren in a video released at the time. Her test results suggest the senator has a Native American ancestor six to 10 generations back.
The "1/2020th" logo was posted by Ben Shapiro, founder of conservative news site The Daily Wire, on December 31, shortly after Warren announced she was running for president.
President Donald Trump —who regularly mocks Warren with the nickname "Pocahontas"— tweeted out the logo January 3. He previously promised to donate $1 million to a charity of her choice if a DNA test supported her ancestry claims.
Some Native Americans criticized the progressive politician for having taken the test at all. "A DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship," Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said at the time. "Sovereign tribal nations set their own legal requirements for citizenship, and while DNA tests can be used to determine lineage, such as paternity to an individual, it is not evidence for tribal affiliation." Hoskin Jr. said using a DNA test in such a way was "inappropriate and wrong."
Warren apologized in a tweet which read: "DNA & family history has nothing to do with tribal affiliation or citizenship, which is determined only—only—by Tribal Nations. I respect the distinction, & don't list myself as Native in the Senate." She later apologized for calling herself Native American on an old State Bar of Texas registration card obtained by The Washington Post.
The first major Democratic candidate to throw her hat into the 2020 ring, Warren pledges on her website to end corruption in Washington, rebuild the middle class, strengthen democracy, reform criminal justice and promote foreign policy that serves all Americans.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Katherine Hignett is a reporter based in London. She currently covers current affairs, health and science. Prior to joining Newsweek ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
