Trump lashes back at Warren

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump lashed out at Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday over DNA test results she released that indicate she has some Native American heritage, saying she is “getting slammed” over what he claims is “a scam and a lie.”

Trump called on his potential 2020 Democratic challenger to apologize and claimed that even the Cherokee Nation “denies her.”

Warren released the results Monday to push back against Trump’s taunts about her claim of Native American ancestry. The results offer some evidence that a Native American is in her bloodline, though the ancestor likely lived six to 10 generations ago.

An ancestor six generations removed would make Warren

Native American while an ancestor as much as 10 generations removed would render the Massachusetts Democrat 1/1024th Native American, said Blaine Bettinger, a genealogist and author.

Trump, who refers to Warren as “Pocahontas,” seized on the conclusion in a series of tweets Tuesday.

“She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American. Now Cherokee Nation denies her, “DNA test is useless.” Even they don’t want her. Phony!”

Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said DNA tests are useless in determining tribal citizenship, which is determined by tribal nations. Hoskin accused Warren of “undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.”

Warren acknowledged Monday that DNA and family history have nothing to do with tribal affiliation or citizenship. “I respect the distinction, & don’t list myself as Native in the Senate,” she tweeted.

Trump also claimed Tuesday that Harvard, where Warren has taught law, called her “a person of color” (amazing con), and would not have taken her otherwise!” There is no evidence that Harvard ever described her in that manner.

Charles Fried, the Harvard law professor who recruited Warren, has said any suggestion that she got her job in part because of a claim of minority status is “totally stupid, ignorant, uninformed and simply wrong.”

Trump had offered over the summer to donate $1 million to Warren’s favorite charity if a DNA test proved her Native American bloodline. On Monday, he first denied making such a promise. He later upped the ante by saying “I’ll only do it if I can test her personally.”

“That will not be something I enjoy doing either,” he added.

Warren tweeted that Trump makes “creepy physical threats” about women who scare him.