Why Trump called Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren 'Pocahontas' in speech
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump reignited a decades-old political feud with Senator Elizabeth Warren by calling her "Pocahontas" during his address to Congress on Tuesday.
The remark came while Trump was speaking about US financial aid for Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
"The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine's defense... You wanna keep it going for another five years? Yeah. Pocahontas says yes," Trump said, apparently addressing Warren in the audience.
Ancestry controversy
'Pocahontas' nickname: A jab at Warren's ancestry claims
The "Pocahontas" nickname is a taunt Trump has often used to mock Warren's past claims of Native American heritage.
The controversy dates back to Warren's claim of Indigenous ancestry, which was called into question after a 2018 DNA test showed only a small percentage of Native ancestry.
Warren's DNA analysis, undertaken by Stanford University researcher Carlos Bustamante, revealed that the "vast majority" of Warren's genealogy is of European descent.
DNA
DNA test a mockery: Cherokee Nation
At the same time, he states that the findings "strongly support the existence of an unadmixed Native American ancestor in the individual's pedigree, likely in the range of 6-10 generations ago."
Critics, including Trump, have accused her of exaggerating her background for personal or political gain.
The Cherokee Nation, a sovereign tribal government, had described the DNA test as "useless," adding, it makes a mockery out of DNA tests while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens.
Warren's response
Warren dismisses Trump's remarks, criticizes his speech
Responding to Trump's comment, Warren brushed off his words and called his speech "a fantasy."
Asked if she was surprised by the attack, she just shook her head and said, "No. The whole speech was a fantasy that Donald Trump tries to construct."
She emphasized that Ukrainians have been on the front lines for three years and recalled her Ukraine visit where she met President Volodymyr Zelensky and combat veterans.
Durbin's criticism
Great-great-grandmother was part Native American, claims Warren
For a very long time, Warren has been dogged by inquiries regarding her family background. These allegations originate from her 2012 Massachusetts Senate campaign against Republican Scott Brown, who accused her of lying about her heritage in order to obtain a professional advantage.
"Professor Warren claimed that she was a Native American, a person of color,...And as you can see, she's not," he said during a debate.
Warren had previously stated that her great-great-grandmother was part Native American.