Just two weeks before the 2018 midterm elections, 2020 presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren released the results of a DNA test in order to "prove" she's Native American. After all, she used the title to get ahead in her academic and political careers.
Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday sought to explain her controversial decision to list herself as a Native American in a directory of law professors for nearly a decade before getting a job at Harvard Law School and said she is absolutely qualified for her job.
Republican Sen. Scott Brown's campaign last week accused Warren of "participating in Harvard's diversity sham" by allowing the school to list her as a minority.
The test showed she might be 1/1024 Native American.
BOSTON GLOBE: "Due to a math error, a story about Elizabeth Warren misstated the ancestry percentage of a potential 10th generation relative. It should be 1/1,024."
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) October 15, 2018
Despite massive backlash from Republicans, Democrats and a scathing statement from the Cherokee Nation, Warren has brazenly stood by her decision to take the DNA test, publish the results and doubled down in the wake of criticism. She also attempted to explain away why she listed herself as Native American at Harvard, but not in the Senate.
But as decision time for 2020 inches closer, the failed stunt has turned into an even bigger albatross for the Massachusetts Senator. According to the New York Times, Democrat advisors believe Warren may have blown her 2020 chances and that the damage of her cultural appropriation may be beyond repair. In fact, some believe her only way to survival is through an apology.
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Advisers close to Ms. Warren say she has privately expressed concern that she may have damaged her relationships to Native American groups and her own standing with progressive activists, particularly those who are racial minorities. Several outside advisers are even more worried: They say they believe a plan should be made to repair that damage, possibly including a strong statement of apology.
The advisers say Ms. Warren will have to confront the issue again if she announces a presidential campaign, which is expected in the coming weeks, and several would like her to act soon.
Publicly, at this point, the senator isn’t second-guessing her actions.
There's no way Warren will issue a full throated apology on this, she's in too deep. Instead, she'll find away to "apologize" without actually doing so and will further damage her 2020 chances.
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