Elizabeth Warren was pushed Meghan McCain on her switch in rhetoric. Over the weekend, Warren drew heat for focusing on Soleimani, vilifying him as a “murderer” rather than railing against escalation in the Middle East of any kind, as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has done.
Progressive supporters backing Warren were uncomfortable with her initial response, upset with its centrist thrust and dearth of the “big, bold, structural” stances that won them to her side, multiple sources told ABC News. By the next day, her rhetoric showed a clear U-turn: calling the strike an “assassination,” as Sanders had already done.
Warren made rare Sunday show appearances over the weekend -- her first as a presidential candidate, in fact -- and continued to attack and criticize President Trump without mentioning Soleimani.
"The Treasury Department and the State Department have both designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization -- I don't understand the flip flop. I don't understand why it was so hard to call him a terrorist," McCain said.
McCain noted how Warren had called Soleimani a "murderer" and later described his death as an assassination.
Democrats like Warren have worried that President Trump's strike on Soleimani could lead the nation into armed conflict with Iran.
At one point, McCain asked Warren whether she thought Soleimani was a terrorist. After twice describing Soleimani as "part of a group" designated as terrorists, Warren said "of course" Soleimani was himself a terrorist.
Meghan McCain blasts People's 'bizarre fake news headline' about Elizabeth Warren interview on 'The View'
ReplyDeleteABC News’ “The View” co-host Meghan McCain blasted People over the magazine’s “bizarre fake news headline” about her Tuesday confrontation with 2020 Democratic hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
McCain pressed Warren, D-Mass., over the way she described Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the now-deceased head of the Quds forces within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard. McCain noted how Warren had called Soleimani a "murderer" and later described his death as an assassination.
At one point, McCain asked Warren whether she thought Soleimani was a terrorist. After twice describing Soleimani as "part of a group" designated as terrorists, Warren said "of course" Soleimani was himself a terrorist.
People covered the exchange by writing that McCain “couldn't get a word in” during the Warren interview, but the fiery “View” co-host didn’t appreciate the magazine’s narrative.
“What kind of bizarre fake news headline is this? Did you not see us have a discussion about her labeling Soleimani a terrorist, OR her take on AOC's statements about moderates in the dem party? We had a very interesting and respectful conversation. Warren didn't ignore anything,” McCain tweeted.
“Warren ... seemingly didn’t hear McCain amid applause from the crowd and other hosts’ comments,” People's article read, ignoring that McCain had already pressed Warren to declare that Soleimani was a terrorist.
People did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Warren explained her “wealth tax” plan and McCain attempted to chime in at one point, but the Massachusetts Democrat didn’t acknowledge her.
Warren also responded to questions from McCain about other topics, such as whether or not she agrees with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., about moderates in the Democratic Party. Warren responded directly to McCain’s question about the comments made by AOC and the duo later joked about “wine cellars,” which Warren famously evoked to mock rival Pete Buttigieg at a debate last year.
People wasn’t the only publication to claim Warren ignored McCain, as the New York Daily News and HuffPost ran similar headlines.