Liz Cheney Ignores Trump’s Native American Genocide Joke, Instead Attacks Elizabeth Warren

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) refused to say anything about President Donald Trump’s recent joke referencing the forced relocation and killing of Native Americans, instead taking that opportunity to attack Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and call the 2020 presidential candidate a “laughingstock.”

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Cheney was asked about the president’s tweet in which he reacted to Warren officially announcing her presidential run by not only using his favorite slur for her — “Pocahontas” — but also seemingly referring to the Trail of Tears.

Today Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to by me as Pocahontas, joined the race for President. Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore? See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2019

“Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore?” Trump wrote. “See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!”

Host Jake Tapper noted that Trump has also made a Wounded Knee joke a few weeks ago before asking Cheney if she worries “about the president joking about these horrific tragedies,” pointing out that she represents thousands of Native Americans.

She responded by saying she is concerned that Warren was “pretending to be a Native American” and that the Massachusetts senator has “made herself a laughingstock.” Cheney also asked if anyone around Warren is going to tell her “this just isn’t going to work.”

Tapper attempted to pivot back to his original question and get Cheney to address the president’s racist Twitter joke, directly asking about “the language the president uses and the joking references to genocide against Native Americans.”

.@jaketapper: “What about the language the President uses and the joking references to genocide against Native Americans?”@RepLizCheney: "Elizabeth Warren has made herself a laughingstock.” https://t.co/hgwicQep8h #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/NJKfAhePMm

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) February 10, 2019

“Look, Elizabeth Warren has made herself a laughingstock,” she answered. “I don’t think anybody should be surprised that that’s been the reaction to her.”

Cheney concluded by repeatedly calling Warren a “laughingstock” while bringing up the recent revelation that Warren placed “American Indian” as her race on a 1986 Texas bar application, adding that Warren should be disbarred over it.

“OK, so no comment on what the president had to say,” Tapper responded.

Any thought that Trump wasn’t directly referencing Native American genocide to take a shot at a political rival was blown out of the water when his son, Donald Trump Jr., shared a screenshot of the tweet and a reply saying the “Native American genocide continues with another murder by the president.”

“Savage!!! Love my President,” Trump Jr. captioned the image.