As 2019 came to its conclusion, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) used the opportunity to bash “spineless” Republicans for continuing to defend President Trump.
“In a few hours, the dawn of a new year will break over America, offering us a moment for pause and reflection,” the 2020 presidential candidate told supporters in Boston on Tuesday, as reported by HuffPost. “Now, it is normally a moment for optimism. But let’s face it, this year in America has been anything but normal.”
“In the past 12 months, the president has become bolder with his lies and more brazen in his law-breaking,” Warren continued. “He has tried to squeeze a foreign government to advance his own political fortunes. Meanwhile, the Republicans in Congress have turned into fawning, spineless defenders of his crimes.”
Further trying to portray the recent impeachment vote by the Democrats as a non-partisan effort, Warren said the House Democrats were upholding “their sworn duty to the Constitution.”
“Unless some Senate Republicans choose truth over politics, Trump will be emboldened to try to cheat his way through yet another election,” she said. “Our democracy hangs in the balance.”
As reported by TIME, Elizabeth Warren also lamented the “chaos and ugliness of the past three years” under President Trump while chastising some of her fellow Democratic candidates for “sucking up to rich donors.”
“One year into this campaign, you’ve never found me behind closed doors with corporate executives or spending hours on the phone sucking up to rich donors to fund my campaign,” said Warren. “The billionaires know which candidates for president are on their side. Many corporate executives and career politicians and billionaires on both sides of the aisle want to keep their influence and their wealth. And they are already deep in the fight to do so.”
Though Elizabeth Warren enjoyed frontrunner status several months ago, she has increasingly slipped in the polls behind former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), putting her chances to win the 2020 nomination at considerable risk. From The Hill:
Warren was the clear front-runner as recently as October, when she led polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, and challenged Biden for the national lead.
Her surge provoked scrutiny — and fierce attacks from her rivals. The result has been a dip from those halcyon days.
The Massachusetts senator’s position on “Medicare for All” played a central part in her decline.
Some rivals, such as Buttigieg, argued that this was a more sweeping proposal than the electorate wanted. But Warren also failed to placate anyone by taking a half-step back, announcing she would not try to enact her plan before her third year in office.
There is some evidence that Warren also saw some of her support move to Buttigieg. Even though the South Bend mayor is more centrist than Warren, the two appear to be fighting over a similar demographic niche — highly educated white voters.
It’s far too early to count Warren out.
She has a strong operation on the ground in Iowa and a good showing there — a win is by no means out of the question — could catapult her into New Hampshire, which adjoins her Massachusetts base. She is also formidable on the stump.