President Donald Trump’s “colorful” way of referring to the people he considers his opponents have once again hoarded up headlines all over the world, this time during an event at the White House where the President was honoring Navajo code talkers. Trump used the opportunity to take a jab at Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was not present at the Monday ceremony, by calling her “Pocahontas” a recurring nickname that Trump has used to label the Massachusetts Democrat.
“I just want to thank you because you are very, very special people. You were here long before any of us were here,” Trump was saying in a condescending tone. “Although, we have a representative in Congress who has been here a long time … longer than you — they call her Pocahontas!” said Trump with a smirk on his face to the confused Navajo representatives.
1. Trump just called Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas" at an event honoring Native American code talkers
2. He did it in front of a portrait of Andrew Jackson, who kicked off the Trail of Tears with the Indian Removal Actpic.twitter.com/7KmbiYq0Vt
— Colin Jones (@colinjones) November 27, 2017
The president then turned to one of the code talkers and placed his hand on his shoulder before saying, “but you know what, I like you. You are special people.” Trump didn’t mention Warren by name but given the president’s recurrent use of the racial slur against the Senator, it was no secret who he was talking about.
The whole event fell into silence after Trump’s comment, nobody actually thought he would say something like that during a high profile ceremony with Native American war heroes, even the guests of honor seemed shocked by Trump’s untimely racist remarks.
Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes releases statement following Trump's "Pocahontas" remark:
"President Trump decided to deviate from the focus [of the event] to take a swipe at a political opponent, once again making a reference to Senator Elizabeth Warren as 'Pocahontas'" pic.twitter.com/hMWSOTC0zI
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) November 27, 2017
“It is deeply unfortunate that the President of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur. Donald Trump does this over and over thinking somehow he is going to shut me up with it. It hasn’t worked out in the past, it isn’t going to work out in the future,” Warren told MSNBC shortly after the President’s sorry comment.
To make matters worse, Trump was heralding the World War II Navajo veterans in front of an Andrew Jackson portrait. Jackson served as the XVII President of the United States and signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that gave us the “Trail of Tears” where many Cherokees died after being forced out of their lands in Georgia.
Trump will say Pocahontas as many times as he wishes, and Elizabeth Warren can do nothing about it. pic.twitter.com/jjKs5k0kqj
— Steve Bannen (@SteveBannen) November 27, 2017
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended on Monday Trump’s use of “Pocahontas” and said that it wasn’t a racial slur and that the President didn’t intend to use it as one, she also justified Trump’s use of it by saying that “the most offensive thing” was Warren claiming to be Native American. I think Sen. Warren was very offensive when she lied about something specifically to advance her career, and I don’t understand why no one is asking about that question and why that isn’t constantly covered,” Sanders said.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders destroying Elizabeth Warren:
“I think that Sen. Warren was very offensive when she lied about something specifically to advance her career.”#Pocahontas #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/oqSdmxszAO
— The Columbia Bugle (@ColumbiaBugle) November 27, 2017
Article inspired by CNN // At a Navajo veterans’ event, Trump makes ‘Pocahontas’ crack