Trump calls Sen. Warren a 'phony' and 'fraud' in latest shots over her heritage

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning called Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a "complete and total Fraud," opening a second day of sparring between the current White House occupant and a likely 2020 challenger over her Native American heritage.

Now that her claims of being of Indian heritage have turned out to be a scam and a lie, Elizabeth Warren should apologize for perpetrating this fraud against the American Public. Harvard called her “a person of color” (amazing con), and would not have taken her otherwise!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

In mornin> tweets, Trump claimed a DNA test shared by Warren on Monday was "a scam and a lie" and called on her to "apologize for perpetrating this fraud against the American Public."

The DNA test, conducted by a Stanford University professor, concluded that there was "strong evidence" that the senator had a Native American in her family tree dating back six to 10 generations.

Trump seized on reports that the findings mean Warren is between 1/64th and 1/1,024 Native American, depending on how distant her relative is.

"Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed," Trump said in one of his tweets. "She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American."

Trump also highlighted a statement from Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr., who said Monday that "a DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship" and that it was wrong to use one to claim any connection to the tribe.

"Even they don't want her. Phony!" Trump said, thanking the tribe in a subsequent tweet.

Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed. She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American. Now Cherokee Nation denies her, “DNA test is useless.” Even they don’t want her. Phony!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Trum> also claimed that Warren would not have been hired as a Harvard law professor if not for claiming to be a "person of color." That claim is at odds with a Boston Globe report last month that found Warren's claim to Native American ethnicity was never considered by the Harvard Law faculty.

Trump tweeted "Now that her claims of being of Indian heritage have turned out to be a scam and a lie, Elizabeth Warren should apologize for perpetrating this fraud against the American Public. Harvard called her 'a person of color' (amazing con), and would not have taken her otherwise!"

Thank you to the Cherokee Nation for revealing that Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, is a complete and total Fraud!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

"Thank yo> to the Cherokee Nation for revealing that Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, is a complete and total Fraud!"

Warren's release of the DNA report on Monday was accompanied by a nearly six-minute, campaign-style video that recounted her background and takes direct aim at Trump, with Warren saying his mocking of Native Americans is "not what America stands for."

In a series of tweets later Monday, Warren also accused Trump of having "memory problems" after he denied having said he would donate $1 million to charity if she had a DNA test that showed she has Native American ancestry.