Senator Elizabeth Warren on Monday released the results of a DNA analysis that she said indicated she has some Native American heritage, a rebuttal to President Donald Trump, who has long mocked her ancestral claims and repeatedly referred to her as "Pocahontas".
The Massachusetts Democrat and potential 2020 presidential contender challenged Trump to make good on his pledge to donate $1 million to charity if she provided proof of Native American heritage, a moment that was caught on video.
Trump falsely denied ever making the offer and later said he would donate the money only if he can personally administer the genetic test.
The analysis was done by Stanford University professor Carlos D. Bustamante, a prominent expert in the field. He concluded that the great majority of Warren's ancestry is European but added that the results "strongly support" the existence of a Native American ancestor.
In his report , Bustamante said he analysed Warren's sample without knowing the identity of the donor. He concluded that Warren has a pure Native American ancestor who probably lived six to 10 generations ago, and that it was impossible to determine the individual's tribal connection.
Warren, who has said her Native American roots were part of "family lore", also released a video produced by her Senate re-election campaign. In it, she said: "The president likes to call my mom a liar. What do the facts say?" Bustamante replied: "The facts suggest that you absolutely have Native American ancestry in your pedigree."
Jim Messina, who served as President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign manager and as a White House deputy chief of staff, said on Twitter: "Argue the substance all you want, but why 22 days before a crucial election where we MUST win House and Senate to save America, why did @SenWarren have to do her announcement now? Why can't Dems ever stay focused?"
In an email Monday to supporters, Warren said she "never expected the president of the United States to use my family's story as a racist political joke against Native American history, culture, and people over, and over, and over."
At a summer rally in Montana, the president declared that he would give a million dollars to charity, "paid for by Trump," if Warren takes the test "and it shows you're an Indian." But when asked by reporters Monday, Trump said, "I didn't say that." Hours later, when asked about the donation during an appearance in Georgia, Trump said he would "only do it if I can test her personally."
He added, "That will not be something I enjoy doing, either."
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