DNA test shows Elizabeth Warren has Native American heritage

Elizabeth Warren clears the path for a presidential run against Donald Trump in 2020 by taking a DNA test to answer his “Pocahontas’’ taunts.

Elizabeth Warren, left, released the results of a DNA analysis that she said indicated she has some Native American heritage, a rebuttal to Donald Trump, right.

US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, ridiculed by President Donald Trump as “Pocahontas” for claiming Native American heritage, has hit back with DNA evidence she said supports her assertion.

The Massachusetts Democrat and potential 2020 presidential contender challenged Mr Trump to make good on his pledge to donate $US1 million to charity if she provided proof of Native American heritage, a moment that was caught on video.

Mr Trump falsely denied ever making the offer and later said he would donate the money only if he can personally administer the genetic test.

“What’s the percentage? One one-thousandth?” the President asked reporters during a short briefing in Georgia during a visit to hurricane-ravaged communities.

Asked if he owed Senator Warren an apology, Mr Trump said: “No I don’t. Absolutely. Do I owe her? — She owes the country an apology!”

The analysis was done by Stanford University professor Carlos D. Bustamante, a prominent expert in the field. He concluded that the great majority of Senator Warren’s ancestry is European but added that the results “strongly support” the existence of a Native American ancestor.

In his report, Professor Bustamante said he analysed Senator Warren’s sample without knowing the identity of the donor. He concluded that Senator 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.

Senator 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?” Professor Bustamante replied: “The facts suggest that you absolutely have Native American ancestry in your pedigree.”

The analysis is not the first evidence of Senator Warren’s heritage. An 1894 document previously unearthed by the New England Genealogical Society suggested Senator Warren’s great-great-great-grandmother, O.C. Sarah Smith, was at least partially Native American, making the senator as much as 1/32nd Native American. The genealogy group has said it has no conclusive evidence of her ancestry, and a spokesman said it would not comment on the genetic findings.

If Senator Warren’s ancestor were six generations removed, she would be 1/64th Native American. But if her ancestor had been as much as 10 generations removed, that would make the individual a great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparent and render Senator Warren only 1/1,024th Native American, according to Blaine Bettinger, a genealogist and author who specialises in DNA evidence. Such a finding could potentially further excite Senator Warren’s critics instead of placating them.

Senator Warren’s effort to address questions about her ancestry and the release of the video are her latest moves telegraphing a likely presidential run in 2020. This year she also released a decade’s worth of tax returns, drawing a contrast with Mr Trump’s unwillingness to release his own tax documents. The moves seem to anticipate the type of criticism she might face against opponents in a Democratic primary or in a possible general election matchup against Mr Trump.

“She is most clearly doing the things you do if you’re running for president,” said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic strategist and veteran of presidential campaigns.

Some Democrats were critical of the timing of Senator Warren’s announcement. 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 (at)SenWarren have to do her announcement now? Why can’t Dems ever stay focused?” During a recent town hall-style meeting in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Senator Warren said she planned to “take a hard look at running for president,” after next month’s election.

Earlier this year, the senator released personnel files seeking to dispute critics who have alleged that the former Harvard Law School professor advanced her law career with a narrative that she is a descendant of Cherokee and Delaware tribes. Senator Warren has denied using her Native American heritage to gain any advantage.

In an email Monday to supporters, Senator 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.”

In a tweet directed at Mr Trump, Senator Warren said: “Remember saying on (July 5) that you’d give $1M to a charity of my choice if my DNA showed Native American ancestry?” She went on to request that the president send a check to National Indigenous Women’s Resource Centre.

At a rally in Montana, the president declared that he would give a million dollars to charity, “paid for by Trump,” if Senator Warren takes the test “and it shows you’re an Indian.” But when asked by reporters Monday, Mr Trump said, “I didn’t say that.” Hours later, when asked about the donation during an appearance in Georgia, Mr Trump said he would “only do it if

I can test her personally.” He added, “That will not be something I enjoy doing, either.” Senator Warren, who grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, said her mother and father were forced to elope because of her mother’s heritage.

She faces Republican Geoff Diehl, who co-chaired Mr Trump’s Massachusetts presidential campaign, in November. Mr Diehl said it’s up to voters to decide what they think of Senator Warren’s DNA analysis.

“We’ve never made it an issue with this campaign. I think the fact is it’s an issue that’s been attached to her since 2012,” he said.

The DNA analysis was first reported by The Boston Globe.

AP