White House: ‘Ridiculous’ To Call Trump’s ‘Pocahontas’ Attack A Racial Slur

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calls on a member of the media during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calls on a member of the media during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday defended President Donald Trump’s use of the word “Pocahontas” to attack Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) at an event honoring Navajo Code Talkers.

“I think what most people find offensive is Sen. Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career,” Sanders said, referring to Warren’s claim — first brought up in 2012 by then-political opponent Scott Brown — that according to unproven family stories, she had Native American heritage.

“She said it was a racial slur,” ABC News’ Jonathan Karl pressed. “What is your response to that?”

“I think that’s a ridiculous response.”

“Why is it appropriate for the President to use a racial slur in any context?” NBC’s Kristen Welker asked.

“I don’t believe that it is appropriate for him to make a racial slur,” Sanders said, “Or anybody else.”

“A lot of people feel as though this is a racial slur,” Welker said.

“Like I said, I don’t think that it is, and I don’t think that was — certainly not the President’s intent,” Sanders said.

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Notable Replies

  1. What about calling Trump a second generation “kraut”?

  2. It can’t be a racial slur because Sen Warren is white, don’t you people understand he can also call her the n-word!

  3. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has the unmitigated audacity to call herself a Christian!

  4. German Americans in that half my family don’t care about that word.

  5. Avatar for erik_t erik_t says:

    Ah, for the good old days when this would be an above-the-fold sort of scandal.

    Modern-day presidential!

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