Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced she is reversing her decision not to accept super PAC money after one was formed this week in support of her presidential campaign. Warren had been a staunch critic of such groups that accept six-figure donations on behalf of a candidate or issue.
The Democratic candidate for president who previously said she would “disavow” super PACs created to support her told reporters Thursday she changed her mind after failing to convince her opponents and because “all the men” in the race either have one or are multibillionaires.
“We reached the point a few weeks ago where all the men who are still in this race and on the debate stage all had either super PACs or they were multibillionaires and could just rummage around in their sock drawers to find enough money to be able to fund a campaign,” Warren said. “And the only people who didn’t have them were the two women. And at that point, there were some women around the country who said, ‘You know, that’s just not right.'”
Warren also used the opportunity to knock former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his history of support for stop-and-frisk.
“I was out on that stage yesterday fighting for the families across the country that just got the short end of the stick over and over and over and over,” she said. “I was out there to fight for people of color, for African-Americans, for Latinos that got thrown up against walls and got thrown up against cars over and over and over for years while Mayor Bloomberg just didn’t want to hear about it because he thought that it improved his vision of New York City.”
“It’s important that America understand who that man is and why he cannot be a successful Democratic candidate for president,” Warren added.
REPORTER: Senator, do you want the Super PACs supporting you to stand down?
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): So, look, the first day I got in this race I said I hope every presidential candidate who comes in will agree no super PACs for any of us. I renewed that call dozens of times, and I couldn’t get a single Democrat to go along.
Finally we reached the point a few weeks ago where all the men who are still in this race and on the debate stage all had either super PACs or they were multibillionaires and could just rummage around in their sock drawers to find enough money to be able to fund a campaign. And the only people who didn’t have them were the two women. And at that point, there were some women around the country who said, ‘You know, that’s just not right.’
So here’s where I stand: if all the candidates want to get rid of super PACS, count me in. I’ll lead the charge. But that’s how it has to be. It can’t be the case that a bunch of people keep them and only one to two don’t.
REPORTER: How confident are you that you can catch Bernie?
WARREN: For me, this is about an opportunity to fight for things that I’ve been fighting for all my life. As I said at the end last night at the debate, I am a fighter. I grew up fighting. I grew up fighting for my family. I was out on that stage yesterday fighting for the families across the country that just got the short end of the stick over and over and over and over. I was fighting for women who have to live in a world where rich men are able to stick a sock in their mouths. Whenever those men get caught in sexual harassment, sex discrimination and all the other women have to live with that guy. I was out there to fight for people of color, for African-Americans, for Latinos that got thrown up against walls and got thrown up against cars over and over and over for years while Mayor Bloomberg just didn’t want to hear about it because he thought that it improved his vision of New York City. It’s important that America understand who that man is and why he cannot be a successful Democratic candidate for president.
In January 2019, Warren kicked off her campaign pledging not to take Super PAC money.
“I’m not taking applications from billionaires who want to run a Super PAC on my behalf! And I challenge every other candidate who asks for your vote in this primary to say exactly the same thing,” the Senator told supporters at the rally in Lowell, Mass.
“I’m not taking applications from billionaires who want to run a Super PAC on my behalf! And I challenge every other candidate who asks for your vote in this primary to say exactly the same thing” – Warren, January 2019 (launch rally, Lowell, Mass). pic.twitter.com/qiT3PFgApD
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) February 21, 2020
Warren criticized Super PACs just as recently as the last Democratic debate hosted by ABC News earlier this month:
Warren: “All of the men who were still in this race & on the debate stage all had either super PAC or they were multibillionaires…The only people who didn’t have one were the 2 women…If all the candidates want to get rid of super PACs, count me in.” https://t.co/jhuWux3FmH pic.twitter.com/TQAk2ZYKpm
— The Hill (@thehill) February 21, 2020
I guess Liz Warren has “evolved” on her view of Super PAC money *and* superdelegates. Disappointing. pic.twitter.com/9xsqWCuaQk
— Troy Rudd ✊???? Central Park Activities Director (@troyrudd) February 20, 2020
If Bernie Sanders could change his mind about releasing his medical records, surely Elizabeth Warren can change her position on a super PAC supporting her campaign. pic.twitter.com/1mbbiXuS2n
— RiPPa ???????????????? (@blkresist) February 20, 2020
