Trump, Denying Sexism Helped Bring Down Warren, Says Something Sexist About Her

While political pundits fight over what exactly went wrong for Elizabeth Warren, one thing is reasonably agreed upon: The former Harvard law professor was one of the 2020 contest’s most qualified candidates, one whose unrivaled policy expertise became an unlikely but rousing campaign trademark. 

Not according to Donald Trump. Nope. While speaking at a press conference on the coronavirus Friday, the president offered his own take on the situation.

“I think lack of talent was her problem, she has a tremendous lack of talent,” Trump said, denying that gender politics had played a role in Warren’s downfall.

“She’s a very mean person, and people don’t like her,” he continued, inadvertently but ever-reliably deploying sexism with the very statement. “People don’t want that.”

Then in perhaps his most ridiculous political observation, Trump asserted that voters “like a person like me, that’s not mean.”

Fact check: Donald Trump is a very mean person. We’ll have some video evidence for you in a moment.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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