RNC knocks Warren as ‘out of touch’ and ‘extreme’ after presidential announcement

The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Monday quickly criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as a “far-left obstructionist” in the wake of the announcement that she intends to explore a presidential bid in 2020.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel called Warren “out of touch” and seized on the senator’s claim to Native American ancestry, deeming it a “phony claim to minority status.”

“Now that she is formally running Americans will see her for what she is: another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud,” McDaniel said in a statement. “Voters know President Trump’s agenda gets results and they will make their voices heard at the ballot box in 2020.”

Senator Warren couldn’t be more out of touch. Americans will see her for what she is: another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud.

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) December 31, 2018

{mosads}Warren announced Monday morning that she is forming an exploratory committee to run for the White House, becoming the most prominent Democrat thus far to wade into the 2020 presidential race.

The senator made the announcement in a video sent to supporters and posted on YouTube that highlighted her family history, lamented the struggles of the middle class and laid out her desire to address economic issues.

Warren, 69, was first elected to the Senate in 2012. She burnished her reputation in the aftermath of the financial crisis and led efforts to rein in big banks and address economic inequality.

She sought to get out in front of potential criticism of her claims of Native American ancestry by releasing the results of a DNA test in October that showed “strong evidence” she had Native American ancestors.

The move led to criticism from Native American groups and Trump, who refers to Warren by the racially charged name “Pocahontas.”

Warren is likely to be one of many Democratic contenders for the party’s presidential nomination in 2020. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro announced earlier this month that he had set up an exploratory committee for a White House bid.

A CNN poll of Iowa voters released earlier this month showed Biden leading the field of prospective candidates, followed by Sanders, O’Rourke and then Warren.