Former members of the Obama administration leveled criticism at Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) during an interview with Politico Magazine, reflecting lingering acrimony over her work to found the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
In interviews with Politico Magazine, former administration officials called the now-presidential contender a “condescending narcissist,” “sanctimonious,” and a “professional critic.”
{mosads}“She loved herself and some of her staff had a God view of her and that’s not aligned with government and bureaucrats which require teamwork,” one former Obama administration official said of Warren.
The divide between former President Obama’s team and Warren stemmed from Warren’s demands that she be put in charge of the CFPB, a position she did not get, according to the publication.
In meetings with both Obama and other administration officials, Warren reportedly made clear that she would keep up regulatory scrutiny of the Treasury Department as part of her senatorial role were she not confirmed to the post.
“I took it as a message, I think she meant it as one,” former White House adviser David Axelrod told Politico of Warren’s comments.
Warren’s former team members, for their part, also had acidic criticism for both the former president and members of his team: “Obama called the bankers fat cats once and spent seven years feeling bad about it,” one former Warren aide told Politico.
“The Treasury [Department] crew especially thought they were the smartest guys in the room and the attitude was ‘We’re saving the world, what the f— do you want with us?’ ” another former Warren staffer told the news outlet.
Warren, seen as one of the more progressive members of the 2020 field along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has remained a top-tier contender for the Democratic nomination ahead of Thursday’s debate in Houston.
Thursday’s contest will mark the first time Warren and Sanders have been onstage together with former Vice President Joe Biden, who has strongly defended Obama policies and who has pushed a more centrist platform in his own run for the White House.