Sen. Elizabeth Warren Defends Calling Kevin McCarthy A Traitor: 'Don't Know How Else You Look At It'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined Jon Keller this week to discuss a range of political topics.
Warren had previously called GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy a liar and traitor after newly-released audio recordings of his private remarks showed he thought President Trump should resign over the January 6 riot.
"We all in Congress take an oath to uphold the constitution and when Kevin McCarthy acknowledged that he knows that this guy has participated in an insurrection and should resign and then turns around and protects that same president, that is not only votes against any investigation, but continually attacks that investigation and defends the president stating facts, carrying on about 'the big lie' in ways that he obviously knows are not true. I think that truly betrays our nation. And he is a man who could be in line if the Republicans ever take back control to be speaker of the house, to be in line himself to be president of the United States," said Warren. "I don't know how else you look at it. We're talking about someone who provides aid and comfort to insurrection."
Warren said "one of the most troubling things from the past several months" is state-level voting bills that have popped up.
"We're trying to defend our democracy. Democrats, independents, and some Republicans are trying to defend our democracy. There's a group that their whole goal is just to follow one man and if they can get that one man in power that's what they want to do. That's anti-democratic, it undermines what this country has stood for since the revolution," Warren said.
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Warren campaigned for the cancelation of student loan debt, saying Americans support the idea by a 2:1 margin.
She said 40% of Americans who carry student loan debt don't have a degree to go with it. "Now they earn what a high school grad earns and they're trying to deal with student loan debt. That is bone-crushing for tens of millions of Americans."
"In addition, it's a racial wealth issue," said Warren. "The President can cancel $50,000 of student loan debt and he could help close the Black-white wealth gap for those who have student loan debt, the Latino-white wealth gap. He also could help close the gender wealth gap and just equality -- help bring a little equality to this country."
Keller also asked Warren, a member of the Armed Services Committee, what circumstances would warrant direct US military intervention in Ukraine?
"I haven't seen any yet," Warren said.
She supports the President's promise to send more aid to Ukraine. "He's just about spent the $14 billion that Congress authorized a few weeks ago. I am prepared to help the president with that so that he has more money both for arms and for humanitarian relief. The Ukrainians are standing up for democracy around the world. They are standing up against dictatorships and we should support them."
"We haven't done all we can do on the economic front, the political front, on the diplomatic front," she continued. "I believe we're going to see more ratcheting up, more pressure. Remember those are the tools of warfare in the 21st century as well."