Responding to years of derision by President Donald Trump and other critics, Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday released a report on a DNA analysis that provides strong evidence she does, in fact, have Native American heritage.
An analysis of Warren's DNA sample showed she had a Native American ancestor in her family dating back six to 10 generations. The release of the analysis comes after President Trump has mocked her repeatedly for her claim that she has Native American blood and called her "Pocahontas." Critics have charged that Warren has advanced her career with a narrative she is a descendant of Cherokee and Delaware tribes.
A report released Monday says that the majority of Warren's ancestry is European but there is strong evidence to suggest that she has a Native American ancestor. Carlos D. Bustamante, a Stanford University professor of biomedical data science, genetics and biology, performed the analysis of the DNA, according to Warren's office. He was awarded a MacArthur genius grant for his work tracking population migration via DNA in 2010.
Bustamante's report notes with 99 percent confidence that five genetic segments on DNA were identified as "Native American in origin."
Warren's office also released a video to YouTube, "Elizabeth Warren's family story," which directly addresses the attacks on her heritage by the President and includes interviews with her family. A "Fact Squad" website with links to the DNA report and supporting documents was also launched.
>> Read the report on Warren's DNA analysis
Warren said she wanted people to be able to read the documents for themselves. "I never expected my family's story to be used as a racist political joke, but I don't take any fight lying down. I want you to have the power to fight lies with the truth," she said in a tweet.
Last month, the Massachusetts Democrat spoke about her future during a town hall in western Massachusetts on Sept. 30. She said she'll take a "hard look at running for president" after the November elections.
Warren, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, is running for re-election in November against GOP state Rep. Geoff Diehl, who was co-chairman of Trump's 2016 Massachusetts campaign.
She has been at the center of speculation that she might take on Trump in 2020.