Elizabeth Warren issued a call to arms for progressives to “stand up to bigotry” in the upcoming Trump administration, placing herself as an unofficial leader of the opposition.
Speaking shortly after Trump entered the White House to meet Barack Obama, the Massachusetts senator told a union audience in Washington DC she was ready for the fight.
“As the loyal opposition we will fight harder, we will fight longer and we will fight more passionately than ever for the rights of every human being in this country to be treated with respect and dignity,” she said, according to prepared remarks.
“We will fight for economic opportunity, not just for some of our children, but for all of our children. We do not control the tools of government, but make no mistake, we know what we stand for, the sun will keep rising, and we will keep fighting – each day, every day, we will fight for the people of this country,” said Warren.
Warren, a darling of the left, did not endorse anyone during the Democratic primary but came out as a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton during the general election. More than any other Democrat, she sharply rebuked Trump’s attacks and returned fire, calling him a “pathetic coward” and “a thin-skinned bully” during the campaign.
“We nasty women are going to march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever,” she declared at a Clinton rally in New Hampshire, after he called Clinton a “nasty woman” during the third debate.
Following Trump’s win on Tuesday night, Warren, who led the fight against Wall Street following the 2008 crash, released a statement offering to “put aside our differences” and work together on rebuilding the economy.
In her speech to the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, an association of unions), she praised some of Trump’s economic stances during his campaign:
He criticized Wall Street and big money’s dominance in Washington –straight up. He supported a new Glass-Steagall. He spoke of the need to reform our trade deals so they aren’t raw deals for the American people. He said he will not cut Social Security benefits. He talked about the need to address the rising cost of college and about helping working parents struggling with the high cost of child care. He spoke of the urgency of rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and putting people back to work. He spoke to the very real sense of millions of Americans that their government and their economy has abandoned them. And he promised to rebuild our economy for working people.
So let me be 100% clear about this. When President-Elect Trump wants to take on these issues, when his goal is to increase the economic security of middle class families, then count me in. I will put aside our differences and I will work with him to accomplish that goal.
But although she is willing to work with him on the economy, she’s positioning herself as his fiercest critic on social issues.
“And that marks Democrats’ first job in this new era: we will stand up to bigotry. There is no compromise here. In all its forms, we will fight back against attacks on Latinos, African Americans, women, Muslims, immigrants, disabled Americans – on anyone. Whether Donald Trump sits in a glass tower or sits in the White House, we will not give an inch on this, not now, not ever,” she said.
The speech was being streamed live on Facebook at 2pm ET on Thursday.