Obama: Elizabeth Warren 'absolutely wrong' on trade deal

Elizabeth Warren and Barack Obama — (Image credit: Pool / Getty Images)

President Obama says Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is "absolutely wrong" about a pending trade deal, a blunt repudiation of the progressive lawmaker who has warred with the administration over the potential pact.

"The truth of the matter is that Elizabeth is, you know, a politician like everybody else," Obama told Yahoo News. "And you know, she's got a voice that she wants to get out there. And I understand that. And on most issues, she and I deeply agree. On this one, though, her arguments don't stand the test of fact and scrutiny."

The spat centers on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive trade deal between the U.S. and 11 Pacific nations that the Obama administration is diligently vying to complete. Congress is slated to vote this week on a bill that would grant the president fast track authority to more swiftly finalize the deal. But Warren, fearing potential repercussions from the pact, has emerged as its most vocal critic on the left.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.