Obama: Elizabeth Warren 'absolutely wrong' on trade deal

(Image credit: Pool / Getty Images)

last updated 10 May 2015

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.

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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.