2020 rivals are reportedly planning to label Elizabeth Warren a recovering Republican. That might backfire.


There might be an upside to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) GOP past.
As Warren rises to become one of the frontrunners in the 2020 Democratic primary, party rivals are reportedly looking to slow her ascent by pointing out that she was a Republican before 1996. But seeing as the Democratic Party is trying to play to disaffected Republicans sick of President Trump's leadership, that's not exactly a bad thing.
Warren was known as a conservative law professor throughout the 1980s and '90s, calling government regulations a "tax" before going on to fight big business today, CNN reports. And now that she's topping primary polls, three rival campaigns tell Politico they're exploring that history for opposition research into Warren. One adviser suggested they've drawn up a brutal response in case Warren brings up a candidate's record on a debate stage: "Nobody else here has been a Republican before." Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) top fan Susan Sarandon publicly used that line of thinking to attack Warren at a rally last week.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yet Jerry Taylor, a co-founder of the moderate Niskanen Think tank, tweeted Friday that Warren's past "is a campaign asset, not a liability." She can borrow former President Ronald Reagan's quote and suggest the party "left her," not the other way around, Taylor continued. The Washington Post's Dave Weigel echoed that analysis in a tweet, pointing out that the 2020 Democratic nominee will want to win over Republicans who have problems with their current leader. But he rightly noted that not all of those disaffected Republicans left their party, meaning they'll be of no help to Warren in closed primaries.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
July 20 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include AI replacing workers, and Donald Trump trying to divert media attention away from the Epstein files
-
5 suspiciously good cartoons about the Epstein files
Cartoons Artists take on the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein
-
A glorious Greek island without the 'swank'
The Week Recommends Lesbos doesn't welcome 'hoards' of tourists, but is 'magnificent' and worth exploring
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein
-
Fed chair Powell in Trump's firing line
Speed Read The president considers removing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
-
Trump trashes supporters over Epstein files
speed read The president lashed out on social media following criticism of his administration's Jeffrey Epstein investigation
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department