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.
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.
-
September 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include court-approved racial profiling and America's moral compass
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants