Elizabeth Warren defends Amy Klobuchar for forgetting the name of Mexico's president
Last week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was asked by a reporter if she could name the president of Mexico, and after thinking about it, responded, "No." This came back to haunt her during Wednesday's Democratic debate, but a fellow candidate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), had her back.
Klobuchar said that she doesn't believe "that momentary forgetfulness actually reflects what I know about Mexico and how much I care about it," and reminded the audience that she is "the one person on this stage that came out first to say I was for the U.S.-Mexico-Canadian trade agreement that is going to be one of the No. 1 duties of the president, to implement that." Forgetting Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's name was "an error," she continued. "I think having a president that is maybe humbled and able to admit that here and there maybe wouldn't be a bad thing."
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg responded that Klobuchar is "staking your presidency on your Washington experience," and not knowing a world leader's name was bad form. "Are you trying to say that I'm dumb?" Klobuchar snapped. "Or you're mocking me?" Buttigieg responded that he is "saying you shouldn't trivialize it."
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.
That's when Warren jumped in. "This is not right," she said. "I understand that she forgot a name — it happens. It happens to everybody on this stage. You want to ask about whether or not you understand trade policy with Mexico? Have at it. And if you get it wrong, you ought to be held accountable for that. ... But let's just be clear, missing a name all by itself does not indicate that you do not understand what's going on. I just think this is unfair."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump gets $289M break, first criminal trial date
Speed Read The former president's fraud bond has been reduced to $175 million from $464 million
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US-Israel rift widens after UN cease-fire resolution
Speed Read The U.S. declined to veto a U.N. resolution calling for a two-week "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New Jersey first lady exits race to replace Menendez
Speed Read Tammy Murphy dropping out paves the way for Rep. Andy Kim to become the state's next senator
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia blames Ukraine for deadly ISIS Moscow attack
Speed Read Putin has ignored the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the concert hall shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump-RNC pact puts Trump legal bills ahead of GOP
Speed Read The former president has struck a deal with the Republican National Committee to put donations toward his legal bills
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Vietnam president resigns amid scandal
Speed Read Vietnam loses its second president in two years as Vo Van Thuong steps down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas migrant law in limbo after Supreme Court OK
Speed Read The law has been blocked again, mere hours after the Supreme Court allowed the state to arrest migrants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published