Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Lindsey Graham Just Announced He'll Take a DNA Test In Hopes of 'Beating' Elizabeth Warren's Native Ancestry, and People Have Questions

Lindsey Graham Just Announced He'll Take a DNA Test In Hopes of 'Beating' Elizabeth Warren's Native Ancestry, and People Have Questions
(Photo by Ethan Miller and Chris Kleponis/Getty Images)

Huh?

In response to repeated racial slurs by President Donald Trump on Twitter and in his rallies and public appearances, Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren took a DNA test to prove her claim of an unnamed, unidentified Native American ancestor in her mother's family line.

On Monday, Warren shared her DNA results and her family story asking Trump to pay the $1 million dollars he said he would donate to charity if she took a DNA test and proved there was a Native American ancestor in her matrilineal genealogy.


But rather than admit he was wrong or make the charitable donation, Trump first said he did not care, denied his July statement issuing the challenge and then took to Twitter Tuesday morning to again use the name of Tsenacommacah Algonquian Confederacy woman, Pocahontas, as a racial slur. Native leaders asked the President to stop using Pocahontas' name in attacks on Warren.

It seems the bar shifted from proving Warren had a Native American ancestor, which is what she claimed based on stories from her mother, to having "enough" Native American DNA and tribal enrollment in the Cherokee Nation.

Warren mentioned her mother thought the ancestor might be Cherokee, but never claimed tribal affiliation. However after her DNA test reveal, the media sought input from the Cherokee Nation.

As sovereign nations, tribes determine their own eligibility criteria for citizens and enrollment. DNA testing is not a factor in tribal citizenship or affiliation.

But Trump and his supporters seized on the relatively small amount of Native American DNA in Warren's results, even though it proves she did have an unidentified Native ancestor as she claimed, and her lack of endorsement for tribal citizenship from the Cherokee Nation as a new opportunity to mock Warren.

On Tuesday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham got in on the attack during an appearance on Fox & Friends. Graham stated:

"I've been told that my grandmother was part Cherokee Indian. It may all be just talk, but you're gonna find out in a couple of weeks because I'm gonna take this test."

Graham said he was sure he could "beat Warren." He added:

"I didn't think about it much, but if she's less than one tenth of one percent, I think I can beat her."

In his remarks regarding Warren, Graham said he viewed the test as a "reality TV moment" and vowed to reveal his results on Fox & Friends. Graham topped it off with a racist comment about getting $1 million and a casino, as a jab at Native American gaming.

"I'm going to take it, but the results are going to be revealed here. This is my Trump moment."

Not content with mocking Warren and the Cherokee Nation, Graham ended his visit with a jab at Persians, or Iranians, as the South Carolina Senator called them. The GOP legislator said:

"I'll probably be Iranian. That'd be, like, terrible."

Watch his remarks here.

People failed to appreciate Senator Graham's comments.

Many cited Graham's confusion between racism and humor.

While others wondered about the obsession with Warren's ancestry and what else might show up in a Graham DNA test.

Warren is up for reelection in November's midterms. Midterm elections are slated for Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

More from People/donald-trump

Ramy Youssef and Elmo
@sesamestreet/Instagram

MAGA Is Predictably Melting Down Over Video Of Elmo Learning New Arabic Words For Arab American Heritage Month

A clip released by Sesame Street on Thursday, April 16, showed Elmo with Egyptian-American actor, comedian, producer, director, and Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month.

The 41-second video showed Youssef teaching Elmo the Arabic words "salamu alaykum" and "habibi."

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Sinatra; Donald Trump
Jim Spellman/WireImage; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra Fires Back At Trump With Four Powerful Words After He Uses Her Father's Song In Cryptic Post

Singer Nancy Sinatra, the daughter of the iconic crooner Frank Sinatra, criticized President Donald Trump after he posted a video featuring her father's version of the song "My Way" to Truth Social amid his ongoing war and negotiations with Iran.

"My Way," a song about an individual looking back on their decision to live life on their own terms, was one of the late Sinatra's signature hits. Trump posted a video of Sinatra singing the song with no comment or explanation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg; Donald Trump
@Acyn/X; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Explains Why Trump's AI Jesus Post Was So Offensive To Christian Conservatives In Viral Video

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg condemned President Donald Trump for posting an AI-generated post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, describing it as "insulting" to both people's faith and their intelligence.

Earlier this month, the Pope criticized Trump's widely unpopular war in Iran and called on the world "to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
@atrupar/X

Trump Dragged After Gushing Over His Own Signature In Ultra-Cringey Viral Clip

President Donald Trump was super proud of himself after he signed an executive order to make certain psychedelic drugs more available to treat mental health conditions, taking an opportunity to boast about his own signature.

Trump's order approves $50 million in federal funding to expand access to certain therapies and directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track its review of drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine. He was joined by the likes of podcaster Joe Rogan and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlize Theron (left) responds to Timothée Chalamet’s (right) controversial comments about ballet and opera.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Charlize Theron Gives Timothée Chalamet A Blunt Reality Check About His Future After His Comments Insulting Ballet

Timothée Chalamet declaring that “no one cares” about ballet and opera was always going to age poorly. It just happened faster than expected.

Enter Charlize Theron, who didn’t just disagree—she flipped the whole argument, suggesting that while centuries-old art forms will endure, Chalamet’s own career may be far more vulnerable in the age of artificial intelligence.

Keep ReadingShow less