Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren says it's still "way, way, way premature" to consider a vice presidential bid and she doesn't "have a timeline" on when she'll make a presidential endorsement.
Known as one of the boldest voices in the U.S. Senate, Warren has been uncharacteristically silent when it comes to the 2016 race for the White House. The senator, however, is showing signs she may soon be playing a greater role in the election.
Necn's Alison King sat down with the Bay State's senior senator at a restaurant in Roxbury, where she opened up about the race, and blasted front-runner Donald Trump, but only after voicing her outrage at Senate Republicans for refusing to consider any of President Obama's Supreme Court nominees.
"That is extremism. And it is the kind of extremism that has nursed and nurtured Donald Trump and Ted Cruz," Warren said of the GOP contenders.
She said the melee that erupted Friday at a canceled Trump rally in Chicago — leading to four arrests — "is on Trump" and that the Republican front-runner "has been fostering and fomenting" such behavior for months.
"It finally reached the next level. I think people are worried about what it means. We're in a new space and we're trying to figure out, how do we describe this?" she explained.
Warren later added, "I am not happy to see Donald Trump even threatening to get anywhere near the presidency. Don't take me there. That is a form of extremism. He advocates a form of ugliness that I don't want any part of."
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She blasted 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who denounced Trump last week and announced plans to campaign with GOP contender John Kasich in Ohio.
"Where was Mitt Romney for the last eight years?" she said. "I'm sorry, where was Mitt Romney since he ran for president?"
The senator also said Democrats should take charge and unite against Trump.
"You know, I think we need to get up and we need to stand strong. We need to speak from the heart and speak loudly," she said, adding that she does plan to endorse a candidate but doesn't "have a timeline on it."
When asked what it would mean to elect Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, described by King as being "extremely divisive," Warren said it's important to focus on politics rather than people.
"You know, my view on this is we've got to make this fundamentally about the issues. It's not about our differences. It's not about who's liked and who isn't. It's about the things that we need our government to do," she explained.
She echoed that sentiment when asked in reference to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders whether the electorate is "ready to possibly vote for a Jewish candidate," saying, "I think we are ready for having somebody who is going to fight on our side."
Warren said she loves her job in the Senate, adding that it's "way, way, way premature" to wonder whether she would consider running as vice president. But with her comments she did not categorically rule it out.
