Fox News anchor Shepard Smith slammed Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for "cultural appropriation" after she apologized Wednesday on Capitol Hill for claiming to be "American Indian" on her Texas State Bar registration card from 1986.
Speaking with the press in Washington D.C. earlier today, Warren repeatedly apologized for identifying as American Indian on her Texas State Bar card and explained that she grew up thinking she was had Native American ancestry due to what her family led her to believe. "[I am sorry] about [declaring] tribal citizenship and tribal sovereignty and for harm caused," the senator said. "I am also sorry for not being more mindful of this decades ago. Tribes and only tribes determine tribal citizenship."
When asked by a reporter whether she had also claimed Native American status on other documents throughout the years, Warren answered: "This is who I grew up believing, with my brothers. This is our family story. And it's all consistent from that point in time."
Shortly after Warren concluded her session with reporters, Smith said that her actions amounted to cultural appropriation. "Last question is the most appropriate one, how will voters respond?" he said. "Because this is cultural appropriation, defined."
Smith continued: "The question is, was she trying to gain some sort of advantage—in this case, in the Texas bar—over those that did not consider themselves 'American Indian'. Which she is not."
The question of Warren's heritage was first raised during her 2012 Senate campaign after reports revealed she had listed herself as a minority in the Harvard Law School faculty directory. As the Native American claims continued to dog Warren throughout her political career, she released results of a DNA test in October that showed there was "strong evidence" she had a Native American ancestor from six to 10 generations ago.
At the time, Warren faced harsh criticisms from Native Americans for taking the test, which she apologized for today. However, the senator continues to stand firmly by her denial that the self-identification helped progress her career. "Nothing about my background ever had anything to do with any job I got in any place," she explained, according to ABC News. "It's been fully documented."
The Washington Post, who broke the story on Tuesday about the senator claiming to be American Indian on her Texas State Bar application, reported that "there's no indication Warren had anything to gain by reporting herself as Native American" on the card as the information was only used for statistical purposes.
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