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Scott Brown Calls on Warren to Take DNA Test to Prove Ethnicity

Scott Brown echoed Donald Trump’s hits against Elizabeth Warren’s “heritage” on Monday.
Image: Senator Brown pauses as he addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Wakefield
Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) pauses as he addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Wakefield, Massachusetts November 1, 2012. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS USA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HEADSHOT) - RTR39VQ7?(C) Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters / Reuters

Scott Brown echoed Donald Trump’s hits against Elizabeth Warren’s “heritage” on Monday, suggesting the Massachusetts senator and prominent Hillary Clinton surrogate engaged in “reverse form of racism” by presenting herself as a Native American in the past, adding that she should “take a DNA test” to prove it.

“Secretary Clinton is considering making someone vice president who has very serious character flaws when it comes to honesty and credibility and dealing with her heritage,” said Brown, the former U.S. senator of Massachusetts who lost his re-election bid to Warren in 2012.

Brown claims that Warren lied about her background in order to gain an employment advantage while working at prestigious universities. Warren said her family has talked about their Native American ancestry and she has not used it for an edge in her professional career.

On a conference call meant to counter Warren’s campaign appearance with Clinton in Ohio, Brown told reporters: “As we all know, she’s not Native American. She’s not 1/32. She has no Native American background except for what her family told her. The easy answer on that, as you all know, is that Harvard [University] and [University of Pennsylvania] can release the records. She can authorize the release of those records. She can take a DNA test. She can release the records herself. There’s never been any effort. “

Brown alleged that Warren “took away” an opportunity from someone “who truly was a Native American,” calling that a “reverse form a racism, quite frankly.”

He did not, however, refer to Warren as “Pocahontas,” as Trump did this afternoon in a phone call with NBC News’ Hallie Jackson.

Brown is now a key surrogate for Trump. And asked whether he is being vetted as Trump’s potential vice presidential pick, Brown said he would not “perpetuate any stories regarding what I’m doing and not doing” as part of any vetting process.

He also directly suggested – at least in his words – that Clinton has “more logical choices” for vice president, naming Sens. Tim Kaine and Cory Booker.

“Do I hope she gets it? Listen, that’s up to obviously Hillary Clinton – I think there are much better choices,” Brown said. “I just think Hillary would spend too much time basically defending that choice versus, you know, moving forward with someone like Senator Kaine or Cory Booker or others who are, really, are more vetted and more logical choices.”

Brown also tried to frame Warren’s endorsement as “uncomfortable,” suggesting she and Clinton are out of step with one another, specifically, on trade, Wall Street, the arming of Syrian rebels, and pension benefits for coal miners.

He also pushed the notion that Clinton “has a Bernie Sanders problem,” saying Sanders’ supporters were “upset” with the lack of an endorsement by Warren in the Massachusetts primary.

After losing to Warren, Brown moved to neighboring New Hampshire and lost in a second attempt to rejoin the U.S. Senate during that state’s Senate contest in 2014.