Obama Whacks Elizabeth Warren: She’s ’Wrong’ On Free Trade

REUTERS/GARY CAMERON
REUTERS/GARY CAMERON

President Obama is pushing back against the uprising from the populist left that his Asia-Pacific trade agreement would favor the rich at the expense of everyone else.

Obama was asked about Warren’s remarks during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.

“I love Elizabeth. We’re allies on a whole host of issues. But she’s wrong on this,” Obama replied, according to excerpts released by MSNBC.

Warren has opposed trade deals, arguing that they “give protections to international corporations” to escape U.S. labor and environmental regulations.

Obama defended his trade deal, saying it would help the middle class, claiming that it was all part of his administrations effort for “middle class” based economics.

“I would not be doing this trade deal if I did not think it was good for the middle class,” he explained. “And when you hear folks make a lot of suggestions about how bad this trade deal is, when you dig into the facts they are wrong.”

Obama made his comments during a panel discussion on trade hosted by Matthews. The full MSNBC interview with Obama will be released later this evening.

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