Fact Check: Warren Falsely Claims She Doesn’t Have a ‘Beef with Billionaires’

Hannah Knudsen

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Tuesday claimed that she does not have a “beef” with billionaires, despite repeatedly targeting the wealthy over the course of her political campaign.

“Look I don’t have a beef with billionaires,” Warren said during the debate, alluding to her previously held position that successful billionaires did not build their wealth on their own.

“My problem is, you made a fortune in America, you had a great idea, you got out there and worked for it, good for you. But you built that fortune in America – I guarantee – you built it in part using workers all of us helped pay to educate,” Warren said.

“You built it in part getting your goods to market on roads and bridges all of us helped pay for. You built it at least in part by protected by police and firefighters all of us help pay the salaries for,” she continued.

“All I’m saying is, you make it to the top of one-tenth of one percent, then pitch in the two cents so every other kid in America has the chance,” she added.

Warren’s claim – that she does not have a “beef” with billionaires – is contradicted by the statements she has made over the course of her presidential campaign, targeting the wealthy specifically.

“Are you telling me that billionaires aren’t in favor of my being president of the United States? I’m shocked!” Warren boasted over the summer:

That is not the only instance. Warren also touted an “ultra-millionaire tax” earlier this year:

This is far from the first time Warren has insisted that the rich did not build their wealth on their own.

“I’m not proposing a wealth tax because I’m cranky. Some of these guys say, ‘I worked hard. I had a great idea. I worked late’– oh yeah, unlike anybody else,” the presidential hopeful sarcastically stated during a campaign stop in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, on Labor Day. “But ‘I worked late or inherited wealth, and so this is mine.’”

“And the answer is yeah, you did. Good for you. You did have a great idea and you did work hard. No one is angry about that, but here’s the deal. You built a great fortune here in America. I guarantee you built it at least in part using workers all of us help pay to educate,” she continued.

“Yeah. You built it at least in part, getting your goods to market on roads and bridges all of us helped pay to build. Yep. You built it at least in part, protected by police and firefighters all of us help pay their salaries,” she added.

Warren’s relationship with the ultra-wealthy has been convoluted over the years. Although she has targeted millionaires and billionaires over the course of her presidential campaign, she has received money from at least 30 billionaires over the course of her political career.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.