Sen. Elizabeth Warren called Donald Trump a “money-grubber” Tuesday night and said he’s a man who roots for people to lose their jobs and their homes.
While accepting an award at the Center for Popular Democracy, the Massachusetts Democrat recounted Trump’s comments from 2007 in which he said he was “excited” for the real estate market to crash because he could profit from it.
“Donald Trump was drooling over the idea of a housing meltdown because it meant he could buy up a bunch more property on the cheap,” Warren said. “What kind of a man does that? Root for people to get thrown out on the street? Root for people to lose their jobs? Root for people to lose their pensions? Root for two little girls in Clark County, Nevada, to end up living in a van? What kind of a man does that?”
“I’ll tell you exactly what kind,” she continued. “A man who cares about no one but himself. A small, insecure money-grubber who doesn’t care who gets hurt, so long as he makes some money off it. What kind of man does that? A man who will never be president of the United States.”
Warren then slammed Trump for claiming to be tough on Wall Street but not actually being tough, and noted that he wants to dismantle the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.
“Donald Trump is worried about helping poor little Wall Street? Let me find the world’s smallest violin to play a sad, sad song,” Warren said.
Warren also hounded Trump for refusing to release his tax returns. Trump says he won’t do so while they are under audit and that they will reveal nothing, but said he hopes to release them before the election.
“I want to make just one last point about Donald Trump that won’t fit into a Twitter war, one last point that sums up what Donald Trump is all about — his taxes,” Warren said. “Maybe he’s just a lousy businessman who doesn’t want you to find out that he’s worth a lot less money than he claims.”
Trump likes being a billionaire, Warren argued, but “doesn’t think the rules that apply to everyone else should apply to him.”
“When anyone builds something terrific, they should get to keep a big hunk of it. But they should also pay a fair share forward so the next kid and the next kid and the next kid who come along gets their chance to build something too. That’s how we build a future that works for everyone,” she said.
“Donald Trump thinks supporting them is throwing money ‘down the drain.’ I say we just throw Donald Trump down the drain. Let’s face it: Donald Trump cares about exactly one thing – Donald Trump,” she said. “It’s time for some accountability because these statements disqualify Donald Trump from ever becoming President. The free ride is over.”
Warren has been relentless in attacking Trump, mostly on Twitter in recent weeks. Trump has shot back, too.
