Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., bolted out of the room after speaking to a labor union conference Tuesday rather than take questions about presidential politics on the last day of the Democratic primary.
“This is my kind of crowd. Hardworking folks from all across the country who want to rein in Wall Street and level the playing field,” Warren said as she walked on stage at the Communications Workers of America Conference in Washington D.C., on Tuesday to a full, standing ovation.
Just down the street, D.C. Democrats headed to the polls in the final primary of 2016, a contest Hillary Clinton is expected to win. In recent weeks, Warren has gone on the offensive against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. The CWA member that introduced he noted that Warren has called Trump a “racist” and a “sexist” who “hates others” in recent days. But, Warren did not mention the presidential race once in her speech.
While addressing the large union crowd, the Massachusetts senator and recent Clinton endorser spoke exclusively of Wall Street’s failures and the economic barriers facing the middle class. Noting that many Wall Street banks are bigger now than they were in 2016, Warren stated, “If we really want to change the culture on Wall Street we need to haul some people out in handcuffs.”
Following her remarks, Warren hurried out of the building, up a set of four escalators with a group of reporters pursuing. As she sprinted up the moving staircase she completely ignored multiple questions about whether she’s preparing to join the Democratic ticket as Clinton’s running mate.
“I would have liked to hear more of her thoughts on [the race],” CWA member Luis Marinaro told the Washington Examiner. “Maybe this wasn’t the right format for her to talk about presidential politics but she is exactly what the country needs.”
