The fast-burning, eight-hour exchange between political rivals came about as an accident of Nevada political scheduling, but it played out far more suggestively — as the most direct confrontation yet between Mr. Trump and one of his leading potential opponents in the 2020 election. And it unfolded on a portentous stage, in the cities and suburbs of a state that is likely to be crucial both in the Democratic presidential primaries and in the general election. Mr. Trump came to Las Vegas not to needle Ms. Warren, but to raise money for an embattled Republican senator, Dean Heller, seeking re-election in a state where Hillary Clinton beat Mr. Trump in 2016 by a little more than two percentage points. Ms. Warren mapped her own Nevada visit — a swing through Reno and the Las Vegas suburbs — in part to help Mr. Heller’s challenger, Representative Jacky Rosen, and had planned it well before Mr. Trump revealed that he would be in town. Yet 2020 hung over the day from the outset: Ms. Warren, addressing a convention of the Nevada Democratic Party in Reno, thundered against Mr. Trump’s administration, bringing a crowd to its feet with exhortations to take on corporate special interests and “drive Donald Trump and his enablers out of power.” In a call to elect more women to high office, Ms. Warren tucked in an oratorical wink to the crowd: One of those offices, she said, was “that really nice, oval-shaped room at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” The current occupant of the Oval Office, sweeping into an event of his own in Las Vegas, could have easily ignored the presence of a combative critic some 400 miles away. But Mr. Trump did not, instead looking away from the ostensible subjects of his visit — Mr. Heller and the tax cuts he helped pass — to swing repeatedly at Ms. Warren. He labeled her, not for the first time, as “Pocahontas,” a biting reference to Ms. Warren’s description of herself as having Native American ancestry. Mr. Trump and other Republicans have questioned that claim, sometimes drawing criticism from Native American tribes for their mocking language.<doc-sep>RENO, Nev. — Declaring the “soul of our country is at stake,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren told Nevada Democrats Saturday they will play a pivotal role in November’s midterm elections on the road to taking back the White House in 2020. “Change is coming,” said the Massachusetts Democrat, who is considered a potential challenger to President Donald Trump two years from now. “This Nov. 6, Donald Trump’s gonna hear all of us loud and clear.” Taking aim at Trump administration policies she said pit the wealthy against working-class Americans, Warren didn’t mention any presidential aspirations in her keynote address to the Nevada Democratic Party’s state convention in Reno. But she said she’s committed to building a party strong enough to compete in every race in the nation this fall, “and I’m willing to do my part to make that happen.” “I hope you’re ready to fight uphill for as long as it takes, because I’m going up that hill, and I need you with me,” she said Warren said Nevada was one of the Democrats’ few bright spots in 2016. In addition to being a rare battleground state that sided with Hillary Clinton, Nevada voters elected Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto as the Senate’s first Latina and first woman to represent them there, she said. She told a spirited crowd in a hotel-casino ballroom that their grassroots organization was the key in 2016 and predicted their energy will carry Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen to victory in her bid to unseat Republican Sen. Dean Heller, the only incumbent GOP senator up for re-election in a state Trump failed to carry. Warren was headed later Saturday to a Democratic fundraiser in Las Vegas. Earlier in the day, Trump headlined the Nevada Republican Party’s state convention in Las Vegas and raised money for Heller before holding a roundtable on tax reform. Trump dubbed Rosen “Wacky Jacky” during his speech in Las Vegas. He noted that Rosen was in Reno with Warren and referred again to Warren as “Pocahontas” to ridicule her claims of Native American ancestry. Trump said a vote for Rosen is “a vote for Nancy Pelosi,” higher taxes and “weak, weak borders.” He credited Heller with helping to pass the GOP tax cuts passed late last year. Warren said Trump and the GOP leadership in Congress are beholden to corporate profits and polluters, and stand for “hatefulness, ugliness and cruelty.” She said Trump has called immigrants “animals” and “ripped children from the arms of their mommas.” “I don’t just want a party strong enough to drive Donald Trump and his enablers out of power,” she said. “I want a party strong enough to take on the hard job of cleaning up the mess they’ll leave behind once they are gone.” “Even when we stop the most corrupt Trump practices… this will still be a country where too many people are getting rolled by an economy - and a government - that’s only working for the rich guys,” she said. Rosen targeted Heller’s wavering positions on immigration, health care and Planned Parenthood in her Reno speech. She said he tells working-class Nevadans one thing, then votes lock step with Trump. The president helped persuade Danny Tarkanian to drop his GOP primary challenge against Heller. Tarkanian then entered race for Rosen’s House seat. Tarkanian is the son of legendary UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian. Rosen, whose grandparents are immigrants, said Heller should use his clout to make sure children are not “ripped out of the arms of parents” and described the administration’s “latest solution” to a disjointed immigration policy as “indefinite family detention.” “It’s wrong, it’s immoral,” she said. “If Sen. Heller cares about doing what’s right, he should have the backbone to personally talk to President Trump today about putting an end to this humanitarian crisis that has traumatized so many children.” Democrat Susie Lee, who is running against Tarkanian for Rosen’s House seat, said Republicans have wrongly claimed to be the party of family values. “When we talk about family values it means not having to make a choice between medical care for your family or putting food on the table,” Lee said. “Family values means not taking children out of their parents arms and putting them in cages.” Other speakers included Cortez Masto and Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak, who pleaded for unity as he tries to become the first Democrat to capture the governor’s mansion in Nevada in 20 years. Sisolak, who faces Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt in November, told the crowd that he knew that some had backed Democrat Chris Giunchigliani in the June primary. Term limits are forcing popular GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval out. “No matter who you voted for, I think we all agree we can’t allow Adam Laxalt to be governor,” Sisolak said to cheers. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC.<doc-sep>Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren delivers the keynote address on June 23 to the Nevada Democratic Convention in Reno. | Scott Sonner/AP Photo Elections Trump-Warren split-screen offers sneak peek at 2020 campaign Democrats count on the president’s immigration policy to power a surge in Latino voter turnout. RENO, Nev. — In the space of just a few hours, Elizabeth Warren and Donald Trump provided a glimpse of what the 2020 presidential campaign might look like in a battleground state. It won’t be pretty. Here, in front of a raucous crowd Saturday at the Nevada Democratic Party’s state convention, the Democratic senator from Massachusetts unloaded on a president she said stands for “hatefulness, ugliness and cruelty.” Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto followed, calling Trump “ignorant,” his immigration policies “disgusting.” At the southern end of the state, not long after touching down in Las Vegas for a speech to the state GOP convention, the president spoke directly to the party base — and only to them. “I got elected largely because we are strong on the border,” Trump reminded the crowd. Then he proceeded to deride Warren, as he frequently has, as “Pocahontas,” offered a new nickname for Democratic Senate candidate Jacky Rosen — “Wacky Jacky” — and tossed a veiled insult at Republican Sen. John McCain, who’s suffering from brain cancer. It’s a long way from 2020, but Saturday’s split-screen sketched out not only the tone of the next presidential election, but also one of the pivotal issues — the president’s immigration policy and its effect on Latino voter turnout. POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Trump largely avoided the controversy surrounding his separation of children and their parents at the border, dismissing any electoral advantage for Democrats amid fallout from his administration’s zero-tolerance policy. But Democrats here in Reno saw the border controversy as rocket fuel for their efforts to register and turn out Latino voters in the hopes of ousting Republican Sen. Dean Heller in 2018 — and putting the state out of reach for Trump in 2020. In recent months, Democrats and left-leaning groups have earmarked millions of dollars toward those initiatives in Nevada, seeking to replicate an effort that helped lift Democrats to sweeping victories here in 2016, while relentlessly yoking the state’s Republicans to Trump. “Up until a week ago, we thought that Dreamers and pushing back on Republican attacks on sanctuary [policies] would be the primary immigration debate,” said Jeff Parcher of the Washington-based Center for Community Change Action, part of an affiliation of groups planning to spend $3 million turning out low-propensity voters here. “But obviously now, the issue on the border has overtaken everything in people’s minds.” Last week, the consortium began testing online ads pinned to Trump’s now-abandoned policy of separating migrant families at the border. In one spot, a girl is pictured clutching an adult’s leg beside the admonishment, “Trump & the GOP agenda are tearing families apart.” Democrats were preparing Sunday to add a plank to the state party’s platform formally opposing the separation of parents and children at the border. Cortez Masto, the first Latina senator, said Trump is “going down a dangerous path.” “This type of anti-immigrant attack is not only going to have a positive impact for Latinos in general,” she said. “I think it’s just every minority population that he is attacking.” Speaking in a ballroom beside a bowling alley at a resort and casino here, Warren and Rosen, a Las Vegas-area congresswoman, told delegates they will visit the U.S.-Mexico border in coming days, with Rosen saying, “This granddaughter of immigrants is going to see firsthand what’s happening to these innocent children, and what we can do to help them.” Rosen’s remarks came days after she went up with a Spanish-language ad on Telemundo to run throughout the World Cup, promising to fight “Trump’s dirty game of separating mothers from their children.” Steve Sisolak, the Democratic nominee for governor, released a video accusing his Republican opponent, state Attorney General Adam Laxalt, of “giving Trump a free pass” while “children are crying for their parents.” For many Democrats, the furor over Trump’s border separation policy recalls a 2016 election in which images of Latinos registering to vote at taco trucks in northeast Las Vegas and lining up to vote outside a Las Vegas grocery store presaged a rare victory for the party in the presidential election year. Nevada Democrats in 2016 not only delivered the state to Hillary Clinton, but also sent Cortez Masto to the Senate and recaptured the state legislature. Yet despite the growing significance of the state’s Latino voting bloc — Latinos now account for nearly 30 percent of Nevada’s population — Latinos traditionally vote at lower rates than white voters, performing especially poorly in midterm elections. In a disastrous election for Nevada Democrats in 2014, low turnout in Latino-heavy portions of Las Vegas’ Clark County helped Republicans sweep Nevada’s statewide elections and take both houses of the legislature. In an effort to avoid a repeat, a group of left-leaning organizations, including the super PAC Planned Parenthood Votes, Service Employees International Union and Center for Community Change Action, announced plans in April to spend $30 million on efforts to reach low-propensity voters in key states, including $3 million in Nevada. The state Democratic Party is holding bilingual phone banks and offering voter registration trainings in Spanish, while the state’s powerful Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is making plans for a campaign similar to 2016, when 300 workers took a two-month leave of absence ahead of the election, knocking on 350,000 doors. Meanwhile, Voto Latino is aiming to register 1 million voters by 2020 in Nevada and other Latino-rich states.<doc-sep>President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE slammed the Democratic lawmaker challenging Sen. Dean Heller Dean Arthur HellerOn The Trail: Democrats plan to hammer Trump on Social Security, Medicare Lobbying World Democrats spend big to put Senate in play MORE (R-Nev.) on Saturday, dubbing Rep. Jacky Rosen Jacklyn (Jacky) Sheryl RosenHillicon Valley: Parler app risks charges of selling out with Apple return | Justices hear First Amendment clash over cheerleader's Snapchat | Google pressed to conduct racial equity audit Lawmakers introduce legislation to create civilian reserve program to fight hackers Bipartisan Senate proposal would grant million to minority businesses MORE (D-Nev.) "Wacky Jacky" in a fiery campaign speech. Speaking at the Nevada state GOP convention, Trump attacked Rosen for campaigning with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOn The Money: Biden administration launches trade dispute against Canadian dairy industry | Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles in testy exchange Warren offers bill to increase IRS budget to .5 billion MORE (D), whom he again called the racially charged nickname "Pocahontas." ADVERTISEMENT "[Heller's] opponent wants to raise taxes," Trump said, to boos. "She wants to raise taxes, think of it. I mean, it's ridiculous. Should I mention her name?" Trump paused as the crowd egged him on to say the name. "I have a great nickname for her," Trump added. "Wacky Jacky. You don't want her as your senator." "Wacky Jacky is campaigning with Pocahontas, you believe this? In your state!" he added. "I have a great nickname for her... Wacky Jacky. "@POTUS unleashes his nickname for @RosenforNevada. pic.twitter.com/djhTUOTb7I — Fox News (@FoxNews) June 23, 2018 Rosen responded to Trump's attacks later Saturday afternoon, dubbing her opponent a "rubber stamp" for Trump in Washington. “The President is attacking me with lies and petty insults because I’m not afraid to stand up to him," Rosen said in a statement to The Hill. "Dean Heller has been a rubber stamp for Donald Trump in Washington, caving to the President’s divisive agenda at Nevada’s expense. This was Senator Heller’s reward for his loyalty.” Trump has used the "Pocahontas" nickname to refer to questions surrounding Warren's claims of Native American heritage. A Washington Post fact-checker wrote in 2016 that there was "no official documentation" found to support her claims. Heller is seen as a vulnerable Republican ahead of midterm elections, where Democrats are hoping to pick up two seats and flip the Senate. But, the Nevada lawmaker has secured Trump's support and saw a primary challenger back out of the race earlier this year at the president's urging. Tickets for Saturday's fundraiser for Heller ranged from $15,000 to $50,000, according to an invitation obtained by CNN. An April poll of the Nevada Senate race showed Heller leading Rosen by just 1 point, according to the Nevada Independent/Mellman Group survey. — Updated 6:03 p.m.<doc-sep>
Trump on Sessions: What kind of man is this? TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump waits to speak during a memorial service at the Pentagon for the 9/11 terrorist attacks September 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump announces his decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Room at the White House May 8, 2018 in Washington, DC. After two and a half years of negotiations, Iran agreed in 2015 to end its nuclear program in exchange for Western countries, including the United States, lifting decades of economic sanctions. Since then international inspectors have not found any violations of the terms by Iran. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Trump on Cordray: He was groomed by 'Pocahontas' Trump often says he's 'the least racist person' WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 15: U.S. President Donald Trump listens to a question as he speaks to members of the White House Press Corps prior to his Marine One departure from the South Lawn of the White House December 15, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) President Donald Trump points to the crowd after speaking to law enforcement officials on the street gang MS-13, Friday, July 28, 2017, in Brentwood, N.Y. President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) US President Donald Trump addresses the Nevada Republican Party Convention at the Suncoast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 23, 2018. (Photo by Olivier Douliery / AFP) (Photo credit should read OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — In a visit to boost one of the nation’s most vulnerable Republican senators ahead of this fall’s November election, President Donald Trump unveiled a new nickname for the Democrat running to unseat Sen. Dean Heller. “Wacky Jacky,” Trump said at the Nevada GOP convention, in reference to Rep. Jacky Rosen. “You don’t want her as your senator.” Trump’s short Saturday swing through Las Vegas was aimed largely at bolstering Heller, who is running for re-election in a state Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Just before his speech to the state GOP, he held a backstage fundraiser for Heller. During the speech, Trump listed off several of his administration’s accomplishments, notably the passage of tax cuts and repealing the individual mandate under Obamacare. As controversy still rages over his administration’s handling of immigrant families at the Southern border, Trump said he sees the issue as immigration as a winner for Republicans in the midterms. “I think I got elected largely because we are strong on the border,” Trump said. Of undocumented immigrants, he said, “if they see any weakness, they will come by the millions.” Trump also noted that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a potential 2020 challenger, was in the state Saturday speaking at the state Democratic convention, again using the “Pocahontas” slur to describe the Massachusetts Democrat. “Wacky Jacky is campaigning with Pocahontas, you believe this? In your state! Can you believe this?” Trump said at the Nevada GOP convention. “When you see that, that’s not the senator you want.” The President also mocked calls for an apology for using the term. “To the memory of Pocahontas, I apologize,” he said. Rosen called Trump’s Nevada trip Heller’s reward for backing Trump’s agenda. “The President is attacking me with lies and petty insults because I’m not afraid to stand up to him,” Rosen said in a statement. “Dean Heller has been a rubber stamp for Donald Trump in Washington, caving to the President’s divisive agenda at Nevada’s expense. This was Senator Heller’s reward for his loyalty.” After the speech, Trump was headed to a roundtable with Heller, gubernatorial nominee Adam Laxalt, labor secretary Alex Acosta and local business leaders focused on the GOP’s tax bill, for which Heller claimed credit. The trip shows the extent to which Trump and Heller have repaired their relationship. Heller was a Trump critic during the 2016 election. Last summer, he famously stood with Brian Sandoval, Nevada’s popular outgoing moderate Republican governor, and declared his opposition to Trump’s bill repealing parts of Obamacare. The two broke the ice on an October flight to Las Vegas after the mass shooting there. Heller, meanwhile, has been a staunch advocate for Trump’s other policies – particularly tax reform.