Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) held a rally at New York City’s Washington Square Park on Monday evening, outlining her plan to combat corruption in the nation’s capital, and she took a shot at men, telling the crowd, “We’re not here because of men at all.”
“I am especially glad to be here in Washington Square Park,” Warren told the enthusiastic crowd. “I wanted to give this speech right here and not because arch behind me or the president that this square is named for– nope,” she said, referring to arch marking the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration.
“We’re not here today because of famous arches or famous men. In fact, we’re not here because of men at all,” Warren said to applause.
“We’re here because of some hardworking women. Women who more than 100 years ago worked long hours in a brown ten-story building just a block that way. Women who worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory,” the presidential candidate continued.
Warren is no stranger to using her status as a woman to position herself politically. “She persisted” quickly became one of her catchphrases in 2017 after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) defended invoking a rule – Senate Rule XIX – to stop her mid-speech for violating Senate rules. He said she “impugned the motives and conduct” after reading a letter of opposition from Coretta Scott King regarding Sen. Jeff Sessions’ (R-AL) federal judge appointment.
“Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech,” he said. “She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Warren – along with the feminist movement – has since used the phrase as a rallying cry.
According to recent reports, Warren has been privately consulting with Hillary Clinton throughout her presidential bid, but the magnitude of the failed presidential candidate’s influence on Warren’s campaign continues to be shrouded in mystery.