Pete Buttigieg says Elizabeth Warren was 'extremely evasive' when asked about a middle-class tax hike

As Twitchy reported, 2020 presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren was a guest on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” earlier this week, where Colbert gave her advice on how to pitch Medicare for All (and the resulting tax increases) to the masses. “Do you want to live in a world where your fellow citizens are dying,” he suggested, adding, “even if it costs a little bit of money?”

The exchange went a little something like this:

Warren's obfuscation is becoming comical now:

"Are you going to raise middle class taxes?”

"Right."

"Are you going to raise middle class taxes?”

"Here's the thing."

"Are you going to raise middle class taxes?”

"Here's how were going to do this." https://t.co/x2zzTEKr4V

— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) September 18, 2019

Kimberly Strassel was amazed that Warren was actually being pushed on the question of middle-class tax hikes after slipping past the question for so long, but 2020 Pete Buttigieg told Jake Tapper Thursday that he considered Warren’s answers “extremely evasive.”

.@PeteButtigieg says of @ewarren and @StephenAtHome asking her if taxes will go up on the middle class to pay for Medicare for All: “Senator Warren is known for being straightforward and was extremely evasive when asked that question and we’ve seen that repeatedly.”

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 19, 2019

.@PeteButtigieg just criticized @ewarren as “evasive” on whether Medicare For All requires a middle class tax hike, framing her as a typical “Washington politician” who doesn’t give straight answers.

On @jaketapper’s show ? pic.twitter.com/Njc2gWJaVJ

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 19, 2019

YAS! Drag her! https://t.co/xj9nn7NVW8

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 19, 2019

It was interesting imo that the attack on Medicare-for-all for, what, six months, was "you'll ban private insurance." Why are rivals only now picking up the tax thing? (Locking yourself into "I'll never raise taxes" promise is also risky for a Democrat.) https://t.co/3ubOeEseC3

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) September 19, 2019

If I’m Warren I’m trying to paint it as “you’ll pay the same or less in taxes that you’re already paying for your insurance now”.

— James (@GoNolesjw) September 19, 2019

This IS her answer, but it's a rhetorical difference with Sanders. He leans in and says of course you'll pay higher taxes but premiums will be gone — a net gain for almost everybody. She does not let anything about "raising taxes" escape her lips. https://t.co/gbRdsXezcv

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) September 19, 2019

The problem is that if she keeps skirting around it, she will look evasive (she already came across that way a bit). The Sanders approach of just owning up to middle-class tax increases but explaining why other costs (premiums, OOP, etc.) are already a "tax" seems more genuine.

— Ameya अमेय (@ameya_pa) September 19, 2019

"I will raise your taxes" worked so well for Fritz Mondale.

— Robot Nixon 2020 (@mwisnefske) September 19, 2019

Also …

wait… did he forget to call her a bad Christian? Mayor Pete must be off his game

— Jim Peeps (@Jimpeeps12) September 19, 2019

Is Mayor Pete going to “Tulsi” Warren for a bump in the polls?

Related:

Stephen Colbert gives Elizabeth Warren advice on how to pitch Medicare for All (and the resulting tax increases) to the masses https://t.co/5DtMiZKvxM

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 18, 2019