Senator Elizabeth Warren has learned first-hand that albeit unusual, even members of her leftist cohort, aka late-night hosts, are capable of asking tough questions when it pertains to Medicare for All. The latest to do just that was Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday’s Tonight Show.
Although presented in a rather milquetoast fashion, at least Fallon made an attempt to lure a straight answer out of Warren on a topic she has famously evaded:
When you brought up Medicare for All, I know at the last debate, Pete Buttigieg -- you and Pete Buttigieg got kind of into a little bit cause he said, "How do we pay for it?" And you didn't really have an answer, but do you have an answer? How?”
As to be expected, however, Warren continued to obfuscate the truth of her Medicare for All plan on who will bear the brunt of heightened taxes:
We can do this without raising taxes on middle class families by one penny. We can do it by asking the top one percent, by asking the big corporations to pay a little more, and my personal favorite, by cracking down on the tax cheats, but we need to think about what this is about.
While that question would hardly be considered pressing in any other situation, it was as harsh as it gets from a late night host to a Democrat guest. Not to fret, as Fallon made up for the journalistic moment by taking his next query straight from the liberal handbook:
Yeah I was gonna ask -- let me ask you about that cause I see all these polls and I read these things that say, the economy is doing great, never been better. Unemployment is at an all-time low, but then I'm from upstate New York. And I just went there recently and they look like they're a little struggling over there. I don't know -- is the economy doing -- is it great?
Of course, what would an interview with Warren be if identity politics was not brought into the fold? Fallon made a point to highlight Warren’s gender by bringing the audience’s attention to a gimmick she performs at campaign events: "You know, it's funny when you said, you know, that 'She will be President.' You got a big round of applause. I do like this thing that you do at all of your campaign things that I've seen for little girls. Can you explain what you do?"
Warren answered gleefully:
So, whenever I see a little girl, I say -- I usually get down on one knee if they're not very tall and I say, "My name is Elizabeth, and I'm running for president because that's what girls do."
Later into the program, Fallon posed a lighting round of questions to Warren in a game he dubbed “Curve Ball.” Some of the asks included; “Do you want to abolish the Electoral College?” as well as “Is it possible to reverse climate change in our lifetimes?”
Despite rarely entering the political fray, Fallon has been reminiscent of his ultra-liberal counterparts Kimmel and Colbert as of late.
Transcript below:
NBC's The Tonight Show
12/05/19
12:04 a.m. Eastern
JIMMY FALLON: Yeah I was gonna ask -- let me ask you about that cause I see all these polls and I read these things that say, the economy is doing great, never been better. Unemployment is at an all-time low, but then I'm from upstate New York.
ELIZABTH WARREN: Uh- huh.
FALLON: And I just went there recently and they look like they're a little struggling over there. I don't know- is the economy doing- is it great?
WARREN: It is fabulous if you're already a millionaire or a billionaire.
FALLON: Yeah.
WARREN: It's just not working so well for much of anyone else, and it's been years, decades, of flat income, largely and rising expenses for child care, and health care, and housing, sending a kid to school. Which is part of the reason that I have proposed a two cent wealth tax on the top one-tenth of one percent in this country...
(....)
FALLON: When you brought up Medicare for All, I know at the last debate, Pete Buttigieg -- you and Pete Buttigieg got kind of into a little bit cause he said, "How do we pay for it?"
WARREN: Mhmm
FALLON: And you didn't really have an answer, but do you have an answer? How-
WARREN: We can do this without raising taxes on middle class families by one penny. We can do it by asking the top one percent, by asking the big corporations to pay a little more, and my personal favorite, by cracking down on the tax cheats, but we need to think about what this is about. Across this country tens of millions of people don't have a prescription filled because they can't afford it...
FALLON: Yeah.. you don't get your tooth fixed.
(....)
FALLON: You know, it's funny when you said, you know, that "She will be President." You got a big round of applause. I do like this thing that you do at all of your campaign things that I've seen for little girls. Can you explain what you do?
WARREN: So, whenever I see a little girl, I say -- I usually get down on one knee if they're not very tall and I say, "My name is Elizabeth, and I'm running for president because that's what girls do."
FALLON: I think it's so cool that you do that. I have two little girls.
(....)
FALLON: Welcome back we're here with Senator Elizabeth Warren. Senator, you're obviously an expert debater you were a debate star back in school and you've held your own in every Democratic debate so far. So we thought we'd put your skills to the test to make sure you're ready for any question that's thrown your way. It's time for Curve ball with Senator Elizabeth Warren. Now Senator, some of these questions will be ones you've heard before, but some are going to be extremely hard-hitting, designed to catch you off guard and expose the truth.
(....)
FALLON: What is the most important issue facing American voters today?
WARREN: Corruption.
(....)
FALLON: Curve ball. What's baby Yoda's whole deal and why are people obsessed with him?
(....)
FALLON: Do you want to abolish the Electoral College?
WARREN: Yes.
(....)
FALLON: Is it possible to reverse climate change in our lifetimes?
WARREN: Yes, but we have to have the political courage to take on all of the money and power that's now embedded in Washington that's keeping anybody from making moves on this.
