Elizabeth Warren to Donald Trump: Campaign Promises 'Already Failing'

WASHINGTON, DC — Already making good on her pledge to "fight... every step of the way," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent an itemized letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling him out for "already failing" to keep campaign promises for his consideration of lobbyists and industry insiders for his transition team and, potentially, his cabinet.

Trump previously defended the decision in his post-election interview with "60 Minutes", saying "that’s the only people you have down there" and that it will take time to make good on his pledge to "drain the swamp" in D.C.

"... They know the system right now, but we’re going to phase that out. You have to phase it out," Trump said in the interview. "We’re doing a lot of things to clean up the system. But everybody that works for government, they then leave government and they become a lobbyist, essentially. I mean, the whole place is one big lobbyist."

• Read more: Warren Named to Senate Democratic Leadership Team

Not surprisingly, that's not good enough for Warren, who wrapped her lengthy letter by letting Trump know she "would be more than happy to provide (him) with a list of qualified advisers and potential nominees."

Already on many shortlists for a 2020 presidential run, Warren's bid for influence from within a Senate minority will be a key one to watch. Her letter Tuesday offers a window into the firebrand senator's future dynamic with a Trump administration, emphasizing what Warren has said is a shared interest in reducing Wall Street's influence on Washington, while decrying places she believes he's stepped out of line.

MassGOP Chairman Kirsten Hughes has a different take, writing in a statement Tuesday, "This silly move is not only the height of hypocrisy, given the fact that Senator Warren takes thousands of dollars from Wall Street types, but it is downright reckless."

"Secretary Clinton and President Obama have joined President-elect Trump in calls for unity but Warren's laughable letter is a weak attempt to score cheap points for herself while undermining efforts to unify the country," Hughes wrote. "The only way for anyone to take this letter seriously would be for Warren to return the thousands she has taken from Wall Street, and disavow her previous hiring of corporate lobbyists. Until that happens it is not worth the paper it was printed on."

Warren's letter to Trump can be found in full here, with excerpts included below.

Dear President-Elect Trump,

During your campaign for President of the United States, you railed against "powerful special interests" that have "rigged our political and economic system for their exclusive benefit." You excoriated trade deals that you described as "mortal threat[s] to American manufacturing" and "disaster[s] .... pushed by special interests. " You promised that you would "not be controlled by the donors, special interests and lobbyists who have corrupted our politics and politicians for far too long," and that you would "drain the swamp" in Washington D.C. And you won election largely on the strength of these promises.

The American people are watching to see if you were sincere in your campaign promises to look out for the interests of working families, rather than the interests of the rich and powerful. Now it is time to live up to those promises. Unfortunately, you already appear to be failing. Within days of your election, you have elevated a slew of Wall Street bankers, industry insiders, and special interest lobbyists to your transition team. Even more are rumored to be named as potential cabinet members. Based on public reports, your transition team and your potential cabinet include over twenty Wall Street elites, industry insiders, and lobbyists making decisions that could have huge implications for their clients or employers. They include, among many others, a former Goldman Sachs executive who is rumored to be a Treasury Secretary pick; a paid consultant for Verizon who is making key decisions on your administration's Federal Communication Commission; a "top lobbyist" whose firm lobbied on behalf of issues related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership who is shaping your Labor Department; and a climate-change denying, oil industry-paid think tank fellow who is leading your environmental team's transition.

If you truly stand by your commitment to making government work for all Americans - not just those with armies of lobbyists on payroll - you must remove the lobbyists and financial bigwigs from your transition team and reinstate a group of advisors who will fight for the interests of all Americans. Maintaining a transition team of Washington insiders sends a clear signal to all who are watching you - that you are already breaking your campaign promises to "drain the swamp" and that you are selling out the American public.

... You made numerous promises to the American people in your election campaign, none bigger than the promise to "drain the swamp" of Washington D.C. special interests rigged against the middle class. The decisions you make with your transition team will shape the next four years of this nation. They will also reflect the strength of your character and your ability to truly lead - not just follow the marching orders of the special interests and Wall Street bankers you purportedly oppose.

Earlier this week, in a television interview, you were asked about the large number of lobbyists and insiders on your transition team. You responded that "everybody's a lobbyist" in Washington D.C. I can assure you that this is not the case. Many Americans - inside and outside Washington D.C. - have the expertise to serve the American public without being bought and paid for by special interests. Claiming otherwise does not absolve you of your responsibility to stick to your promise to "clean up the system."

It is no secret that we fundamentally disagree on a number of issues of critical importance to the future of this nation - issues that I will never stop fighting for and will never compromise on. But members of my party - just like members of yours - are fed up: seventy-two percent of voters - both Democrats and Republicans - believe that "the American economy is rigged to the advantage of the rich and the powerful. "40 Americans are angry about a federal government that works for the rich and powerful and that leaves everyone else in the dirt. As I said last week, when your goal is to increase the economic security of middle class families, then count me in - I will put aside our differences and I will work with you to accomplish that goal.

The early reports of who is on your transition team indicate that, despite your campaign promises, you are looking to industry insiders, lobbyists and other special interests to shape Washington D.C. under your administration. If you truly want to make Washington, D.C. work for the American people, you have the opportunity - indeed, you have the responsibility - to remove the lobbyists and financial bigwigs from your transition team and reinstate a group of advisors who will fight for the interests of all Americans.

Let me be clear. Should you refuse, I will oppose you, every step of the way, for the next four years. I will champion the millions of Americans you will fail to protect. I will track your every move, and I will remind Americans, every day, of the actions you take that fail them. And I will not be the only one watching. The millions of Americans who voted for you - and the millions who didn't - will all be watching you.

Should you have any questions about the types of advisors you could choose who would more adequately represent the needs of the American people, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. I would be more than happy to provide you with a list of qualified advisers and potential nominees.

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