Trump says ‘ask her psychiatrist’ when asked if Elizabeth Warren believes she can win 2020 election

President made comments to Fox News

Donald Trump told an interviewer he should consult Elizabeth Warren’s “psychiatrist”, when asked if the Democratic senator believed she can win the presidency in 2020.

In what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to get inside his potential challenger’s head on the day she announced she had formed an exploratory committee to consider a White House bid, the president repeated his claim that he would love to run against her.

“She did very badly in proving that she was of Indian heritage,” Mr Trump told Fox News in an interview broadcast on New Year’s eve. “That didn’t work out too well. I think you have more than she does and maybe I do, too. And I have nothing. So, you know, we’ll see how she does. I wish her well. I hope she does well. I’d love to run against her.”

Asked directly if he thought she believed she could win, he replied: “Well, that I don’t know. You’d have to ask her psychiatrist.”

The president has repeatedly attacked the 69-year-old senator from Massachusetts, racistly referring to her as “Pocahontas”, after she claimed he had Native American ancestry. In a move that led many observers to question Ms Warren’s political skills, she underwent a DNA test that showed it she had some Native American genes after the president challenged her to.

The president claimed, incorrectly, the test showed she only had 1/1024 indigenous DNA, while some Native Americans were insulted and accused Ms Warren of misunderstanding what it meant to be a member of the Native American community.

Speaking to reporters on Monday in Boston, Mr Warren avoided responding to questions about the DNA controversy, the Mailonline reported.

“I’m in this fight because I understand what’s happening to working families,” she said.

Ms Warren announced her formation of an exploratory committee in an email to supporters on Monday morning, becoming the first major Democrat to do so. Establishing such a committee is the first formal step towards any White House run.

In a video message, Ms Warren said that having formed the committee, that allows her supporters to raise money, she would make a decision on whether to run, early in the new year.

CNN said she would start the 2020 cycle with $12.5m left over from her 2018 Senate reelection campaign, according to Federal Election Commission records. She can transfer that money into her presidential account.

“America’s middle class is getting hollowed out and opportunity for too many of our young people is shrinking,” she said in the video

“So I’m in this fight all the way. Right now Washington works great for the wealthy and the well connected. It’s just not working for anyone else.”