Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts took a dramatic fall on the Senate floor Thursday after leaning on a desk that collapsed beneath her.
The 75-year-old Democrat, known for her progressive policies and controversial past claims of Native American ancestry, landed backward onto one of the chamber’s tiered platforms, prompting a swift response from her colleagues.
Over half a dozen senators rushed to her side, with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas arriving first to assist. Warren, seemingly uninjured, acknowledged Cruz with a few appreciative pats before being helped to her feet.
🚨WATCH: Elizabeth Warren FELL DOWN on the Senate floor and knocked over a table. pic.twitter.com/1vF9hOlsLO
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 31, 2025
The fall caused a stir both in the chamber and across social media, where video of the incident quickly went viral — and not without ridicule.
“This puts the Tip in Tippecanoe. (I’ll see myself out),” posted conservative commentator Clay Travis, referencing Warren’s oft-mocked assertions of Native American heritage. Dave Rubin, host of The Rubin Report, joined in: “Warren’s Indian name was Falls On A**.”
The mockery reflects a lingering skepticism among conservatives — and even some liberals — about Warren’s past decisions to identify as Native American.
The issue has followed her throughout her national career. In 1986, Warren listed herself as Native American on her registration card for the State Bar of Texas.
Years later, amid mounting scrutiny, she released a DNA test in 2018 to try to validate her claim. The results suggested she had a Native American ancestor six to ten generations back — making her somewhere between 1/64th and 1/1,024 Native American.
Rather than putting the issue to rest, the test drew further backlash.
The Cherokee Nation rebuked her for using genetic testing to assert tribal identity, stating bluntly that “a DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship.” Warren eventually apologized, stating during a 2019 town hall: “I am not a person of color; I am not a citizen of a tribe; and I have apologized for confusion I’ve caused on tribal citizenship, tribal sovereignty, and for any harm that I’ve caused.”
Thursday’s fall was met with concern on the Senate floor but far less sympathy in the court of public opinion.
Online reaction highlighted the enduring political liabilities Warren faces — not just as a high-profile Democrat with presidential ambitions, but as a figure whose personal narrative has repeatedly raised questions.
Though Warren emerged physically unscathed from her tumble, the symbolic weight of the fall — amplified by her controversial past — once again made her the subject of a viral news cycle she likely would have preferred to avoid.
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