Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., made it clear Friday night that she does not belong to any Native American tribe, after she took a DNA test that she said demonstrates that she likely has a distant Native American ancestor.

"I am not a citizen of any tribal nation," she said in a debate with her Republican Senate rival, Geoff Diehl. "Only tribes determine tribal citizenship, it's not done by DNA."


Warren has taken heat from both Republicans and Democrats for taking a DNA test that showed she may only be 1/1024th Native American, and then saying that test showed she's right to claim that heritage. Democrats grumbled that her announcement was a distraction, and even Native Americans argued that she was undermining them by staking a claim to their heritage.

But Warren said in the debate that she never claimed that heritage in order to advance her career.

"The Boston Globe has done an extensive analysis and come up with the fact that nothing in my background ever made any difference in my hiring," she said.

Warren also accused Diehl of running President Trump's playbook by raising her DNA test.

"Mr. Diehl knows this, and the reason he raises it is because he's just trying to do Donald Trump's bidding here," she said.

Warren said voters should trust her because she has released all of her tax and personal information, and even took that DNA test. "I am an open book," she said.

Diehl argued in the debate that Warren is spending time all around the country, implying that she's more interested in setting herself up for a White House run in 2020, instead of focusing on people in Massachusetts. But Diehl is behind by double digits in the heavily Democratic state.