Democratic Senator Warren takes step toward 2020 US presidential bid

US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) arrives for a procedural vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, October 5, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

WASHINGTON - US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a progressive Democrat who has exchanged stinging insults with President Donald Trump, said on Monday she has formed an exploratory committee to run for president in 2020.

The Massachusetts senator, known as a liberal firebrand in her party, released a video in which she outlines her vision of a path to opportunity for all Americans, not just the wealthy.

"Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, & take care of themselves & the people they love," she said in a Twitter post. "That's what I'm fighting for, & that's why I'm launching an exploratory committee for president. I need you with me."

Warren said in September she would take a "hard look" at running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Trump in 2020. She and Trump clashed frequently through the 2016 presidential campaign and Trump has cast aspersions on her claim to Native American ancestry, referring to her as "Pocahontas."

Warren, an architect of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set up after the 2008 financial crisis, has been a strong voice in the US Senate on financial issues.

Warren, a former Harvard Law School professor, campaigned with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and attacked Trump as an “insecure money grubber” driven by greed and hate. — Reuters