Elizabeth has told at least two Sunday morning political talk shows that she is not a candidate for the presidency in 2020.  CNN is touting the appearance of Elizabeth Warren on its “State of the Union” broadcast this morning, in which the Massachusetts senator tells Jim Acosta, "I am not running for president in 2020.”  The Hill, meanwhile, reports:

In [an] interview airing Sunday on "Meet the Press", Warren repeated herself several times when pressed by host Chuck Todd on whether she planned to serve another six years in the Senate.

"So look, I am not running for president of the United States. I am running for the United States Senate," Warren said. 

"But let me actually make a — underline a point on this one, and that is we can't just be a party that says, "Oh, we're paying attention about what happens every four years." And I know there's a lot of anxiety, particularly on the Democratic side, about how we are going to deal with Donald Trump in 2020," she added.

“A lot of anxiety”? I thought that Dems believe that Trump is such a disaster that beating him should be easy. Maybe Warren has noticed that the economy is booming, and those manufacturing jobs that were “not coming back,” according to Barack Obama are multiplying. Could it be that Warren realizes she and her party have underestimated Donald Trump?

Todd pressed her on whether or not she might try to run for president in 2024 (after Trump’s second term?):

"I take it as a no you're not pledging to serve your full six-year term if you win reelection?" Todd asked in response.

"I already told you. I have no intention of running for the United States, for president," she responded. "This government is working better and better and better for a thinner and thinner slice at the top. I am in these fights, and I am in this fight to retain my Senate seat in 2018. That's where I'm focused. That's where I'm going to stay focused. I'm not running for president."

"So no pledge, though, on the six years?" Todd asked, one last time.

"I am not running for president," Warren responded firmly.

So, she is keeping her options open. I would note that she is also not ruling out running as vice president on a ticket headed by someone else.

One other possible factor in her mind is that pressure for her to take a DNA test to prove her contention of Native American heritage is rising. Last week, the largest newspaper in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshire Eagle, editorialized that she “must resolve” that debate by taking a DNA test, like those widely advertised on television. She seems utterly opposed to doing so, even though it would be simple and cheap. Instead, she is doubling down on the claim that it was a “story” that her family told her.

She told CNN’s Acosta:

"It's about my family's story. Because my family's story is deeply a part of me and a part of my brothers," Warren said. "It's what we learned from our parents. It's what we learned from our grandparents. It's what we learned from our aunts and uncles.

Tens of millions of Americans have been told “stories” by their families about Santa Claus bringing the kids presents. That is a very convenient term for her to employ.