Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone ColbertColbert implores Pelosi to update 'weaponry' in SCOTUS fight: 'Trump has a literal heat ray' The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy Juan Williams: Democrats need to bury their divisions MORE pressed Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.) during CBS's "Late Show" Tuesday night on whether the Democratic presidential hopeful would raise taxes on the middle class if she were to win the White House.

"You keep being asked in the debates how are you going to pay for it. Are you going to be raising the middle-class taxes?" Colbert asked. "How are you going to pay for it? Are you going to be raising the middle-class taxes?"

"So, here's how we're going to do this. Costs are going to go up for the wealthiest Americans, for big corporations," Warren replied. "And hard-working middle-class families are going to see their costs going down."

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"But will their taxes go up?" Colbert asked again.

"But here's the thing," Warren said.

"But here's the thing," an amused Colbert retorted. "I've listened to these answers a few times before and I just want to make a parallel suggestion to you that you might defend the taxes perhaps that you’re not mentioning in your sentence."

"Isn’t 'Medicare for All' like public school?" he continued rhetorically, pointing to the health care proposal advocated by progressives in the Democratic race such as Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters Republicans not immune to the malady that hobbled Democrats The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (I-Vt.).

"There might be taxes for it, but you certainly save a lot of money sending your kids to school, and do you want to live in a world where your kids aren’t educated? Do you want to live in a world where your fellow citizens are dying, even if it costs a little bit of money?” Colbert added.

"So I accept your point and I believe in your point," Warren responded, without directly saying taxes will be raised on the middle class. "Health care is a basic human right. We fight for basic human rights, and that’s Medicare for All. Everyone gets covered."



The back-and-forth with Colbert comes amid what appears to be an increasingly close race between Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE, the latter having led most national and state polls since entering the primary earlier this year.

Biden and Warren are virtually tied in a new poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers released Wednesday, with Biden at 25 percent support and Warren at 23 percent, placing her within the margin of error for the top spot.



The poll, conducted for Focus on Rural America, a Democratic group run by former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge (D) and Iowa political strategist Jeff Link, also found South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE (D) in third with 12 percent support.