Reid: Trump a ‘nightmare’ and a ‘bigot’

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blasted Senate Republicans and Donald Trump over the Supreme Court Wednesday, calling the GOP presidential nominee an “American nightmare.”

“[Republicans] want to save that Supreme Court nomination for Donald Trump. … Trump is an American nightmare. He’s the most unqualified party presidential candidate from a major party that anyone can remember,” Reid said from the Senate floor. “He’s a bigot. He’s a scam artist. He won’t show us his tax returns.”

{mosads}Reid said Trump is “a man who believes in waterboarding. He said waterboarding isn’t enough torture. We need to do more than just waterboarding.”

{mosads}Reid’s comments come as Democrats have doubled down on an entrenched fight to confirm Judge Merrick Garland that has included stalling Senate committee hearings until the Supreme Court nominee gets a vote.

Democrats have left the door open to trying to force a vote on Garland. But they would ultimately need 60 votes — including more than a dozen Republicans — to be successful.

Reid also took a swing at Senate GOP leadership, including Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for ruling out giving Garland a hearing or a vote this year.

“One of the Republican leader’s proudest moments was a time he abandoned his constitutional duty and failed to do the job he was elected to do,” Reid said. “The Republicans’ proudest moments are not accomplishments. They are obstruction.”

Democrats have argued that GOP leadership wants to leave the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat open so that a President Trump could pick a replacement.

Republicans have defended their position, saying they are following the “Biden rule.” In a 1992 speech made by Vice President Biden, then a senator from Delaware, he suggested the Senate should not proceed with any Supreme Court nomination made by incumbent President George H.W. Bush until after that year’s presidential election.