Reid to GOP: Drop ‘sociopath’ Trump

by Jordain Carney - 10/07/16 9:19 PM ET

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pleaded with Republicans on Friday night to drop their support of Donald Trump, arguing the future of the country and their party depend on it.

“For the good of the country, I hope that my Republican colleagues do not try to circle the wagons around a man who brags about sexually assaulting women,” Reid said in a statement. “In the name of decency, Republicans should admit that this deviant — this sociopath — cannot be president.”

{mosads}He added that “never in history has a party nominated someone more unfit to be president. There is still time for Republicans to acknowledge their mistake and salvage their dignity. They can do so by finally deciding to put the good of our country first.”

Reid’s comments come after The Washington Post published audio of the businessman making explicit comments about trying to have sex with women, which were caught on a hot mic in 2005. Trump issued a half-apology, saying the comments were private “locker-room banter” and “I apologize if anyone was offended.”

The remarks have stemmed quick backlash from GOP lawmakers — including House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) — and top party officials.

But they’ve stopped short of dropping their support for the presidential nominee roughly a month before the November election.

Reid, however, questioned if Republicans aren’t willing to cut ties with Trump — who he called a “sociopath” and a “racist” — “what will it take for Republicans to walk away from Trump?”

“This is a moment of truth for Republicans. It is time for every Republican elected official in this county to revoke their endorsements of Donald Trump and state that they will not vote for their party’s nominee, who has been caught on tape bragging about routinely sexually assaulting women. There is no way to defend the indefensible,” he said.

The outgoing Senate Democratic leader is the latest Democrat to seize on Trump’s comments Friday, arguing GOP senators have to walk away from their nominee.

Republicans are defending 24 Senate seats in November, and have walked a fine line with Trump: Distancing themselves from his controversies while refusing to cut ties with him and his base of voters that they will need to win reelection.

Democrats need to net five seats — or four if they also retain the White House — to win back the Senate.

Tags Donald Trump Harry Reid Paul Ryan