Senate

Reid: Trump Muslim ban ‘hateful’ and ‘vile’

by Jordain Carney - 12/08/15 10:48 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) slammed a push by Donald Trump to ban Muslims from entering the United States, calling it “vile” and “hateful.”

“Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering this country is hateful, despicable and vile,” he said Tuesday from the Senate floor. “Trump’s statement is a slap in the face to the number of peace-loving Muslims living here and to those who want to travel and live here.”

{mosads}Reid is the latest senator to dismiss Trump after he called Monday for a “total and complete shutdown” of federal processing that would allow Muslims to be accepted into the United States.

The Nevada Democrat added that Trump’s proposal is the “strongest evidence” that Republicans are running on a “platform of hate,” and he suggested that other presidential candidates have targeted refugees and specific religious groups.

“Republican candidates condemn Trump’s remarks and then adopt his racist policies as their own,” he said. “We shouldn’t try to fool ourselves, this sort of racism has been prevalent in Republican politics for decades. Trump is saying out loud what other Republicans merely suggest.”

Both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates quickly condemned Trump’s proposal. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will likely face a question about the comments during a weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Reid comments come less than a week since he accused Republicans — including Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — of “running on a platform of hate.”

Tags Donald Trump Harry Reid Mitch McConnell Ted Cruz