Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., delivered a speech Thursday vehemently attacking Republican congressional leaders for enabling the rise of GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump.
Reid argued the rise of Trump should not come as a surprise to the Republican establishment, who he claims drained the oxygen from policy debate by replacing thoughtful engagement with resentment and hatred.
"We're seeing it right now with President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court," Reid said. "A full month before they knew who the nominee would be, Republicans had already pledged to block him and treat him like a piñata."
"This is exactly the kind of mindless behavior that has hollowed out our political debate and created the conditions for Trump to rise," he added. "Republican leaders created the drought conditions. Donald Trump simply struck the match."
Reid specifically targeted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., accusing them of "moral cowardice."
The Democratic leader pointed to McConnell and Ryan's commitments to support Trump if he is the eventual Republican nominee despite the real estate tycoon's "detestable" remarks.
"If McConnell and Ryan think that Donald Trump's racist, xenophobic demagoguery is wrong, they should not support him - period," Reid said.
He added, "If they refuse to revoke their support for Trump, they should both put on 'Make America Great Again' hats, and stand behind Trump at his next press conference."
Speaking at the liberal Center for American Progress, Reid argued progressives need to combat Trump by doubling down on their ideas.
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