© 2024 KUNR
Illustration of rolling hills with occasional trees and a radio tower.
Serving Northern Nevada and the Eastern Sierra
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KUNR’s spring fund drive is happening now, and your gift to the station will go twice as far with a matching pledge from the KUNR Advisory Board!

Now is the time to act –
click here to make a gift to KUNR today or increase your sustaining membership and have it matched.

Reid To GOP: You Really Want Trump To Fill Supreme Court Vacancy?

Alexa Ard

Nevada Senator Harry Reid issued stinging criticism today of the state of the Republican Party following Donald Trump's ascension to the top the of GOP ticket.

Reid called the GOP a "hollowed out shell of its former self" and ripe for Trump's takeover during a spirited, half-hour conference call with reporters on Thursday.

"By nominating Trump, I guess it's a natural evolution for party that's spent eight years on defining itself on what it's against — anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-Obama and anti-working people."

Reid's attack comes amid a two-month battle to get GOP senators to hold confirmation hearings for Merrick Garland, President Obama's pick to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nevada's senior senator, who'll be retiring at the end of his term this year, says he does not believe his Republican colleagues, especially those facing re-election, will be able to sustain their blockade. 

"Even they're going to say, "Hey, Mitch [McConnell], I've had enough of this. Let's have a vote and get this over with.'"

He also expressed disbelief that Nevada's Gov. Brian Sandoval, a moderate, issued a statement in support of Trump this week after John Kasich ended his presidential bid.

"Is endorsing Trump going to help him or any of the candidates this time who are Republicans? The obvious answer is no. Not only no, but hell no."

According to Reid, Sandoval could've simply selected the "none of the above" option unique to Nevada's presidential ballot.

[Listen to Sen. Harry Reid's full answer to our reporter's question.]

Julia Ritchey is a former reporter at KUNR Public Radio.
Related Content