Though any rational progressive found plenty to dislike in Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid during most of his tenure, the Senator appears to have found his spine in the final months as Minority Leader and has been going full speed ahead to call President-elect Trump out on the violence being perpetrated in his name.
This week, Reid battled Trump’s hatred the best way he could – by entering instance after instance of it into the congressional record.
Senator Reid noted that @realDonaldTrump has done nothing to heal the US & entered accounts of hate crimes into the Congressional record.
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) November 17, 2016
Speaking at a Senate session on Thursday, Reid noted that he had called on Trump days ago to fully denounce the behavior of his supporters after hundreds of hate crimes had been carried out by those who voted for Trump. Besides saying “stop it” last week, Trump has done nothing to quell the racial violence he inspired.
Reid: “Two days ago, I called upon Trump to take responsibility for his rhetoric & his actions, to work to heal the wounds that he created.”
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) November 17, 2016
Reid noted Trump’s relative silence, and showed just how bad things have gotten in just the past couple of days.
Reid: “Tuesday, I said that the @splcenter reported 315 hate crime since the election. As of yesterday, that number jumped to 437.”
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) November 17, 2016
Reid then listed off several instances of racial hatred perpetrated by those who want to “Make American Great Again.”
Reid: “In MO, an African American student was burned with a hot glue gun and told that he didn’t belong in America.” https://t.co/HnDhpDdRcV
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) November 17, 2016
Reid: “An African American student was told by a white student: ‘Are you ready to get back on the boat now that Trump is president?'”
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) November 17, 2016
Reid: “in MI, a Latino family awoke to find that someone has used boxes to form a wall blocking their driveway…” https://t.co/DVNVYp8SqZ
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) November 17, 2016
Reid: “These are, Mr. President, sickening acts of hate, prejudice, and simple meanness. And they need to be stopped.”
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) November 17, 2016
As many other establishment Democrats work to normalize and accept Trump as he prepares to enter the White House, Reid recognizes his unique opportunity to hold the man accountable to the American people.
Though he won’t battle Trump for the next four years, he has these last few months to ensure that no political body can enter Trump’s tenure with eyes closed.
