HENDERSON, Nev. ― Thousands of miles from Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) kept up his trolling of his Republican colleagues and their unease with their presidential nominee.
“This is a place where we have so much Spanish influence,” Reid told reporters, marveling at the history and richness of Nevada ― and poking at Donald Trump’s unease with Mexican immigrants.
Reid pointed out that the first non-Native American to set foot in the Las Vegas Valley was a Spanish explorer named Rafael Rivera. Not coincidentally, the press conference was at Lindo Michoacan, a Mexican restaurant just outside Las Vegas.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are in Las Vegas Wednesday for their final presidential debate, an event that could be one of the nastiest in recent memory.
Reid has been constantly attacking Trump this election cycle, trying to brand him as a con man and a scam artist. He also chastised his GOP counterpart, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for largely staying silent on Trump.
“Mitch McConnell is as responsible as anyone for creating Trump,” Reid told reporters Wednesday, noting that Republicans in Congress have encouraged birtherism, climate change denial and the demonization of immigrants.
McConnell has endorsed Trump, but other than that, he’s been quiet on the GOP nominee.
“If you’re interested in the presidential election, you might as well get up and leave, because I don’t have any observations to make on that,” McConnell said recently during a speech at a local chamber of commerce in Kentucky.
McConnell’s spokesman declined to comment on Reid’s remarks, noting that Reid has been trying to pin the blame for Trump on Republicans for months.
Reid also said he’s been disappointed in Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who recently withdrew his support of Trump after video emerged of the GOP nominee bragging in 2005 about sexually assaulting women. Reid said it’s too late now for McCain to wash his hands of Trump:
John McCain and I came to Congress 34 years ago. We came to the Senate 30 years ago ... So I’ve had a relationship with John McCain. It always hasn’t been a loving relationship, but it’s been a good relationship. We all know about his temper. I’ve been on the brunt of that quite a few times. But I’ve always spoken highly of John McCain because of his background.
But I’ve been somewhat disappointed this election season in John. Being a Trump supporter until 10 days ago ― you can’t run away from nine or 10 months of supporting Donald Trump.
This week, McCain attracted notice for promising that Senate Republicans would be united against any Supreme Court nominee Clinton might nominate if she wins in November. He later tried to walk back those remarks.
McCain’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“For him to say, as he did a few days ago, it doesn’t matter who she brought up, they will oppose,” Reid said, “that doesn’t speak well of him or, I assume, the Republicans he’s trying to lead.”
Reid also dismissed Trump’s allegations that the electoral system is “rigged,” saying, “The only ‘rigged’ thing I’ve seen in this election is his mind.”
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.
HUFFPOST READERS: What’s happening in your state or district? The Huffington Post wants to know about all the campaign ads, mailers, robocalls, candidate appearances and other interesting campaign news happening by you. Email any tips, videos, audio files or photos to scoops@huffingtonpost.com.